A federal court has allowed a US House election in South Carolina for Republican Rep. Nancy Mace’s seat to proceed under a previously declared unconstitutional map. The court had previously found that the state’s GOP-controlled Legislature had unlawfully removed over 30,000 Black residents from the coastal 1st Congressional District to benefit Republicans, labeling it a racial gerrymander. Although the US Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling on the case, the federal judges cited a fast-approaching deadline to prepare for the primary election as the reason for allowing the election to proceed under the current map.
The officials in South Carolina appealed the federal court’s decision to the US Supreme Court, which heard arguments in the case last October. Conservative justices were skeptical of the allegations of racial gerrymandering by the state’s lawmakers. While past courts have allowed gerrymandering for partisan reasons, racial gerrymandering has been declared illegal. Despite the unconstitutional nature of the districting, the federal court stated that ordering a new map ahead of the looming primary election deadlines would be impractical.
Despite the previous ruling on the unconstitutionality of the district map, the federal court explained their decision to allow the election to proceed under the current map due to the upcoming primary election and the pending appeal before the Supreme Court. Nancy Mace, seeking a third term, faces competition in the Republican primary from challengers such as Catherine Templeton and Daniel Hanlon. Mace has received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who commended her as a “strong conservative voice.” The 1st District was redrawn in 2022 to be more favorable to Republicans, with Trump having carried the district by 9 points in 2020.
Mace previously won reelection by a significant margin in 2022 under the revised district lines, after narrowly winning under the old map in the previous election. The competitive nature of the district reflects the shifting political dynamics and strategic districting by state Republicans in South Carolina. The outcome of the upcoming primary election will be closely watched both within the state and nationally as it may impact the balance of power in the US House of Representatives. The race in South Carolina underscores the intersection of legal challenges, political maneuvering, and the democratic process in shaping the outcome of elections.
