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Supreme Court Upholds South Carolina Congressional Map, Sparking Concerns Over Racial Gerrymandering

Clay Cane
May 28, 2024

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority upheld a Republican-held South Carolina congressional district, rejecting a lower-court ruling that found the district discriminated against Black voters. In dissent, liberal justices warned that the decision insulated states from claims of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.

The 6-3 decision determined that South Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature acted appropriately during redistricting when it strengthened Rep. Nancy Mace’s hold on the coastal district by moving 30,000 Democratic-leaning Black residents of Charleston out of the district.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., speaks on Capitol Hill, Oct. 11, 2023, in Washington. A federal court has ruled that this year’s congressional elections in South Carolina will be held under a map that it had already deemed unconstitutional and discriminatory against Black voters, with time running out ahead of voting deadlines, and the lack of a decision by the Supreme Court. The case hinges on South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, currently held by Mace. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund criticized the ruling, stating, “The highest court in our land greenlit racial discrimination in South Carolina’s redistricting process.”

Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-S.C., compares his proposed map of House districts drawn with 2020 Census data to a plan supported by Republicans on Jan. 20, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. A federal court ruled Thursday, March 28, 2024, that this year’s congressional elections in South Carolina will be held under a map that it had already deemed unconstitutional and discriminatory against Black voters, with time running out ahead of voting deadlines, and the lack of a decision by the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane