The South Carolina Senate rejected a new congressional map Tuesday that Republicans hoped would eliminate the state’s only Democratic seat, a Black-majority district represented by Rep. James Clyburn for more than three decades.
The vote against the new map — which would have assisted Republicans in their quest for a clean sweep of all seven of the state’s congressional districts this fall — was an unexpected rebuff of President Donald Trump, who had pushed for the redistricting in the hopes of retaining his party’s slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives past November.
The new map had passed the state House last week. But a motion to end debate on the new map failed in the state Senate on Tuesday after several Republicans changed their minds close to the vote.
South Carolina conservatives were at first hesitant to heed Trump’s demands for a new map. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster initially declined to call for a special session to consider redistricting. Shane Massey, the Republican leader of the state Senate, drew national attention for bucking the president in a 45-minute speech on the chamber’s floor about the perils of anti-democratic gerrymandering.
McMaster ultimately called for a special session after the Senate, led by Massey, rejected a measure that would have extended its current session to consider a redraw.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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