COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled South Carolina's redrawn Congressional district lines were not made with any racial bias toward Black people in the state. And the lawmaker whose district was at the center of the case is now reacting to the decision.
The 6-3 decision came down Thursday and dealt specifically with what Republicans lawmakers did when they redrew the lines in 2021 following the the 2020 Census. Those lines determine who votes for which lawmaker in U.S. Congressional elections.
The new map took 30,000 Black voters out of the First Congressional District and moved them to other districts in an effort to make the First District more Republican. The South Carolina NAACP and the ACLU sued, arguing the effort was done to dilute Black voters' political power. The GOP led legislature, which made the maps, said they only looked at the voters' party affiliation, not their race, to make the decision.
In their decision, the court sided with the legislature.
The First Congressional District is currently held by Nancy Mace. News 19's Andrea Mock had a chance to speak to congresswoman mace for her reaction to the decision.
"The U.S. Supreme Court upheld what South Carolina already knew that the lines for the congressional districts were not drawn based on race," Mace said. "As a member of congress, I want to know who I'm supposed to be serving, because based on our ethics rules, I am not supposed to help people outside of my district."
When asked about Black voters not feeling represented in her district, Mace said her office serves everyone and never takes race, orientation, or gender into account, and she said she wants everyone to feel comfortable coming to her for help.
Mace is running for re-election, her Republicans challengers are Catherine Templeton and Bill Young. On the Democratic side, two candidates entered the race: Michael Moore and Mac Deford.