The Supreme Court appeared ready Wednesday to reverse a lower court ruling that determined a South Carolina congressional district was an unconstitutional gerrymander against Black voters.
South Carolina officials want the justices to overturn the lower court ruling, which concluded race was the “predominant motivating factor” in the lines approved by the Republican-controlled state legislature for the 1st District. The three-judge panel found the district violated the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment and ordered the map to be redrawn.
But over two hours of oral arguments, conservatives on the Supreme Court aired skepticism about the lower court decision. They said the case was based on circumstantial evidence, focused on the legal bar for whether the lower court made an error and discussed the absence of an alternative map from challengers to the district lines.
