SC Senate kills White House-backed redistricting bill

The South Carolina Senate effectively defeated a Republican-led effort to overhaul the state’s congressional map on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The 26-18 vote to kill the bill included 14 Republicans who broke ranks after early primary voting officially got underway across the state. Governor Henry McMaster expressed disappointment over the outcome but noted it is now time for the state to move on and focus on finishing the state budget.

SC Senate Chambers

The push abruptly ended after one of the chamber’s most conservative members, Sen. Richard Cash (R-Anderson), announced he could no longer support the bill, stating that neither his conscience nor common sense would allow him to stop an election already in progress. The redistricting effort originally began after a late April U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding Louisiana’s map prompted President Donald Trump to personally urge state GOP leaders to fast-track an overhaul of South Carolina’s lines.

However, the proposed map—which would have shifted 1.5 million residents and drawn veteran Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn out of his district—faced intense bipartisan pushback for being a rushed, unvetted plan “rife with errors” like split or non-existent precincts. Public opposition was further underscored by a record-breaking opening day of early in-person voting, which saw over 32,300 citizens cast ballots by Tuesday afternoon.

What’s Next?

The legislation would have delayed the state’s June 9 U.S. House primaries until August. With the bill’s demise, all primary elections will proceed exactly as scheduled, and all congressional votes cast during the early voting period will be counted normally.