President Donald Trump’s push to redraw South Carolina’s congressional map and unseat longtime Democratic lawmaker Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the state’s only black representative, collapsed after a group of Republican state senators broke with party leadership and voted against advancing the proposal.

Clyburn has been a vocal critic of the president and a leader on both of his impeachments.

The failed procedural vote likely ends Republican hopes of redrawing congressional districts before the 2026 midterm elections and preserves Clyburn’s seat for now.

In a 24-20 vote, 12 Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing a motion that would have cut off debate on the redistricting measure. Shortly afterward, the South Carolina Senate adjourned until June 10, effectively ending the special legislative session called by Gov. Henry McMaster (R) earlier this month.

The vote marked a rare public rebuke of Trump in a state where he remains overwhelmingly popular among Republican voters.

The proposed congressional map would have reshaped Clyburn’s district and increased Republicans’ chances of flipping the seat. Clyburn, who has represented South Carolina in Congress since 1993, is the state’s only Democratic member of the U.S. House and one of the most influential black lawmakers in Washington.

Republicans had moved aggressively to redraw the map after pressure from Trump and allies in the White House. But opposition inside the state Senate intensified as lawmakers argued changing district lines after early voting had already begun could create legal and logistical problems.

After the measure failed, Sen. Larry Grooms (R-S.C.) blamed McMaster for waiting too long to call lawmakers back into session.

“Republicans and the White House worked quickly to pass a redistricting plan before the start of in-person voting,” Grooms said. “But the call from the governor came too late.”

According to Politico, Trump’s political operation was blindsided by the vote. One person close to the White House, granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations, told the outlet that McMaster’s office did not warn officials the proposal was likely to fail.

The breakdown also reflected deeper divisions among South Carolina Republicans over whether the redraw effort was politically worth the risk.

State Senate Majority Leader Sen. Shane Massey (R-S.C.) had publicly opposed reopening congressional maps for weeks. Earlier this month, Massey delivered what Politico described as a “fiery speech” criticizing the rushed effort and warning lawmakers against changing election rules so close to voting.

The fight in South Carolina comes as both parties continue battling over congressional maps nationwide ahead of November’s elections.

Republicans have gained momentum in several states following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision narrowing parts of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling has opened the door for new redistricting fights across the South, including ongoing legal battles in Alabama and Louisiana.

In Alabama, Republicans are still attempting to revive a congressional map challenged in federal court because it eliminated a Democratic-leaning district. Louisiana lawmakers are also considering changes that could alter the balance of power in the House.

For now, though, South Carolina Republicans appear to have drawn a line against Trump’s demands. While another redistricting attempt before 2028 remains possible, Tuesday’s vote showed that even some Republicans in deep-red states are unwilling to reopen maps after voting is already underway.