This Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the South Carolina Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in League of Women Voters of South Carolina v. Alexander, a landmark case brought by the ACLU, ACLU-SC, and League of Women Voters. Filed in July 2024, the lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the state’s 2022 congressional map, which plaintiffs argue was drawn with the express aim of strengthening the Republican majority in the First Congressional District. They contend this map intentionally shifts Democratic-leaning populations, particularly Black voters, out of the district, violating Article 1, Section 5 of the South Carolina Constitution, which guarantees “free and open” elections and equal electoral influence for all residents.
State lawmakers defended the map as constitutionally permissible and successfully defended it at the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2024 in a related case (Alexander v. SC NAACP), where the Court rejected claims of racial gerrymandering and emphasized deference to the legislature’s prerogative when map-drawing. However, this new lawsuit focuses squarely on partisan gerrymandering under the state constitution. With the split congressional delegation and a winnowed swing district now firmly in Republican hands, this decision could reshape the political landscape of South Carolina. The state Supreme Court’s ruling is expected later this year, and could signal whether statewide checks exist on partisan map-drawing absent federal intervention. Oral arguments are scheduled to begin Tuesday, June 24 at 2 p.m. and can be watched by clicking this link.
