SC lawmakers expect McMaster to call special session on redistricting

• South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to call a special legislative session after the scheduled May 14 adjournment.
• The special session is being called to address the redrawing of South Carolina's congressional map.
• Pressure for the session increased after a Supreme Court decision weakened the Voting Rights Act.
• Some Republicans aim to redraw the map to challenge the Democratic majority in Congressional District 6.

South Carolina lawmakers have been informed that Gov. Henry McMaster plans to call a special session after the legislature adjourns on May 14.

State Rep. Wendell Jones, D-Greenville, confirmed on May 13 that House lawmakers have been told that the governor will call a special session after the adjournment of the legislature. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-District 1, also released a statement saying that the governor is expected to call the House back into session as soon as Friday, May 15.

The governor faced mounting pressure, including from President Donald Trump, in recent days to call a special session so South Carolina can redraw its congressional map. Some Republican lawmakers want to see the lines redrawn to erase the Democratic majority in Congressional District 6, which has long been held by U.S. Rep. James Clyburn.

The South Carolina Freedom Caucus made redistricting a priority of the 2026 legislative session, but its efforts to redraw the congressional map fell on the backburner until a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. Louisiana v. Callais, a high-profile case, weakened the Voting Rights Act and dismissed the federal law's protection of minority-majority voting district.

The South Carolina legislature was set to adjourn at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 14. Statements from the governor's office previously said that McMaster has been watching to see what happens in the final days of the legislative session before making a determination for a special session.

Calls for a special session only grew after the Senate rejected an amended sine die resolution on May 12 that would have allowed lawmakers to keep meeting beyond May 14 to discuss redistricting. The General Assembly passed a different sine die resolution on May 13 which allows the legislature to continue meeting only to discuss the state budget.

On May 12, the House Judiciary Committee also gave a favorable report to a bill that would establish a new congressional map, sending the bill to the full House chamber. State Rep. Weston Newton, R-Beaufort, informed the House on May 13 that a map room has been opened in the statehouse, where lawmakers can review the proposed map.

Calling a special session shows a departure from McMaster's initial stance on allowing the legislature to continue meeting. The governor's office said in early May that the governor was unlikely to call a special session this year.

McMaster has not addressed reports that he plans to call a special session after adjournment on May 14. His most recent statement on redistricting, which was on May 12, said that the General Assembly still has time to consider redistricting.

"The General Assembly still has two full days in which to finish its important work, including giving full consideration – as sought by the people – to the important question of redistricting," McMaster said. "I urge the General Assembly to finish its work according to the U.S. and South Carolina constitutions and the best interests of the people."

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at [email protected]