The fight for the Democratic seat in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District has become just that more competitive following a Supreme Court decision in favor of gerrymandering.
The ruling, which benefits the GOP considerably more, will disregard the voices of 30,000 Black voters in the district.
Once a competitive bipartisan area, the district has been represented by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace for the past four years. However, recent redistricting in the spring of 2024 has introduced more Republican voters while limiting the growth of the district’s Black voting population, which stands at 17%.
In 2023, a federal three-judge panel found the new district lines to be unconstitutional, describing them as racial gerrymandering that effectively “exiled” thousands of Democratic Black voters.
Despite this, Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. ruled in May 2023 that there was minimal evidence showing South Carolina lawmakers used race as a primary factor in drawing the district lines to favor Republicans. Prior to this ruling, federal courts had limited power to block gerrymandering.
Some Democratic voters, including supporters of the 1st District’s Black Democratic nominee, Michael B. Moore, are skeptical of the impact of gerrymandering. During a prayer service for Moore, a woman expressed her indifference, saying, “We don’t care about no gerrymandering.”
However, gerrymandering remains a contentious issue in many GOP-led states, including South Carolina. Experts argue that recent decisions have further limited Black voters’ political representation. “For minority voters and those who believe in partisan fairness, federal litigation just isn’t the answer under the Roberts court,” Nicholas Stephanopoulos, a professor at Harvard Law School said.
Michael B. Moore, the great-great-grandson of a Civil War hero, is campaigning to become South Carolina’s second Black Democrat in Congress, following Rep. James E. Clyburn. Moore is addressing various issues, including rising crime and abortion, but he is particularly focused on combating gerrymandering. “I’m looking to build on battles started by my ancestors,” Moore told a group of voters.
He added: “There are very serious threats to democracy that we all know are going on—even in this district, where 30,000 Black folks were gerrymandered out. Either we believe in ‘one person, one vote’ or we don’t.”
Moore has garnered support in this fight, with Black voters represented by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund suing over the gerrymandering decision.
Despite these challenges, Moore is determined to give South Carolina a fighting chance and ensure fair representation for all its residents.
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