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Another red state gov refuses to redraw maps despite Trump's pressure
May 5, 2026
Posted 2 hours ago by
A red state Republican leader on Monday publicly defied President Donald Trump's calls to gerrymander his state's election map.Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina told reporters that he is not prepared to call the state legislature into a special session to redraw the state's congressional election map, the Post and Courier reported. Several states, from Florida to Alabama and Louisiana, have begun efforts to redraw their maps following the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v.
Callais, which held that states may gerrymander their maps for partisan purposes even if the resulting maps have racially discriminatory effects.McMaster's office told the outlet that they have been in regular communication with the White House about the state's map after the Supreme Court ruling. McMaster has previously said it would be appropriate for state lawmakers to ensure their map complies with federal law, but stopped short of explicitly calling for the map to be redrawn. McMaster has long said he does not believe South Carolina needs to redraw its congressional districts mid-decade, the report added. But in a statement last week, he suggested lawmakers could revisit the issue, a signal that drew interest from members of the S.C. House Freedom Caucus who have pushed to redraw the map in ways that could alter the boundaries of the 6th Congressional District held by Democratic Rep. James Clyburn — the state’s only Democrat in Washington.
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