Columbia, South Carolina — An attempt to reshuffle South Carolina’s congressional districts is set to air for the first time Monday in the state House of Representatives, as lawmakers begin a lengthy and potentially contentious debate over whether to approve President Donald Trump’s wishes for a U.S. House map that could yield a clean sweep for Republicans.
Tense discussions have already broken out Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana, where Republicans are pushing hard to take advantage of the latest developments US Supreme Court ruling That weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minority counties. The ruling opened the way for Republicans to redraw districts with large black populations that elected Democrats.
In South Carolina, that means targeting a seat he has held for a long time US Representative Jim Clyburnthe only Democrat among the state’s seven representatives in the House of Representatives.
Clyburn said he has no intention of retiring, even if his district changes. He told reporters last week in Washington that he has addresses in Columbia, Charleston and Santee, adding: “I live in three districts. I will decide which one I will run in.”
“It’s not about Jim Clyburn’s district,” he said. “It’s not about voting. It’s about turning back the clock to Jim Crow 2.0.”
Early voting is scheduled to begin May 26 for South Carolina’s statewide primary election on June 9. In addition to redrawing congressional districts, legislation pending in the state House of Representatives would move the U.S. House primary to August. If approved in the House, the legislation must go to the Senate.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who called lawmakers into a special session on redistricting, said it was important for South Carolina to send as many Republicans as possible to Washington to try to prevent Democrats from taking control of the House and trying to impeach Trump.
But some Republicans have expressed concern that trying to draw the House map 7-0 could scatter Republican voters too thin, leaving some currently Republican-controlled districts vulnerable to Democratic victories.
Republicans are leading nationally Redistricting battle yet. Since Trump urged Texas Republicans to redistrict last year, Republicans believe they could pick up as many as 15 seats from new House maps in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama. Meanwhile, Democrats believe they can pick up six seats from the new maps in California and Utah. But litigation is ongoing in some states, and voters will have the final say on who wins.
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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed from Washington.