Story perspectives

Democrats Warn GOP Gerrymanders Threaten 19 Black Seats

5/13/2026

Left

Democrats Fight Gerrymandering

Democratic officials warn Republican gerrymanders in the South could erase Black-majority districts and plan a nationwide map-redraw before 2028.
The South Carolina Senate voted 29-17, missing the two-thirds majority and halting the proposal to redraw its U.S. House districts.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called GOP map-making a scandalous scheme and pledged a counteroffensive.
Black Caucus leaders warned 19 of 62 seats could vanish, urging protection of Black representation.

Right

GOP Senators Block

Five Republican state senators joined Democrats to block the South Carolina redistricting plan, preventing a vote before the session ends.
South Carolina Senate voted 29-17, falling short of the two-thirds majority, halting the proposal to redraw U.S. House districts.
President Donald Trump posted he is watching, urging Carolina primaries be moved to August.
Massey warned the plan would cut Palmetto influence while McMaster has not called a session.

Blindspot

Left coverage emphasized the threat that Republican gerrymanders pose to Black-majority districts, warning that up to 19 seats could disappear, a detail absent from Right coverage.
Left coverage also highlighted a broader Democratic counter-offensive, including funding for Colorado’s ballot initiative and proposed constitutional amendments in Maryland and New Jersey, which Right coverage did not mention.

History

Historical Context

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6 1965, creating Section 5 preclearance that forced 13 Southern jurisdictions to obtain DOJ approval for redistricting—a rule upheld by Supreme Court in South Carolina v. Katzenbach (1966). The 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision nullified the coverage formula, prompting Carolina Senate Republicans’ proposed map that could erase 19 Black-majority seats and reviving calls to re-apply preclearance.

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Democrats Fight Gerrymandering

Democratic officials warn Republican gerrymanders in the South could erase Black-majority districts and plan a nationwide map-redraw before 2028.
The South Carolina Senate voted 29-17, missing the two-thirds majority and halting the proposal to redraw its U.S. House districts.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called GOP map-making a scandalous scheme and pledged a counteroffensive.
Black Caucus leaders warned 19 of 62 seats could vanish, urging protection of Black representation.

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