Dem looking to unseat Mace urges SC to honor ruling in gerrymandering case

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Democrat looking to knock Rep. Nancy Mace from her seat in South Carolina’s First Congressional District is renewing calls for the state to honor whatever decision the Supreme Court makes in its upcoming racial gerrymandering case.

Michael B. Moore is challenging Rep. Nancy Mace for the district seat, that the republican congresswoman currently holds. In January, three federal judges decided SC-01, which includes parts of Charleston, Colleton, Berkeley, Beaufort and Jasper Counties, is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Republican state lawmakers drew SC-01 in a way that discriminates against - and excludes - more than 30,000 Black voters, the panel concluded.

The Supreme Court agreed to take up the case and is set to hear oral arguments starting Oct. 11.

“The Supreme Court should abide by the same standards of justice and jurisprudence in this case that it applied in a handful of decisions over the summer,” Moore said. “When the Court rejected Republican attempts to gerrymander state congressional maps in Alabama, Louisiana, and North Carolina.”

“It’s an opportunity for us in South Carolina to underscore our commitment to the integrity of our institutions of democracy and simply to do the right thing here,” Moore said during an exclusive interview with Live 5 News.

Mace’s office declined an interview but provided the following statement:

Congresswoman Mace has consistently been an independent voice for the Lowcountry since she took office in 2021. She will continue to deliver results no matter what the district looks like.

Moore said if South Carolina lawmakers want to do what’s right, they will support the Supreme Court’s decision.

“Here in South Carolina, we respect the rule of law and the authority of the Supreme Court,” Moore said. “Therefore, in advance of the Court’s decision in the SC-01 racial gerrymandering case, I call on South Carolina legislators, Gov. Henry McMaster, and Attorney General Alan Wilson to commit to accepting the Court’s ultimate ruling. If these elected officials truly believe in strengthening democracy and preserving law and order across the state, they will join me in taking this pledge.

The timeline of the high court’s ultimate decision is unclear. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments for the case starting Oct. 11.

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