South Carolina Democrats are channeling fury over Republican redistricting into a surge at the polls, according to Rep. Jim Clyburn. The state’s record-breaking early voting turnout, he said Tuesday, is a direct response to GOP efforts to redraw congressional maps in a way that could dismantle his predominantly Black district.
“People were upset that this was taking place. And people tend to vote when they get angry. And people were very angry,” Clyburn told reporters after casting his ballot in Orangeburg.
By 3 p.m. Tuesday, more than 44,600 voters had cast in-person early ballots—nearly doubling the previous single-day record for a primary, according to the SC Daily Gazette. Clyburn noted he’d never seen voters so animated, pointing to interviews at polling places as evidence of the intensity.
The anger stems from a push by GOP lawmakers and Governor Henry McMaster to advance a new congressional map that would have carved up Clyburn’s district, a move critics called a partisan gerrymander. The state Senate ultimately rejected the plan in a 26-18 vote, dealing a setback to President Trump’s call for redrawn lines.
McMaster had called a special session to force the issue, despite earlier saying he would leave it to the legislature. Clyburn expressed surprise at the reversal, noting the state’s current map was already upheld by the Supreme Court two years ago. “I don’t know what all this is about, but I do know this,” he said. “The congressional lines were looked at by the Supreme Court two years ago. And the Supreme Court said they were constitutional.”
McMaster, undeterred, told reporters he remains “confident that one day South Carolina’s congressional delegation will be completely Republican,” adding, “I am disappointed that day has not yet come.” Clyburn fired back, calling the redistricting push “short-sighted” and urging lawmakers to follow constitutional process.
“I think the vote today reflected what South Carolinians would like to see,” Clyburn said. “And that is a constitutional process that plays itself out according to the laws relevant in the one man.”
The episode underscores deepening partisan tensions over redistricting in a state where Republicans hold supermajorities but Clyburn’s influence remains a bulwark. The early voting surge could signal heightened engagement ahead of November, especially in a state where a tight GOP primary between Evette and Wilson is already drawing attention. Meanwhile, national trends like record-low consumer sentiment amid Iran tensions could further motivate voters.
