Republican South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced that he’s calling a special session of the state legislature to “address the state budget and congressional districts” in the Palmetto State.
A staunch ally of President Donald J. Trump, the governor is taking advantage of a recent Supreme Court ruling that smacked down racial gerrymandering to potentially redraw congressional districts in a fair and logical manner, bad news for Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) who could lose his longtime House seat.
🚨BREAKING: Immediately after the South Carolina legislature ended their legislative session Thursday, Gov. Henry McMaster (R) called lawmakers back to redraw the state’s congressional map and eliminate its lone majority-Black district. https://t.co/CAOBYEoKal
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) May 14, 2026
“I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts beginning Friday, May 15, at 11:00 AM,” McMaster wrote in a Thursday X post.
The governor’s setting of the special session comes after the GOP-led South Carolina senate declined to extend its session to take up a new map despite urging from Trump to do so as Republicans look to take advantage of recent court victories to take corrective action on years of Democrat gerrymandering before the critical midterm elections.
On Tuesday, five South Carolina Republicans led by Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey joined their Democrat colleagues to sink a proposal that would have allowed the Senate to vote on redistricting before the legislative session ended on Thursday.
The rebellion was in defiance of Trump who said that he was “watching closely” after challengers he backed in Indiana ousted lawmakers who refused to get onboard with redistricting.
The governor’s move could threaten Clyburn, the kingmaker who mobilized his black political machine to pull Joe Biden’s chestnuts out of the fire during the 2020 primaries, derailing Bernie Sanders in the early primary state and infusing the flailing Biden’s careening campaign with momentum that would power it as the race-baiting career politician went on to bulldoze the Vermont commie, easily winning the Democrat nomination.
In exchange for his help, Clyburn extracted a promise from the desperate Biden to put a black woman on the Supreme Court. Unfortunately for America, the new justice would be Ketanji Brown Jackson, a grotesque embarrassment who will be on the bench for decades.
If he’s nervous about the potential of being dislodged, the 85-year-old Democrat isn’t showing it.
“I don’t know why people think I could not get re-elected if they redistrict South Carolina,” Clyburn told CNN. “I have a district that’s about 45 percent African American. I have no idea what the number will be after the legislature finishes, but whatever that number is, I will be running on my record and America’s promise.”
Republicans applauded McMaster’s announcement.
“We appreciate Governor McMaster’s leadership in ensuring South Carolina addresses congressional redistricting,” said Drew McKissick, the state’s GOP chair. “Thanks to the Supreme Court ruling, Republicans have an opportunity to get this done, and we should maximize it. Now is the time for lawmakers to stand with President Trump, defend the Constitution, and finish the job.”
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