Republicans in South Carolina advanced a new proposed House map Wednesday that could threaten longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, the party kingmaker who helped propel former President Joe Biden to the White House.
The South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the redistricting proposal late Wednesday evening after more than 12 hours of debate, WLTX reported. The pending map would likely axe the state’s only Democratic-held seat, currently held by the 85-year-old Clyburn, a 17-term congressman first elected in 1992.
Clyburn is one of the most powerful Democrats on Capitol Hill, and his presence in Washington carries significant political impact outside of the Palmetto State.
The lawmaker cemented his reputation as a party kingmaker in 2020 after his endorsement helped Biden — who had suffered crushing defeats in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary — win the South Carolina primary in a landslide and revive his path to the nomination. Shortly following Biden’s convincing South Carolina win, several candidates in the race including Tom Steyer, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out, helping Biden become the favorite over socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The move comes as the redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats heats up nationwide. Red states in the South are moving quickly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that racially gerrymandered districts are unconstitutional in a 6-3 decision.
On May 12, five Republican state senators crossed party lines and voted with Democrats in an attempt to block the redistricting proposal. After the push failed, Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a special session to address the state budget and congressional districts.
“In South Carolina, we have witnessed the consequences of these rigged districts firsthand,” Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace said in a statement. “The panic now sweeping through the left is quite telling, they fear a fair contest. When the rules are applied equally, their grip on power slips.”
Clyburn pushed back on the redistricting effort, saying the battle is challenging democracy.
“This fight is bigger than one district. It’s about whether our democracy belongs to the people, or to politicians who change the rules when they don’t like the results,” Clyburn wrote in an X post.
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