Representative Jim Clyburn, the sole Democrat in South Carolina’s House delegation, launched a blistering attack Thursday on a Republican-led effort to redraw the state’s congressional map, a move he says is fueled by former President Donald Trump’s personal request. The push, Clyburn argued, is a transparent attempt to erase his majority-Black 6th District and hand the GOP a clean sweep of the state’s seven House seats.
“Republicans in the South Carolina state legislature began the process of extending their session to allow for the redrawing of the state’s congressional map — with one goal in mind: eliminating the state’s only Democratic House district that is occupied by a Democrat,” Clyburn wrote in a series of posts on X. “Republicans are trying to break apart South Carolina’s 6th District. Not because voters demanded it, but because Donald Trump requested it,” he added, vowing, “we cannot let them succeed.”
The 85-year-old lawmaker, first elected in 1992 and seeking an 18th term this year, represents a district that stretches from Columbia to Charleston and is home to a substantial African American population. If the Republican-controlled legislature finalizes a new map, South Carolina, which already tilts heavily red, could see its House delegation shift from a 6-1 GOP majority to a 7-0 sweep, mirroring recent partisan moves in other states.
This redistricting push comes amid a broader national fight over House control, with both parties jockeying for advantage ahead of the midterms. The South Carolina House voted Wednesday to keep the door open for redrawing lines, following a Supreme Court decision that weakened key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. That ruling has emboldened several states to reconsider their maps, often along partisan lines.
The measure now heads to the state Senate, which initially appeared ready to adjourn without acting on it. Meanwhile, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on redistricting for Friday. Trump has reportedly been calling South Carolina lawmakers directly to urge them to press ahead, according to sources familiar with the conversations.
Critics argue the timing is particularly fraught. South Carolina’s primary elections are less than a month away, and the state Democratic Party chair has labeled the renewed redistricting push “reckless,” noting that thousands of absentee ballots have already been mailed to voters. The rushed timeline, they say, risks confusion and disenfranchisement.
Clyburn’s warning echoes similar battles in other states. In Tennessee, Republicans have moved to split Memphis’s Democratic district to oust the lone Democrat in that delegation, a tactic that has drawn accusations of racial gerrymandering. Clyburn’s fight in South Carolina is part of a larger pattern of GOP efforts to consolidate power through map-drawing, often targeting districts that protect minority representation.
The 6th District has been a bastion for Black political power in the state since its creation after the 1990 census. Clyburn, a former House majority whip and a key ally of President Joe Biden, has used his seniority to steer federal funding to the region. A redrawn map could dilute that influence, potentially silencing a critical voice in Congress on issues from voting rights to economic equity.
As the legislative process unfolds, Clyburn is rallying Democratic voters and allies to oppose the plan. “This is not about fair representation,” he said. “It’s about partisan power and personal payback. We will not let them gut our district.”
