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South Carolina's 1st congressional district

Coordinates: 33°09′N 79°42′W / 33.15°N 79.70°W / 33.15; -79.70
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South Carolina's 1st congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
Population (2023)776,842[1]
Median household
income
$89,127[1]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+7[2]

South Carolina's 1st congressional district is a coastal congressional district in South Carolina, represented by Republican Nancy Mace since January 3, 2021. She succeeded Democrat Joe Cunningham, having defeated him in the 2020 election. Cunningham was the first Democrat to represent the district since the 1980s.

The district has historically been based in Charleston. It has included Myrtle Beach, which became a major tourist destination in the late 20th century, as well as other coastal areas that have attracted retirees and seasonal visitors. From 1993 to 2013, the district boundaries extended from Seabrook Island in the south to the North Carolina border and included parts of Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley and Georgetown counties and all of Horry County to the North Carolina line.

In 2010, the state received another seat in Congressional apportionment due to an increase in population. The state's districts had to be redrawn, which was completed in 2013. In the final plan, the 1st congressional district was redrawn to reach from Hilton Head Island to mid-coast South Carolina, ending at the Santee River and comprising parts of Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester and Beaufort counties. This configuration is similar to the one it had for most of the 20th century. Horry County was included in the new 7th congressional district.

On January 6, 2023, the district was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina on account of racial gerrymandering and would have to be redrawn April of that year.[3] The Supreme Court justices added Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP to their merits calendar for the 2023–24 term. At least fifteen amicus briefs were filed by various organizations and individuals with standing before the court.[4] The case was argued on October 11, 2023,[5][6] with a decision pending in 2024.[7] On March 28, 2024, the same district court that ruled the congressional district was unconstitutional, allowed for its use in the 2024 elections. It concluded that it would be impractical to create a new district map at the current time, mainly due to the upcoming military and overseas ballot mailing deadline of April 27 and statewide primaries on June 11. However, it still found the district to be in violation of the 14th amendment, and future litigation is possible after the 2024 elections.[8][9]

History

[edit]

Following the Civil War and granting of citizenship to former slaves, in 1870, Charleston's population was 53 percent black; and Charleston County had a 73 percent black majority.[10] The city's large population of free people of color had developed many leaders who advanced in the changing society. These population majorities protected freedmen against some of the election-related violence that occurred in other parts of the state in the 1870s as white Democrats worked to suppress black voting and regain political control of the state.[10] During Reconstruction, the mostly black Republicans from this district supported Republican candidates, including four terms for Joseph H. Rainey as US Representative to Congress, a record by an African-American legislator not surpassed until the 1950s.

After the Democrats regained control of the state in 1876, during an election season marked by violence and fraud, and Reconstruction ended in 1877, they passed laws establishing racial segregation and making voter registration and voting more difficult, such as the "eight-box law". African-American George W. Murray finally won in the disputed 1894 congressional election from this district; he challenged the Republican candidate's victory because of election fraud and was upheld by the House Committee on Elections. But passage of a new state constitution by Democrats in 1895 effectively disfranchised most African-American citizens in 1896. Their participation in the political system was ended for seven decades. The white Democrats established a one-party state and used various devices to maintain the exclusion of blacks until after passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s.

Party realignments in the late 20th century resulted in many new black voters supporting the national Democratic Party. White conservatives in the South shifted and joined the Republican Party, in 1980 electing the first Republican congressman from the state to be elected in the 20th century. Since the buildup of the military in this region, especially the Navy, the area's white voters have supported conservative candidates.

Given the crippling of the Republican Party by the disfranchisement of blacks, a Republican was not elected to a full term in this district in the 20th century until 1980, when Tommy Hartnett was swept in by Reagan's coattails. But, his election represented a different party and was the result of a major realignment of white conservative voters in the late 20th century to the Republican, rather than the Democratic Party. Starting with national candidates in the late 1960s and 1970s, white voters in South Carolina began to shift to the Republican Party.

As after every decennial census, the state legislature conducted redistricting after the 1990 census. The white Republican-controlled legislature shifted most of Charleston's African-American majority areas into South Carolina's 6th congressional district, creating a majority-minority district. To make up for the loss of population, the 1st was extended all the way up the Atlantic coast to Myrtle Beach. The 2010 redistricting cut the district back to the southeastern corner of the state.

Since that time, the 1st congressional district has had a majority-white population. But, in 2008, with the appeal of the Barack Obama presidential campaign, Democrat Linda Ketner came within two points of winning the 1st district congressional seat. In the following off-year election of 2010, Republican Tim Scott won the seat with 65 percent of the vote.

During the 2018 South Carolina primaries on June 12, 2018, Mark Sanford lost re-nomination to the seat. The Republicans would go on to lose the seat to the Democrats after the district swung heavily to the Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections.

2013 special election

[edit]

Tim Scott, a Republican from North Charleston, was elected as the 1st district's representative in 2010. He resigned after he was appointed by Governor Nikki Haley to the United States Senate when Jim DeMint resigned on January 1, 2013.

The district boundaries had been redrawn in 2011. A special election was held on May 7, 2013 to fill the vacancy created by Scott's resignation. In a Primary Election held on March 19, 2013, Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, won the Democratic nomination. Former Governor Mark Sanford, who represented the district from 1995 to 2001, and former Charleston County Councilman Curtis Eilliott Bostic faced each other in a runoff Primary for the Republican nomination on April 2, 2013. Sanford won the nomination, and defeated challengers Colbert-Busch and South Carolina Green Party candidate Eugene Platt in the special election on May 7.

Counties

[edit]

Counties in the 2023–2033 district map:

Election results from presidential races

[edit]
Year Office Result
2000 President Bush 59–38%
2004 President Bush 61–39%
2008 President McCain 56–43%
2012 President Romney 58–40%
2016 President Trump 54–40%
2020 President Trump 52–46%

List of members representing the district

[edit]
Member
(Residence)
Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history District location
District established March 4, 1789

William L. Smith

(Charleston)

Pro-Administration March 4, 1789 –
March 3, 1795
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Elected in 1788.
Re-elected in 1790.
Re-elected in 1793.
Re-elected in 1794.
Re-elected in 1796.
Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Portugal.
1789–1793
"Charleston Division"
South Carolina congressional districts, 1789–1793
  1st district, Charleston
  2nd district, Beaufort-Orangeburg
  3rd district, Georgetown-Cheraw
  4th district, Camden
  5th district, Ninety-Six
1793–1833
"Charleston district"
Federalist March 4, 1795 –
July 10, 1797
Vacant July 10, 1797 –
November 23, 1797
5th

Thomas Pinckney
(Charleston)
Federalist November 23, 1797 –
March 3, 1801
5th
6th
Elected to finish Smith's term.
Re-elected in 1798.
Retired.

Thomas Lowndes
(Charleston)
Federalist March 4, 1801 –
March 3, 1805
7th
8th
Elected in 1800.
Re-elected in 1803.
Retired.
Robert Marion
(Charleston)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1805 –
December 4, 1810
9th
10th
11th
Elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Re-elected in 1808.
Retired and then resigned.
Vacant December 4, 1810 –
December 31, 1810
11th

Langdon Cheves
(Charleston)
Democratic-Republican December 31, 1810 –
March 3, 1815
11th
12th
13th
Elected in 1810.
Later elected to finish Marion's term and seated January 24, 1811.
Re-elected in 1812.
Retired.

Henry Middleton
(Charleston)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1815 –
March 3, 1819
14th
15th
Elected in 1814.
Re-elected in 1816.
Retired.

Charles Pinckney
(Charleston)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1819 –
March 3, 1821
16th Elected in 1818.
Retired.

Joel R. Poinsett
(Charleston)
Democratic-Republican[a] March 4, 1821 –
March 3, 1825
17th
18th
19th
Re-elected in 1820.
Re-elected in 1823.
Re-elected in 1824.
Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Mexico.
Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
March 7, 1825
Vacant March 7, 1825 –
May 17, 1825
19th

William Drayton
(Charleston)
Jacksonian May 17, 1825 –
March 3, 1833
19th
20th
21st
22nd
Elected May 16, 1825 to finish Poinsett's term and seated December 5, 1825.
Re-elected in 1826.
Re-elected in 1828.
Re-elected in 1830.
Retired.
Henry L. Pinckney
(Charleston)
Nullifier March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1837
23rd
24th
Elected in 1833.
Re-elected in 1834.
Lost renomination and lost re-election as a Unionist.
1833–1843
[data missing]

Hugh S. Legaré
(Charleston)
Democratic March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1839
25th Elected in 1836.
Lost re-election.

Isaac E. Holmes
(Charleston)
Democratic March 4, 1839 –
March 3, 1843
26th
27th
Elected in 1838.
Re-elected in 1840.
Redistricted to the 6th district.
James A. Black
(Cherokee Iron Works)
Democratic March 4, 1843 –
April 3, 1848
28th
29th
30th
Elected in 1843.
Re-elected in 1844.
Re-elected in 1846.
Died.
1843–1853
[data missing]
Vacant April 3, 1848 –
June 12, 1848
30th

Daniel Wallace
(Jonesville)
Democratic June 12, 1848 –
March 3, 1853
30th
31st
32nd
Elected to finish Black's term.
Re-elected in 1848.
Re-elected in 1850.
Retired.

John McQueen
(Bennettsville)
Democratic March 4, 1853 –
December 21, 1860
33rd
34th
35th
36th
Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1853.
Re-elected in 1854.
Re-elected in 1856.
Re-elected in 1858.
Re-elected in 1860 but retired due to Civil War.
1853–1860
[data missing]
District inactive December 21, 1860 –
July 18, 1868
36th
37th
38th
39th
40th
Civil War and Reconstruction

Benjamin F. Whittemore
(Darlington)
Republican July 18, 1868 –
February 24, 1870
40th
41st
Elected to finish the short term.
Also elected to the next term.
Resigned.
1868–1873
[data missing]
Vacant February 24, 1870 –
December 12, 1870
41st

Joseph H. Rainey
(Georgetown)
Republican December 12, 1870 –
March 3, 1879
41st
42nd
43rd
44th
45th
Elected to finish Wittemore's term.
Also elected to the next full term.
Re-elected in 1872.
Re-elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
Lost re-election.
1873–1883
[data missing]

John S. Richardson
(Sumter)
Democratic March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1883
46th
47th
Elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Retired.

Samuel Dibble
(Orangeburg)
Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1891
48th
49th
50th
51st
Elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Retired.
1883–1893
[data missing]

William H. Brawley
(Charleston)
Democratic March 4, 1891 –
February 12, 1894
52nd
53rd
Elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Resigned to become U.S. District Judge.
1893–1903
[data missing]
Vacant February 12, 1894 –
April 12, 1894
53rd

James F. Izlar
(Orangeburg)
Democratic April 12, 1894 –
March 3, 1895
Elected to finish Brawley's term.
Retired.

William Elliott
(Beaufort)
Democratic March 4, 1895 –
June 4, 1896
54th Elected in 1894.
Lost election contest.

George W. Murray
(Rembert)
Republican June 4, 1896 –
March 3, 1897
Won election contest.
Lost re-election.

William Elliott
(Beaufort)
Democratic March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1903
55th
56th
57th
Elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.

George S. Legaré
(Charleston)
Democratic March 4, 1903 –
January 31, 1913
58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd
Elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912 but died before next term began.
1903–1913
[data missing]
Vacant January 31, 1913 –
April 29, 1913
62nd
63rd
1913–1933
Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, and Dorchester counties[11]

Richard S. Whaley
(Charleston)
Democratic April 29, 1913 –
March 3, 1921
63rd
64th
65th
66th
Elected to finish Legaré's term.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Retired.

W. Turner Logan
(Charleston)
Democratic March 4, 1921 –
March 3, 1925
67th
68th
Elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Lost renomination.

Thomas S. McMillan
(Charleston)
Democratic March 4, 1925 –
September 29, 1939
69th
70th
71st
72nd
73rd
74th
75th
76th
Elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Died.
1933–1943
[data missing]
Vacant September 29, 1939 –
November 7, 1939
76th

Clara Gooding McMillan
(Charleston)
Democratic November 7, 1939 –
January 3, 1941
Elected to finish her husband's term.
Retired.

L. Mendel Rivers
(Charleston)
Democratic January 3, 1941 –
December 28, 1970
77th
78th
79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
Elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Died.
1943–1953
[data missing]
1953–1963
[data missing]
1963–1973
[data missing]
Vacant December 28, 1970 –
April 27, 1971
91st
92nd

Mendel Jackson Davis
(Charleston)
Democratic April 27, 1971 –
January 3, 1981
92nd
93rd
94th
95th
96th
Elected to finish Rivers's term.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Retired for health reasons.
1973–1983
[data missing]

Thomas Hartnett
(Charleston)
Republican January 3, 1981 –
January 3, 1987
97th
98th
99th
Elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Retired to run for lieutenant governor of South Carolina.
1983–1993
[data missing]

Arthur Ravenel Jr.
(Mount Pleasant)
Republican January 3, 1987 –
January 3, 1995
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
Elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Retired to run for governor of South Carolina.
1993–1995
[data missing]

Mark Sanford
(Charleston)
Republican January 3, 1995 –
January 3, 2001
104th
105th
106th
Elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Retired to run for governor of South Carolina.
1995–2003
[data missing]

Henry Brown
(Hanahan)
Republican January 3, 2001 –
January 3, 2011
107th
108th
109th
110th
111th
Elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Retired.
2003–2013

Horry; parts of Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, and Georgetown.

Tim Scott
(Hanahan)
Republican January 3, 2011 –
January 2, 2013
112th Elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012, but resigned when appointed U.S. senator.
Vacant January 2, 2013 –
May 7, 2013
112th
113th
2013–2023

Parts of Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, and Dorchester.

Mark Sanford
(Charleston)
Republican May 7, 2013 –
January 3, 2019
113th
114th
115th
Elected to finish Scott's term.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Lost renomination.

Joe Cunningham
(Charleston)
Democratic January 3, 2019 –
January 3, 2021
116th Elected in 2018.
Lost re-election.

Nancy Mace
(Charleston)
Republican January 3, 2021 –
present
117th
118th
Elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
2023–2033

Beaufort and Berkeley; Parts of Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, and Jasper.

Past election results

[edit]

2012

[edit]
2012 South Carolina's 1st congressional district election[12][b][c]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Scott 179,908 62.0
Democratic Bobbie G. Rose 103,557 35.7
Libertarian Keith Blandford 6,334 2.2
Write-in 214 0.1
Total votes 290,013 100.0
Republican hold

2013 special election

[edit]
2013 South Carolina's 1st congressional district special election[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Sanford 77,600 54.03%
Democratic Elizabeth Colbert Busch 64,961 45.22%
Green Eugene Platt 690 0.48%
Write-in 384 0.27%
Total votes 143,635 100.00%
Republican hold

2014

[edit]
2014 South Carolina's 1st congressional district election[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Sanford (incumbent) 119,392 93.4
Write-in 8,423 6.6
Total votes 127,815 100.0
Republican hold

2016

[edit]
2016 South Carolina's 1st congressional district election[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Sanford (incumbent) 190,410 58.6
Democratic Dimitri Cherny 119,779 36.8
Libertarian Michael Grier Jr. 11,614 3.6
American Albert Travison 2,774 0.8
Write-in 593 0.2
Total votes 325,170 100.0
Republican hold

2018

[edit]
2018 South Carolina's 1st congressional district election[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Cunningham 145,455 50.6
Republican Katie Arrington 141,473 49.2
Write-in 505 0.2
Total votes 287,433 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

2020

[edit]
2020 South Carolina's 1st congressional district election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nancy Mace 216,042 50.6
Democratic Joe Cunningham (incumbent) 210,627 49.3
Write-in 442 0.1
Total votes 427,111 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

2022

[edit]
2022 South Carolina's 1st congressional district election[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nancy Mace (incumbent) 153,757 56.3
Democratic Annie Andrews 115,796 42.4
Alliance Joseph Oddo 2,634 0.9
Total votes 272,681 100.0
Republican hold

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Supported the Jackson faction in the 1824 United States presidential election.
  2. ^ The votes for the Democratic candidate includes votes cast for the candidate who also ran under the Working Families Party ticket.
  3. ^ Tim Scott resigned his seat in the 112th and 113th Congresses effective January 2, 2013, in order to be appointed to the United States Senate in place of Senator Jim DeMint, who resigned. As a result, the seat for the 1st congressional district was vacant from the onset of the 113th Congress.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "My Congressional District". census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP).
  2. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Renaud, Tim (January 6, 2023). "South Carolina's 1st Congressional District was racially gerrymandered and must be redrawn, federal judges decide". WBTW. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "Talks on Alexander v SC State NAACP Amicus Briefs, case before US Supreme Court on October 11, now available online". League of Women Voters of South Carolina. October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Montellaro, Zach (May 15, 2023). "Supreme Court to hear racial redistricting case from South Carolina". Politico. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "Alexander v. South Carolina Conference of the NAACP Oral Argument". C-SPAN. October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  7. ^ Liptak, Adam (October 11, 2023). "Justices Poised to Restore Voting Map Ruled a Racial Gerrymander". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  8. ^ Quinn, Melissa (March 28, 2024). "Federal court reinstates lines for South Carolina congressional district despite racial gerrymander ruling". CBS News. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Greenberg, Madeleine (March 28, 2024). "South Carolina Will Use Gerrymandered Congressional Map in 2024, District Court Rules". Democracy Docket. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Melinda Meeks Hennessy, "Racial Violence During Reconstruction: The 1876 Riots in Charleston and Cainhoy", South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 86, No. 2, (April 1985), 104-106 (subscription required)
  11. ^ "South Carolina". Official Congressional Directory. 1991/1992- : S. Pub.: 103 1887. hdl:2027/uc1.l0075858456.
  12. ^ "Election Statistics - US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". Karen Haas, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  13. ^ "Statewide Results". South Carolina Dept. Of Elections. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  14. ^ "South Carolina Election Commission Official Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  15. ^ "2016 Statewide General Election official results". South Carolina State Election Commission. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  16. ^ Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  17. ^ "2020 Statewide General Election Night Reporting - Results". South Carolina Election Commission. November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  18. ^ "2022 Statewide General Election". www.enr-scvotes.org. November 11, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

33°09′N 79°42′W / 33.15°N 79.70°W / 33.15; -79.70