South Carolina Republicans tank redistricting, for now
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
The South Carolina Senate just made it harder for the state to redraw its congressional map, resisting pressure from President Donald Trump. Lawmakers on Tuesday failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to approve a measure that would have allowed them to take up a vote on redistricting, even after the legislative session ends later this week. Five Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against the proposal. Republican Gov. Henry Mc Master could still call a special session, though his office has so far dismissed that idea. The Tuesday vote doesn’t mark a definitive end for redistricting efforts in the Palmetto State. But it does make it less likely that Trump will get his wish of eliminating the state’s sole Democratic district — represented by the powerful Rep. Jim Clyburn — by this year’s midterm elections. “The South Carolina State Senate has a big vote tomorrow on Redistricting. I’m watching closely,” Trump wrote on social media Monday evening.