South Carolina Democrats are celebrating after the state Senate rejected a Trump-backed plan to redraw U.S. House districts that many saw as an effort to unseat Rep. Jim Clyburn. The vote failed on the first day of early in-person voting, allowing the Blue Palmetto Dinner and Clyburn's World Famous Fish Fry to proceed as scheduled. Clyburn condemned the effort as targeting Democratic and African American voters, while Democrats emphasize South Carolina's importance as an early presidential primary state.
South Carolina Democrats Celebrate After Senate Rejects Trump-Backed Redistricting Plan
FILE - Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., speaks to attendees at his World Famous Fish Fry, May 30, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Democrats in South Carolina gathered in upbeat spirits Friday after the state Senate rejected a White House-backed proposal to redraw U.S. House districts — a move widely viewed as an effort to advantage Republicans this fall and to target Rep. Jim Clyburn, the state’s lone congressional Democrat.
Events, Early Voting and Local Stakes
The party's schedule began with the Blue Palmetto Dinner, an annual fundraiser that often spotlights potential presidential contenders and national leaders. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear headlined the evening, and California Rep. Ro Khanna was due to headline the state convention the following day. Clyburn's signature "World Famous Fish Fry" followed the dinner — an event that has become a must-stop for White House hopefuls and local candidates alike.
The gatherings coincided with early in-person voting ahead of South Carolina's June 9 primary. Had the state Senate approved the White House-backed map, congressional primary contests would have been canceled and a new schedule set under the revised districts. Instead, the redistricting measure failed on the first day of early voting, with some senators saying it was too late in the process to make sweeping changes to district lines.
FILE - Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear attends the National Action Network (NAN) Convention in New York, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, File)(AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
What Clyburn Said
Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is Black and has represented the 6th District since 1993, sharply criticized the White House-driven effort as an attempt to exclude Democratic — particularly African American — voters from the process. He said he was embarrassed that state legislators would defer to outsiders in Washington on such decisions as they cast their ballots in Orangeburg.
With the plan defeated, Clyburn's district remains intact and he appears likely to win an 18th term. At 85, he has acknowledged it is an "open question" whether he will serve beyond this term, and Democrats expect a large field when he eventually steps down. His fish fry has a history of shaping presidential contests: 21 candidates took the stage there in 2019, including Joe Biden, whose campaign gained crucial momentum after Clyburn's endorsement.
Broader Context
The episode reflects a broader Republican strategy to redraw voting maps to help preserve a narrow U.S. House majority. GOP lawmakers have been acting quickly to seize on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened some minority-protection provisions of the Voting Rights Act. For Democrats, preserving South Carolina's role as an early primary state is a priority: that status draws national attention, visits from contenders and campaign spending to a state that otherwise votes Republican in general elections.
Party leaders from five southern states recently urged Democratic National Committee officials to again let South Carolina lead the primary calendar, underscoring the state's continued strategic importance to Democratic presidential hopefuls and to the party's broader bench-building efforts.
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