The South Carolina Senate on Tuesday rejected an effort to redraw the state’s congressional map, dealing a setback to President Trump and House Republicans.
By a 26-18 vote, senators declined to take up a last-minute proposal that would have changed district lines ahead of the November midterm election. Instead, they voted to continue debate on the issue and adjourn the state Senate until June 10, the day after the primary election.
The measure, approved by the House last week, would have eliminated South Carolina’s only majority-Black congressional district, currently represented by U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, a Democrat. The bill would have likely led to a 7-0 majority for Republicans, picking up an extra House seat.
Several Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing the plan, arguing it was too late to make changes because early voting began Tuesday.
State Sen. Richard Cash, a Republican who supports the bill and redistricting effort, said the timing ultimately led him to vote against moving forward.
“South Carolina citizens are going to the polls today, and neither my conscience nor my common sense will allow me to stop an election that is already underway,” Cash said. “For me, the practical deadline for passing this bill was yesterday.”
The failed vote effectively ends the push to redraw the map before the 2026 midterm election.
After the redistricting bill failed to pass, South Carolina Republicans said they were disappointed. State party Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement that the party would now turn to the elections themselves.
“We’re very disappointed with the South Carolina Senate’s failure to act on President Trump’s call for redistricting. It’s an incredible missed opportunity. Now, our focus must shift to what lies ahead: winning the next election to protect our majority and keep President Trump’s agenda moving forward," he said.
Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is running for governor in a crowded Republican field, said after the vote that “the fight is not over.”
And Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, another South Carolina Republican in the race to be governor, said conservatives will remember who voted against the bill, an implicit threat to challenge them in their next primaries.
"Conservative voters will remember who stood with them and who failed to act when given the opportunity," she said.
The South Carolina State Senate failed the people of South Carolina today. While President @realDonaldTrump is delivering on his America First agenda and Making America Great Again, the State Senate failed to deliver a strong redistricting map that reflects the conservative… https://t.co/vQoKoAtONH
— Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (@PamelaEvette) May 26, 2026