General Assembly Passes Redistricting

What seemed unlikely at the start of the day on Tuesday became a reality at the end of it.

Few lawmakers seemed confident that the Republican controlled House and Senate could come to an agreement on where to put the new seventh congressional district. The new seat was added as a result of US Census data that resulted in a population spike.

While Upstate politicians hoped to have the seat added close to home, it became clear when debate started in the Spring that the new seat would be added near the shoreline. The discussion among Upstate officials then shifted to making sure that District 4, represented by Republican Trey Gowdy, was kept in tact as much as possible. And that is precisely what happened. The new district was added to the southern part of the state and most of Greenville and Spartanburg Counties will stay in Gowdy’s district. The most significant change will be that Union County, previously represented by Gowdy, will now be represented by Republican Mick Mulvaney in District 5.

In a statement to the political Web site Roll Call, Gowdy spokesman Robert Hughes said: “We applaud the General Assembly for passing a map that preserves the successful partnership between Greenville and Spartanburg, and appreciate their diligent work throughout the process.”

The new boundaries must be approved by Governor Nikki Haley, which she is expected to do, and then by the Department of Justice before they become law.

Read how redistricting will affect the Low Country and Pee Dee in .