South Carolina GOP governor candidates clash in debate as redistricting push fails

SPARTANBURG, Sc. (WTOC) -South Carolina’s congressional district lines will remain unchanged for this election cycle after state Senate Republicans adjourned a special redistricting session Tuesday.

Lawmakers ended the session as early voting is already underway for the state’s June primary, effectively closing the door — at least for now — on any last-minute redraw that supporters said could have improved Republicans’ chances of picking up another congressional seat.

The failed push quickly became a flashpoint Tuesday night in Spartanburg, where four Republican candidates for governor faced off in a debate that at times turned combative.

At one point, candidate Rom Reddy criticized Representative Ralph Norman, asking, “What has he done in 20 years in office? Nothing.”

U.S. Rep. Norman, R-S.C., and Attorney General Alan Wilson also exchanged sharp words during the forum. “Alan you’re lying again,” Norman said during one back-and-forth. Wilson fired back, telling Norman, “In all due respect you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth.”

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., quipped amid the cross-talk, “I feel like I’m in the middle of an oversight hearing.”

When the topic turned to the special session ending without a map, each candidate offered a clear position on the Senate’s decision.

Norman criticized Republicans who opposed the effort, saying, “You had 12 Republicans who sided with the Democrats to eliminate this. That’s not the right thing to do. It’s not the right thing for South Carolina,” adding that residents in the 6th Congressional District “want it redistricted more than ever.”

Wilson said he supported the push as long as it met legal standards. “If it’s constitutional, it’s lawful. We should be able to do it,” he said.

Mace framed her support around state authority, saying she backs “South Carolina’s right as a state to redraw their lines.”

Reddy also endorsed the effort, saying, “Redistricting based on partisanship is constitutional and I 100-percent support it.”

Beyond redistricting, candidates also discussed a range of issues including proposals related to halting data centers, policies aimed at keeping teachers in classrooms, and reforms to the state’s judicial selection process.

The state’s primary election is on June 9.