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South Carolina | Congress | State Lower

Alexander (was McMaster) v. S.C. State Conf. of the NAACP

Last Updated Aug 1, 2024
Case No. 3:21-cv-03302 (D.S.C.), Nos. 22-807, 23A851 (S. Ct.)
Cycle 2020

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Case Information

A federal court challenge alleging malapportionment and anticipating legislative failure to timely redraw the lines after the 2020 Census.  After lines were drawn, plaintiffs amended their complaint to challenge the state House and congressional plans as unjustifiably based predominantly on race and as intentionally racially discriminatory.

On June 17, 2022, as a means to settle the claims over the state House, the Governor signed new state House lines passed by the legislature, effective for the 2024 elections.

On Jan. 6, 2023, the three-judge federal court found that congressional district 1 was unjustifiably drawn predominantly based on race and with discriminatory racial intent, in violation of the constitution; the court rejected the plaintiffs’ other claims.  The state appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, and a remedial plan was deferred pending the outcome of that appeal.  On Mar. 28, 2024, with no Supreme Court opinion forthcoming, the trial court ordered the temporary use of the 2022 map in the 2024 elections.

On May 23, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the trial court, and held that plaintiffs did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that the state had predominantly relied on race when drawing congressional district 1. The majority found that the “high priority that the legislature gave to its partisan aim” better explained the decision to move black voters from one district to another. The case was remanded to the district court for resolution of the intentional discrimination claim, which plaintiffs voluntarily disimssed on July 26, 2024.

History

Case filings, starting with most recent court
    Name Last Modified
Document icon Complaint Oct 12, 2021
Document icon Sen. motion to dismiss Nov 9, 2021
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Nov 12, 2021
Document icon Gov. motion to dismiss Nov 9, 2021
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Jan 4, 2022
Document icon Motion for preliminary injunction (incl. exhs.) Nov 9, 2021
Document icon Order denying preliminary injunction Jan 6, 2022
Document icon Amd. complaint Dec 23, 2021
Document icon House motion to dismiss Jan 6, 2022
Document icon Opposition Feb 3, 2022
Document icon Reply (incl. exhs.) Feb 10, 2022
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Feb 14, 2022
Document icon Gov. motion to dismiss Jan 6, 2022
Document icon Opposition Feb 3, 2022
Document icon Reply Feb 4, 2022
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Feb 10, 2022
Document icon Gov. motion for summary judgment (incl. exhs.) Feb 1, 2022
Document icon Response Feb 8, 2022
Document icon Gov. reply Feb 10, 2022
Document icon Order denying summary judgment Feb 10, 2022
Document icon Motion to compel House discovery (incl. exhs.) Feb 2, 2022
Document icon House response (incl. exhs.) Feb 4, 2022
Document icon Sen. response (incl. exhs.) Feb 5, 2022
Document icon Reply to motion to compel (incl. exhs.) Feb 7, 2022
Highlighted document Document icon Order on leg. privilege Feb 10, 2022
Document icon 2d amd. complaint Feb 10, 2022
Document icon House motion to dismiss Feb 14, 2022
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Feb 14, 2022
Document icon Sen. motion to dismiss Feb 24, 2022
Document icon Response Mar 24, 2022
Document icon Reply Apr 5, 2022
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Jun 28, 2022
Document icon Plaintiffs' letter re consent decree Apr 22, 2022
Document icon House letter re consent decree Apr 22, 2022
Document icon Order declining approval of consent decree Apr 25, 2022
Document icon Sen. letter re consent decree Apr 26, 2022
Document icon Notice of settlement Apr 26, 2022
Document icon Order declining approval of settlement Apr 26, 2022
Document icon SC Election Comm'n letter re consent decree Apr 26, 2022
Document icon Settlement update May 5, 2022
Document icon Stipulation re settlement (incl. exhs.) May 6, 2022
Document icon 3d amd. complaint May 6, 2022
Document icon House motion to dismiss May 20, 2022
Document icon Response Jun 3, 2022
Document icon Reply Jun 10, 2022
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Jun 28, 2022
Document icon Sen. motion to dismiss May 20, 2022
Document icon Response Jun 3, 2022
Document icon Reply Jun 10, 2022
Document icon Order denying motion to dismiss Jun 28, 2022
Document icon Plaintiffs' motion to compel (incl. exhs.) Jun 15, 2022
Document icon Opposition (incl. exhs.) Jun 23, 2022
Document icon Reply (incl. exhs.) Jun 29, 2022
Highlighted document Document icon Order on leg .privilege Jul 5, 2022
Document icon Sen. motion to quash (incl. exhs.) Jun 15, 2022
Document icon Plaintiffs' response Jun 17, 2022
Document icon House response Jun 20, 2022
Document icon Reply (incl. exhs.) Jun 23, 2022
Highlighted document Document icon Order on leg. privilege Jul 5, 2022
Document icon Leg. motion for summary judgment (incl. exhs.) Aug 19, 2022
Document icon Opposition Sep 9, 2022
Document icon Reply (incl. exhs.) Sep 9, 2022
Document icon Order denying summary judgment Sep 15, 2022
Document icon Trial transcripts Oct 14, 2022
Document icon Plaintiffs' (amd.) proposed findings Feb 3, 2023
Document icon Defendants' proposed findings (incl. exhs.) Nov 10, 2022
Highlighted document Document icon Order striking CD 1 Jan 6, 2023
Document icon Notice of appeal Jan 27, 2023
Highlighted document Document icon Order deferring remedy Feb 4, 2023
    Name Last Modified
Document icon Motion for stay (incl. exh.) Mar 7, 2024
Document icon Plaintiffs' opposition Mar 12, 2024
Document icon Reply (incl. exh.) Mar 14, 2024
Highlighted document Document icon Order on 2024 map Mar 28, 2024
    Name Last Modified
Highlighted document Document icon Opinion rejecting challenge May 23, 2024
    Name Last Modified
Document icon Voluntary dismissal of complaint Jul 26, 2024
Highlighted document Document icon Order dismissing case Aug 1, 2024

Map | Challenged congressional plan

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Map | Challenged state House plan

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Additional Cases

PENDING - State court challenge to congressional maps: partisan gerrymander
Cycle 2020