Federal court orders South Carolina to redraw congressional maps over gerrymandering

The South Carolina state legislature must redraw its congressional district maps after a three judge panel determined that the state's 1st Congressional District had been drawn to dilute the number of Black voters.

"After carefully weighing the totality of evidence in the record and credibility of witnesses, the Court finds that race was the predominant motivating factor in the General Assembly’s design of Congressional District No. 1 and that traditional districting principles were subordinated to race," wrote the three Democrat-appointed federal judges, according to The Hill.

The judges further barred elections in the district until the creation of a new map, which lawmakers now have until March 31 to submit.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., currently represents the district. She narrowly ousted one-term Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham in 2020, but expanded her margin of victory in 2022.