South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to announce a special session as early as Thursday to address a stalled redistricting effort after state lawmakers failed to reach consensus before the end of the regular legislative session. At issue is a proposed congressional map backed by House Republicans that supporters claim could position the party to win all seven of South Carolina's U.S. House seats, up from its current six.

The map was developed with input from Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, who described it as a 'very solid potential' plan for a 7-0 Republican advantage. However, five Republican senators joined Democrats in blocking a resolution to advance the redistricting work into a special session, exposing intraparty divisions. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, a Republican from Edgefield, warned that an overly aggressive map could backfire, saying the outcome could be 6-1 or even 5-2 if lawmakers overreach. House Republican Rep. Luke Rankin of Laurens pushed back, arguing the map clearly supports a 7-0 result and accusing the Senate of failing to engage seriously in the process.

The redistricting push follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down provisions of the Voting Rights Act protecting against racial discrimination in voting and representation, prompting Republican-led states across the country to pursue more aggressively partisan congressional maps. A referendum in Virginia that produced additional Democratic-leaning seats also accelerated Republican efforts to redraw boundaries in states where they hold legislative power, though Virginia's state supreme court subsequently struck down those results. President Donald Trump has been directly involved in the pressure campaign, personally calling state lawmakers to encourage action on redistricting.

The full South Carolina House has not yet voted on maps advanced by a committee earlier this week, and details about how a special session would proceed remain unclear. McMaster declined to take questions at a Statehouse appearance Thursday but his office indicated an announcement was likely that afternoon. The outcome carries significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives, where control is expected to be decided by a narrow margin following this year's midterm elections.