Politics & Government

Justice Department Approves S.C. Congressional Lines

Berkeley County becomes District 1's new northern region.

The U.S. Justice Department has approved the redrawing of Congressional lines in South Carolina, paving the way for the state's new 7th District anchored by Horry County.

“This is great news for all the citizens of our state who will now have an even stronger presence in Congress with the addition of South Carolina’s new 7th Congressional District," said House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

The new district shifts Rep. Tim Scott's District 1 south along the coast to Beaufort and Hilton Head. The district still includes Goose Creek and Hanahan, and now includes more of Berkeley County in the Moncks Corner area.

Find out what's happening in Goose Creekwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Naval Base Charleston and a large portion of North Charleston moves from District 1 to Rep. Jim Clyburn's District 6.

The Voting Rights Act requires several southern states to get pre-approval from the Justice Department to protect the voting rights of minorities. There was some concern that the Justice Department would request a second African-American district in South Carolina, but the law only requires that existing black-majority districts are preserved.

Find out what's happening in Goose Creekwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Goose Creek