U.S. Supreme Court official announcements and rulings

Supreme Court Upholds GOP-Drawn South Carolina Map in 6-3 Decision, Reverses Racial Gerrymandering Ruling

May 23, 2024, 03:09 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, has upheld a Republican-drawn congressional map in South Carolina, reversing a lower court's ruling that found the map to be racially gerrymandered. The decision, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, saw the conservative majority siding with South Carolina Republicans who argued that the map was drawn for partisan advantage rather than racial discrimination. All three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Elena Kagan describing the majority's reasoning as 'upside-down.' Justice Clarence Thomas, in a concurring opinion, argued that racial gerrymandering claims should be deemed non-justiciable political questions. The ruling allows the state to continue using the map, which critics argue excludes thousands of Black voters and makes it harder to challenge racial gerrymandering in the future. The case, Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP, involved the redrawing of the state's 1st Congressional District, which moved approximately 30,000 Black residents out of the district, a practice some have described as 'bleaching.'