South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on Thursday called a special session for state lawmakers to address redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts beginning Friday, May 15, at 11:00 AM,” McMaster said.

McMaster initially chose not to set a special session but changed course after the Republican-led state Senate rejected a measure this week to extend its current session to take up a redrawn map, despite pressure from President Donald Trump.

South Carolina is one of a spate of Southern states rushing to redraw their maps to create more Republican-leaning seats following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling that gutted Voting Rights Act protections against racial gerrymandering. Since then, Tennessee has enacted a new map carving up its lone majority-Black congressional district represented by Rep. Steve Cohen. The Supreme Court also cleared the way for Alabama to implement a map with one less majority-minority district than it currently holds. Thursday marked the Louisiana Senate’s passage of a map targeting one of the state’s two Democratic-held seats.

South Carolina’s congressional delegation consists of six Republicans and one Democrat in the House of Representatives, with Rep. Jim Clyburn serving as the lone Democrat.

If McMaster calls the special session, lawmakers face an immediate timeline challenge. South Carolina’s primaries occur on June 9, but early voting begins in two weeks, requiring Republicans to pass new maps by May 26. The South Carolina House has proposed moving congressional primaries to August to accommodate revised maps.

Legal hurdles also loom. Hundreds of overseas voters have already cast ballots, potentially triggering lawsuits if their votes are discarded due to changes in the congressional election date.

It remains unclear whether new maps would pass in a special session, though Republicans control both chambers and would need only a simple majority to approve them.

Davey Hiott, Republican leader of the South Carolina House, stated his chamber was ready to move swiftly on Friday morning and vote on a map as quickly as possible, ideally within the next week.

Shane Massey, Republican leader of the State Senate who gained national attention for opposing redistricting, expressed significant apprehension about accelerating the process, emphasizing the importance of public input and continuing his vocal resistance to the redistricting effort.