South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) is set to convene a special session of the state legislature next week to push through a congressional redistricting map that heavily favors Republicans, according to multiple local reports. The move follows a failed effort to extend the regular session, which ends Thursday, and marks a sharp reversal for McMaster, who had previously indicated he would leave the matter to lawmakers.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey (R) confirmed Wednesday that legislative leaders are notifying members to return to Columbia for the special session, as reported by The Post and Courier. The decision comes after five Republican state senators joined all Democrats on Tuesday to block a measure that would have extended the legislative calendar to consider mid-decade redistricting. That defeat left Republicans unable to pass a new map under the regular session's rules, which require a two-thirds vote for a sine die agreement.
McMaster had signaled as recently as Tuesday evening that he would not call a special session, writing on X: “The General Assembly still has two full days in which to finish its important work, including giving full consideration to the important question of redistricting.” He urged lawmakers to “finish its work according to the U.S. and South Carolina constitutions and the best interests of the people.” But after the Senate vote, he reversed course, with a special session allowing Republicans to bypass the two-thirds threshold and pass a map with a simple majority.
The push for redrawn lines comes directly from President Donald Trump, who has pressured GOP-controlled states to reshape congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms. In a Truth Social post before Tuesday’s vote, Trump wrote: “South Carolina Republicans: BE BOLD AND COURAGEOUS, just like the Republicans of the Great State of Tennessee were last week! Move the U.S. House Primaries to August, leave the rest on the same schedule. Everything will be fine. GET IT DONE!”
The proposed map specifically targets the seat held by Representative Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation. Clyburn has accused Republicans of acting on Trump’s orders rather than voter demands. “Republicans are trying to break apart South Carolina’s 6th District. Not because voters demanded it, but because Donald Trump requested it,” Clyburn said. “We cannot let them succeed.”
This is not the first time Trump has intervened in South Carolina’s redistricting. Earlier this month, South Carolina Senate Republicans rejected Trump’s initial push for a map, but the pressure has mounted as other Southern GOP states move quickly to redraw lines after recent Supreme Court rulings. The jockeying also comes as military and absentee ballots for the state’s June 9 primaries have already begun to be mailed out; if maps are redrawn, thousands of those ballots would need to be discarded, according to The Post and Courier.
A South Carolina House committee has already advanced a redistricting bill that would redraw congressional lines and reschedule primary elections for mid-August. McMaster’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The special session is expected to begin next week, with Republicans aiming to finalize a map that gives them a clear advantage in all seven U.S. House districts.
