Election data and analysis

Supreme Court Upholds South Carolina GOP Map, Moves 30,000 Black Voters

May 23, 2024, 02:27 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of South Carolina Republicans in a significant gerrymandering case, Alexander v. SC NAACP. In a 6-3 decision, the Court reversed a lower court's ruling that had found South Carolina's congressional map to be a racial gerrymander. The conservative majority, led by Justice Alito, upheld the map, which had moved approximately 30,000 Black residents out of a congressional district held by Rep. Nancy Mace. All three liberal justices dissented. Justice Clarence Thomas, in a concurring opinion, argued that racial gerrymandering claims should be considered non-justiciable political questions. The ruling has been seen as a blow to efforts to challenge racial gerrymandering, with critics arguing that it will make it harder to contest such practices in the future. The lower court had described the map as causing a 'bleaching' effect and 'exiling' Black voters.