U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) is in danger of losing his seat after South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signaled that the Palmetto State will consider redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm election cycle. The news comes after several additional southern states have signaled plans for redistricting following a bombshell Supreme Court ruling dealing with congressional districts drawn on the basis of race.
Republican State Rep. Jordan Pace, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, previously introduced a proposed map in November 2025 that would alter boundaries across the state, with the most significant changes affecting the Sixth Congressional District. Other Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), have publicly supported reviewing the maps.
Following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais that limited the application of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting cases, Governor Henry McMaster stated that the General Assembly should assess whether the current maps comply with federal law. Earlier proposals for mid-decade redistricting had not advanced, but the ruling has prompted renewed examination.
“The U.S. Supreme Court upheld South Carolina’s current congressional map in 2024. In light of the Court’s most recent decision on the Voting Rights Act, it would be appropriate for the General Assembly to ensure that South Carolina’s congressional map still complies with all requirements of federal law and the U.S. Constitution,” McMaster said in a statement.
SC Gov. Henry McMaster signals the state could join LA and AL in redrawing:
“In light of the Court’s decision… it would be appropriate for the General Assembly to ensure that South Carolina’s congressional map still complies with federal law and the U.S. Constitution.”
— VoteHub (@VoteHub) May 1, 2026
Any redraw along the lines of the proposed map would likely eliminate the current configuration of the Sixth District, which has been held by U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn since 1993.
The district encompasses a large portion of the state’s majority-black precincts in and around Columbia and Charleston, along with areas in the Black Belt. Under the suggested changes, it would incorporate counties that voted strongly for Republican candidates in recent elections and lose counties that supported Democrat-leaning ones.
A redraw could very well lead to a Republican sweep of the state’s congressional delegation and retire Clyburn, who currently ranks as one of the most senior Democrats in the House. Throughout his career, the congressman has served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, vice chair and later chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and Majority Whip during periods of Democrat.
Clyburn is also credited with playing a key role in former Vice President Joe Biden’s path to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. The congressman offered his endorsement just days before the pivotal primary, which Biden won and gained momentum after a slow start to the primary campaign.
In recent days, several other southern states have also advanced redistricting efforts following the same Supreme Court ruling. In Louisiana, officials suspended congressional primaries and indicated plans to draw a new map. State leaders in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee have also announced plans to consider redistricting.
