In a surprising turn of events, a federal court has given the green light for the US House election in South Carolina to proceed under a map previously deemed unconstitutional. The election will determine the fate of the seat currently held by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace.
The court’s decision, announced on Thursday, was influenced by the rapidly approaching deadline for the state’s primary election preparations. The judges acknowledged the unusual nature of their decision, but cited the lack of a practical alternative due to the impending election and the ongoing appeal to the US Supreme Court.
Last year, a three-judge panel concluded that the GOP-controlled Legislature in South Carolina had unjustly removed over 30,000 Black residents from the 1st Congressional District, a move the court labeled as a “bleaching” to favor Republicans. This act was deemed an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
South Carolina officials subsequently appealed to the US Supreme Court. The justices, predominantly conservative, heard the case in October, expressing skepticism over claims of racial gerrymandering. However, the high court has yet to release its opinion.
While partisan gerrymandering has been tolerated in the past, racial gerrymandering is considered illegal. With the state facing deadlines to prepare and distribute absentee ballots to overseas and military voters for the June 11 primary, the judges deemed it “plainly impractical” to demand a new map.
Rep. Mace is facing a tough Republican primary in her quest for a third term. Among her challengers are former state Cabinet official Catherine Templeton and Mace’s former chief of staff Daniel Hanlon. Mace, once a critic of former President Donald Trump, has since become a vocal supporter and recently received his endorsement.
The 1st District, which was once competitive, was redrawn by state Republicans in 2022 to favor their party. Under the current lines, Trump would have won the district by 9 points in 2020. Mace secured reelection in 2022 by 14 points, a significant increase from her single-point victory two years prior under the previous map.
Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Kate Sullivan and Andrew Menezes.