Redistricting in South Carolina

Here’s how new congressional maps shift voting power in every state

By Janie Boschma, Renée Rigdon, Byron Manley and Ethan Cohen, CNN. Additional reporting and design by Melissa DePalo, Eleanor Stubbs and Christopher Hickey, CNN

Last updated: November 8, 2022

Every 10 years, states redraw the boundaries of their congressional districts to reflect new population counts from the census. South Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature drew a map that likely maintains the party’s 6-to-1 advantage in its US House delegation. The new map makes the coastal 1st Congressional District — the only one in the state that has been competitive in recent years — safer for Republicans by bringing more rural areas into the district. Rep. James Clyburn will likely still be the only Democratic representative from the Palmetto State.

How the districts voted in 2020, by presidential vote margin in percentage points

Democratic

30+
15+
5+

Competitive

Within 5

Republican

5+
15+
30+

Old map 7 districts

In the old congressional map, there are 1 Democratic, 0 competitive and 6 Republican districts.

Change

Change in Democratic districts: 0

Change in Competitive districts: 0

Change in Republican districts: 0

New map 7 districts

In the new congressional map, there are 1 Democratic, 0 competitive and 6 Republican districts.

How the new map shifts voting power by demographic

The Palmetto State will continue to hold seven seats in the House. Under its new map, South Carolina’s 6th District, between Charleston and Columbia, has been redrawn and is no longer a Black-majority seat.

Number of White-majority districts
Old Map
6
New Map
6
A chart showing the number of White-majority districts has remained the same with 6.
Black-majority districts
1
0
A chart showing the number of Black-majority districts has decreased by 1, for a total of 0
No group has majority
0
1
A chart showing the number of districts where no group has a majority has increased by 1, for a total of 1.

The group that represents the majority in each district

White
Black
No group has majority

About the data

Sources: US Census Bureau, Edison Research, each state’s legislature or other redistricting authority

Methodology note: Block-level demographic data from the 2020 census is reaggregated into each new district’s boundaries.