Moore Calls on State Officials to Honor Supreme Court’s Ruling in SC-01 Racial Gerrymandering Case

Michael B. Moore, a Democrat running for the U.S. House of Representatives in South Carolina’s 1st congressional district, today urged state lawmakers, Gov. Henry McMaster, and Attorney General Alan Wilson to accept the Supreme Court’s ultimate ruling in South Carolina’s racial gerrymandering case, which will begin oral arguments before the Court in one month.

Here’s what Moore had to say:

“In January, a panel of three federal judges ruled that SC-01 is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, and that South Carolina’s Republican legislature intentionally removed tens of thousands of Black voters from the district. In May, the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case. And in July, the Court announced that it will hear oral arguments on Oct. 11 — less than one month from now.

As I’ve said before, the Supreme Court should abide by the same standards of justice and jurisprudence in this case that it applied in a handful of decisions over the summer — when the Court rejected Republican attempts to gerrymander state congressional maps in Alabama, Louisiana, and North Carolina.

Regardless of the outcome in the SC-01 case, I pledge to honor the Supreme Court’s decision. In recent months, however, extreme politicians in Alabama have done the opposite — repeatedly refusing to accept the Court’s authority and the results of our justice system.

In July, Alabama Republicans ignored the Supreme Court’s order to create a second majority-Black congressional district. And just this month, a panel of three federal judges rejected Alabama Republicans’ redrawn map. In response, Alabama’s attorney general said his office would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, again declining to embrace fair representation for Black voters in the state.

Here in South Carolina, we respect the rule of law and the authority of the Supreme Court. Therefore, in advance of the Court’s decision in the SC-01 racial gerrymandering case, I call on Gov. Henry McMaster, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and South Carolina legislators to commit to accepting the Court’s ultimate ruling. If these elected officials truly believe in strengthening democracy and preserving law and order across the state, they will join me in taking this pledge.

As of now, it is unclear whether the contours of South Carolina’s congressional map will change before Election Day. But you can be sure of this: I will work hard to win the support of all residents across the Lowcountry in the coming months, and I look forward to following the oral arguments closely when they begin on Oct. 11.”

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