There are currently seven United States congressional districts in South Carolina. There have been as few as four and as many as nine congressional districts in South Carolina. The 9th district and the 8th district were lost after the 1840 census. The 5th district and the 6th district were also briefly lost after the Civil War, but both had been regained by the 1880 census. Because of the state population growth in the 2010 census, South Carolina regained its 7th district, which had remained unused since the Civil War.
On January 6, 2023, a three-judge panel from the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina ruled that the current 1st district lines were unconstitutional due to racial gerrymandering and would have to be redrawn April of that year.[1] The case, Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, was argued on October 11, 2023, in the Supreme Court, and a ruling will be made during the 2023–24 term.[2][3][4] On March 28, 2024, the same district court that ruled the current 1st district lines unconstitutional, allowed for its use in the 2024 elections. It concluded that it would be impractical to create a new district map at the current time, mainly due to the upcoming military and overseas ballot mailing deadline of April 27 and statewide primaries on June 11. However, it still found the 1st district to be in violation of the 14th amendment, and future litigation is possible after the 2024 elections.[5][6]
Current districts and representatives
List of members of the United States House delegation from South Carolina, their terms, their district boundaries, and the district political ratings according to the CPVI. The House delegation has 7 members, including 6 Republicans and 1 Democrat as of 2023.[7]
| Current U.S. representatives from South Carolina | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Member (Residence)[8] |
Party | Incumbent since | CPVI (2022)[9] |
District map |
| 1st |  Nancy Mace (Charleston) |
Republican | January 3, 2021 | R+7 | 
|
| 2nd |  Joe Wilson (Springdale) |
Republican | December 18, 2001 | R+8 | 
|
| 3rd |  Jeff Duncan (Laurens) |
Republican | January 3, 2011 | R+21 | 
|
| 4th |  William Timmons (Greenville) |
Republican | January 3, 2019 | R+12 | 
|
| 5th |  Ralph Norman (Rock Hill) |
Republican | June 20, 2017 | R+12 | 
|
| 6th |  Jim Clyburn (Columbia) |
Democratic | January 3, 1993 | D+14 | 
|
| 7th |  Russell Fry (Murrells Inlet) |
Republican | January 3, 2023 | R+11 | 
|
District cities and counties
First congressional district
Counties
- Beaufort County
- Berkeley County
- Charleston County (part)
- Colleton County (part)
- Dorchester County (part)
- Jasper County (part)
Second congressional district
Counties
Third congressional district
Counties
- Abbeville County
- Anderson County
- Edgefield County
- Greenville County (part)
- Greenwood County
- Laurens County
- McCormick County
- Newberry County
- Oconee County
- Pickens County
- Saluda County
Fourth congressional district
Counties
- Greenville County (part)
- Spartanburg County (part)
District contains the two major cities of Greenville and Spartanburg.
Fifth congressional district
Counties
- Cherokee County
- Chester County
- Fairfield County
- Kershaw County
- Lancaster County
- Lee County
- Spartanburg County (part)
- Sumter County (part)
- Union County
- York County
Sixth congressional district
Counties
- Allendale County
- Bamberg County
- Calhoun County
- Charleston County (part)
- Clarendon County
- Colleton County (part)
- Dorchester County (part)
- Florence County (part)
- Hampton County
- Jasper County (part)
- Orangeburg County (part)
- Richland County (part)
- Sumter County (part)
- Williamsburg County
Seventh congressional district
Counties
- Chesterfield County
- Darlington County
- Dillon County
- Florence County (part)
- Georgetown County
- Horry County
- Marion County
- Marlboro County
Historical and present district boundaries
Table of United States congressional district boundary maps in the State of South Carolina, presented chronologically.[10] All redistricting events that took place in South Carolina between 1973 and 2013 are shown.
| Year | Statewide map | Charleston highlight |
|---|---|---|
| 1973–1982 | 
|
|
| 1983–1992 | 
|
|
| 1993–2002 | 
|
|
| 2003–2013 | 
|
|
| Since 2013 | 
|
|
-
Districts from 1793 to 1803
Obsolete districts
Eighth congressional district
The eighth congressional district seat was eliminated after the 1840 census.
Ninth congressional district
The ninth congressional district seat was eliminated after the 1840 census.
See also
- United States congressional delegations from South Carolina
- List of United States congressional districts
- South Carolina Democratic Party
- South Carolina Republican Party
References
- ^ Byrd, Caitlin (January 6, 2023). "Federal judges strike down SC's 1st Congressional District as racial gerrymandering". The Post and Courier. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ "Talks on Alexander v SC State NAACP Amicus Briefs, case before US Supreme Court on October 11, now available online". League of Women Voters of South Carolina. October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ Montellaro, Zach (May 15, 2023). "Supreme Court to hear racial redistricting case from South Carolina". Politico. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Alexander v. South Carolina Conference of the NAACP Oral Argument". C-Span. October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ Quinn, Melissa (March 28, 2024). "Federal court reinstates lines for South Carolina congressional district despite racial gerrymander ruling". CBS News. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ Greenberg, Madeleine (March 28, 2024). "South Carolina Will Use Gerrymandered Congressional Map in 2024, District Court Rules". Democracy Docket. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Representatives". house.gov. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". clerk.house.gov. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". The Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Digital Boundary Definitions of United States Congressional Districts, 1789–2012". Retrieved October 18, 2014.
This page was last edited on 6 May 2024, at 20:56