SC candidates, officials react after redistricting push fails in state Senate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Candidates for major office in South Carolina and other officials shared their thoughts after a push to change the state’s congressional district failed on Tuesday.

Below are reactions from state officials and candidates on both sides of the aisle in statements either posted to social media or provided to WIS.

This story will be updated with more comments as soon as they’re available:

Gov. Henry McMaster: “President Trump needs a Republican Congress to continue pursuing conservative policies that make our nation stronger. I am confident that one day South Carolina’s congressional delegation will be completely Republican. I am disappointed that day has not yet come. With the Senate’s vote today, it is clear that South Carolina will not have a new congressional map for the 2026 election. It is time for South Carolinians to go vote confidently in a safe and secure election for the June 9 primary. And it is time for the General Assembly to return in its extra session to pass a budget for the coming fiscal year. As in all elections, I encourage our citizens to exercise their precious right to vote, especially during this 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn: “Two years ago, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling that said South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District was in fact constitutional. The White House wanted to draw a new district that would be 7-0. We have someone in the White House that wants Republicans to ignore the Constitutional principles for which this current map was drawn. A critical number of Republicans did not believe in putting a man over the law. Today, members of the South Carolina State Senate stood up for the constitutional principles that they say they believe in.”

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette: “The South Carolina State Senate failed the people of South Carolina today. While President Trump 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 values of our state. The Senate’s inaction protects the status quo and ignores the will of the people who overwhelmingly rejected the radical left’s agenda. Republicans were elected to lead, fight, and deliver results, not stall, surrender, and protect political insiders. Conservative voters will remember who stood with them and who failed to act when given the opportunity.”

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson: “I’m disappointed the Senate failed to get this bill across the finish line. South Carolina had an opportunity to finally give voters in the 6th Congressional District a fairer and more competitive map. I have said all along that our state has both the authority and the responsibility to fix it. This fight is not over.”

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman: “Unbelievable! South Carolina had a chance to create competition in our congressional seats, but now, NO MORE! This is why we need to enact TERM LIMITS and get rid of the RINOs in Columbia!”

SC Rep. Jermaine Johnson: “I just saw the senators do the right thing. I just saw them do the right thing. Congratulations to everybody because it was you. It was you raising your voices. It was you turning out to vote early that got them to notice that the people of South Carolina are not going to put up with this mess. We have already broken the first primary day voting record. I want y’all to keep doing this. Keep showing up. Keep making your voices heard. Redistricting is dead, but that does not mean that we need to still stop the vote, which is what we’ve been doing. We need to keep showing up. We need to keep voting early. Let’s break all the records. Get your sons, your daughters, your grandchildren who are old enough to vote. Make sure they are out there voting early. Let’s get this thing wrapped up before June 9th even comes around because it is your voice. It is us working together that’s going to build this new South Carolina. Y’all keep voting out there.”

Rom Reddy: “Jim Clyburn has been in office for 33 years. Why did the SC politicians need Presidential leadership to get going after the Supreme Court clearly ruled in 2024 that partisan redistricting is constitutional. Of course, the gubernatorial candidates all ran to social media when it was apparent that the McMaster delay in getting on board was going to kill this effort. All talk no action as always.”

SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick: “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.”

South Carolina Democratic Party Executive Director Jay Parmley: “South Carolina spoke up by voting in record numbers today, the first day of early voting for the June 9th primary. South Carolina state senators listened and did the right thing by rejecting a Trump-backed congressional redistricting plan in the middle of an election. This victory for democracy and fair legislative processes belongs to everyone who raised their voice. Let’s keep this momentum and continue shaping our future together.”

Jace Woodrum, Executive Director of the ACLU of South Carolina: “Don’t let anyone tell you that our political fate is set in stone. Remember that showing up and fighting for democracy still matters. South Carolinians from all walks of life showed up to give testimony, to call and write to our lawmakers, to lift our voices in protest, and finally to cast ballots in record-breaking numbers on the first day of primary voting. There are powerful people who want you to believe that showing up doesn’t matter. But we the people still hold the power, and representative democracy is still standing. After we made our voices heard, lawmakers from both political parties finally saw that the rush to redistrict hurts voters — and they did the right thing.”

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