South Carolina GOP divided over redrawing congressional map that challenges Dem Clyburn's reelection

South Carolina Republicans are divided over redistricting the state's congressional map.

Last month, GOP Rep. Ralph Norman, proposed redrawing the state's Sixth Congressional District, the only Democratic-held seat, The Post and Courier reported.

“When you look at the way the 6th District is drawn, it's like a drunken sailor did it,” Norman said of Rep. James Clyburn's district that sprawls from Charleston to Columbia, including all or parts of 14 mostly rural, poor counties.

Norman, who is running for governor, continued: “That's not right. I think the citizens deserve to have a district that has some thought put into it and not meant to keep anybody in office.”

Clyburn is a black male and a powerful figure in national Democrat politics, turning out the African-American vote for his party and having a major impact on who Democrats in early-voting state South Carolina pick as their presidential nominee. 

“This is not a Black-White issue," Norman said . This is not a civil rights issue. This is a fairness issue,” he said.

However, besides the state House's Freedom Caucus, Republicans, who hold supermajorities in both legislative chambers, are not supportive of the proposal, especially amid the 2026 election season.

“Everything we ever do from here on out will be litigated,” Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said.

The state was sued over its last redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census, eventually winning against the NAACP at the U.S. Supreme Court.

While Norman said he realizes that redistricting the Sixth District to favor Republicans could bring another lawsuit, state House Freedom Caucus chairman Jordan Pace said recent Supreme Court decisions involving redistricting have favored Republicans.

“I think they’ll lose,” Pace said of potential lawsuits.

Norman said he hopes to suggest several congressional map options for the Sixth District, which was redistricted in the early 1990s to favor black voters. The district lost its majority black status, dropping to 47%, in the 2020 redistricting.

The proposal comes as red and blue states are facing off with mid-decade redistricting. As Texas Republicans are redistricting to try to gain five more congressional seats, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has crafted a plan to gain five more seats for Democrats.

Meanwhile, Democratic governors JB Pritzker, of Illinois, and Wes Moore, of Maryland, are considering redistricting to help their party gain more congressional seats. Missouri state House Republicans have already passed a new map to gain another seat from Democrats.

Adam Kincaid, who is director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust and drew the new Texas map, said he is following developments in South Carolina.

“If I was Jim Clyburn, I’d want to ratchet down the temperature a little bit. I'd probably call Gavin (Newsom) and ask him to back down,” Kincaid said.

“Tell whoever this guy is, he's not James Clyburn. And maybe if he had my knowledge he would be a better person,” Clyburn told The Post and Courier.