Senator Lindsey Graham has said South Carolina Republicans should answer Virginia’s new congressional map with their own aggressive redraw.
Graham posted the call on X hours after Virginia voters approved a Democratic-backed plan on Tuesday, April 21.
The measure passed 51% to 49%. It lets the Virginia General Assembly draw new district lines outside the normal 10-year cycle. Democrats say the change restores fairness while Republicans call it a power grab aimed at the 2026 midterms.
Virginia now has 11 congressional districts split 6-5 in favor of Democrats. The approved map could flip up to 4 seats, giving Democrats as many as 10 of the 11 seats.
The new lines pack Republican voters into fewer districts and spread Democratic strength across more of them.
Graham’s take after the Virginia vote
“After the Virginia Democrats’ efforts to redistrict in order to increase Democratic seats in the House of Representatives, South Carolina should consider fighting fire with fire,” Graham wrote.
He added, “I would encourage South Carolina’s next Republican governor and the Republican legislature to seriously look at what our state’s reaction should be to Democrats in Virginia. Republicans in South Carolina should consider being bold and fighting back.”
South Carolina holds seven congressional seats. Republicans control six of them. Democrats hold just one seat, the 6th District, represented by longtime Rep. Jim Clyburn.
The state legislature has a strong Republican majority in both chambers, and the governor’s office is also in GOP hands.
Graham did not spell out exact changes for South Carolina, but he pointed to the timing. The state’s next governor will take office in January 2027, after the 2026 elections. Lawmakers could move on to new maps before or after that date.
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This back-and-forth marks the latest round in a national fight over district lines. Both parties have redrawn maps in states they control when rules or courts allowed it. Virginia’s move stands out because voters approved it in a special referendum.
Republicans in South Carolina already hold a solid edge. Any new map would likely aim to protect that 6-1 split or push for even safer seats.
Democrats in the state are likely going to say such a move would be pure retaliation and could invite court challenges.
Graham’s statement came as South Carolina prepares for its own 2026 primaries in June. Several House seats will be open because incumbents Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman are running for governor. Those races could bring new faces to the delegation.
The senator, who faces his own reelection this year, has long pushed back against Democratic gains in the House.
He sees Virginia’s action as an attempt to tilt the national balance before voters head to the polls in November 2026.
Virginia Democrats pushed the constitutional amendment through the legislature earlier this year. They maintained it corrected imbalances from past maps.
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The “yes” campaign said the change would give voters a direct say and would apply only temporarily until the next census in 2030. Opponents warned it opened the door to one-party mapmaking.
With results showing a narrow win for the change, Virginia’s legislature can now draw the map. That process is expected to move quickly.
Graham’s call puts pressure on South Carolina leaders. The state’s Republican supermajority could act soon if it chooses. But any redraw would need to survive legal review under federal voting rights rules.
Both sides agree the stakes are high for control of the U.S. House. Even small shifts in a few states can decide which party holds the majority.
Graham ended his post by urging boldness. “Be bold and fight back,” he said in effect.
The coming weeks will show whether his call sparks real movement in Columbia or remains just tough talk amid a growing redistricting battle.
