Republicans Push 2 Redistricting Drives in South Carolina and Alabama for Potential +2 House Gain
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 12
Republicans Push 2 Redistricting Drives in South Carolina and Alabama for Potential +2 House Gain
8 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 12
South Carolina Republicans moved Tuesday to fast-track two bills that would redraw the state’s congressional map and delay next week’s House primaries to Aug. 11, putting Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn’s 6th District at the center.
Donald Trump urged state Republicans to “GET IT DONE,” and the White House is already counting the South Carolina effort as a potential +1 GOP pickup, though Clyburn said he can still hold the seat.
Alabama officials are also advancing an older GOP map after the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, lifted a 2023 injunction that had blocked it on racial grounds.
That decision is expected to dismantle the Black-majority 2nd District held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who called the ruling unfortunate and said litigation would continue.
The twin fights underscore how redistricting and election-law maneuvering are shaping the 2026 campaign, with both parties increasingly battling over maps and process rather than policy.
How are new legal precedents and state-level maneuvers fundamentally altering the landscape of American elections this year?
As federal agencies face pressure on scientific transparency, what is the ultimate cost to public health and institutional trust?