Trump Presses South Carolina Republicans to Redraw Congressional Maps Before June Primary
Why It Matters
South Carolina’s congressional boundaries are at the center of a high-stakes political dispute, with President Donald Trump personally intervening to push the state’s Republican legislative majority to redraw district lines ahead of the June 9 primary — a move that election officials say may already be legally impossible given that votes have been cast under the current maps.
What Happened
Trump requested a call with South Carolina’s Republican Senate supermajority caucus on May 5, 2026, following a prior discussion with Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, who has opposed redrawing the state’s congressional maps. The president is pressing lawmakers to reconfigure South Carolina’s seven congressional districts in time for next month’s partisan primaries.
Trump’s primary target is the state’s Sixth Congressional District, a majority-minority seat held since its creation in 1992 by former U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn. The district was originally drawn to ensure representation by a Black Democrat — the type of race-based line-drawing the U.S. Supreme Court struck down last week in its ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. The president aims to eliminate the seat and potentially add a Republican congressional seat in its place.
House Speaker Murrell Smith is reportedly moving to advance legislation that would reschedule elections for all seven of the state’s congressional districts, buying time for new maps to be drawn. One source close to the process described the push as “a runaway train being driven by the speaker.” Other sources indicated Smith may wait until after the legislature’s scheduled adjournment on May 14 before acting.
By the Numbers
- 35 days remain until South Carolina’s June 9 partisan primary elections.
- 45 days is the minimum advance notice required under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) for ballots to be sent to military members and designated overseas voters.
- 5,230 absentee ballots have already been sent to eligible voters under the current district maps.
- 185 of those ballots have already been returned and received by the S.C. State Election Commission as of May 5.
- South Carolina’s Sixth District has existed as a Democratic-held seat for more than 33 years, since its creation in 1992.
The Legal and Logistical Problem
The timeline presents a significant legal obstacle. Because UOCAVA requires ballots be dispatched to overseas and military voters at least 45 days before a federal election, and the primary is only 35 days away, state election agencies have already begun distributing — and receiving back — ballots based on the existing district lines. Whether those ballots could be invalidated or the election legally delayed remains an open constitutional question that would likely require court review.
The state Supreme Court’s position on any map changes is also uncertain, particularly given that ballots have already been cast under the boundaries currently in effect. South Carolina’s election infrastructure has faced recent legal scrutiny, adding another layer of complexity to any rushed redistricting effort.
Political Risks on Both Sides
Even setting aside the legal hurdles, the political calculus for Republicans is complicated. With the president’s approval ratings under pressure and economic concerns weighing on voters, any attempt to redraw the Sixth District risks pushing its Democratic-leaning voters into currently safe Republican districts — potentially flipping competitive seats rather than gaining them.
Democrats, for their part, appear to welcome the attempt. Former First District Congressman Joe Cunningham said Republicans would effectively be giving Democrats a political gift by creating multiple swing districts. “Clyburn’s voters don’t vanish,” Cunningham said in public remarks. “They have to go somewhere. And that somewhere is into GOP districts.”
Senate Majority Leader Massey, who spoke at length with Trump on the evening of May 4, has been among the most vocal Republican voices cautioning against the push. His opposition reflects broader unease within the GOP caucus about the risks of a rushed remapping process. Rising Republican figures in the state will be watching closely how legislative leaders navigate the standoff with the White House.
What’s Next
Speaker Smith is expected to move legislation through the House within the coming week to delay the congressional elections and allow new maps to be drawn, though the bill’s fate in the Senate — and any subsequent legal challenges — remains unclear. The legislature is scheduled to adjourn May 14, leaving an extremely narrow window for any action before the primary cycle accelerates further.