South Carolina's 7th congressional district

History

The 7th congressional district of South Carolina existed in the 19th century, but was eliminated in 1853 as a result of the 1850 census. After the 1880 census, Congress apportioned the state another seat, and the state legislature re-established the district.

By that time, the Reconstruction era had ended and the state legislature was controlled by Democrats, who wrested control by a mixture of violence and fraud. They defined the boundaries of the 7th district, which was called the "shoestring district" because of its long, narrow shape that included many black precincts. In 1892 and 1894 the majority-black voters of the district elected George W. Murray to Congress; he was the only African American to serve in Congress in those sessions and, following disfranchisement and demographic changes, the last elected from the state until Jim Clyburn in 1992.

In 1895, the Democrat-dominated state legislature passed a new constitution, disfranchising black voters by changes to voter registration and electoral rules that were applied against them in a discriminatory way. For decades after 1896, only white Democrats were elected to Congress from the state. (Such disfranchisement occurred among all the states of the former Confederacy, and their use of poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and white primaries survived several US Supreme Court challenges.)

During the first half of the 20th century, 6.5 million blacks in total left South Carolina and other southern states in the Great Migration to the North, Midwest and West. Following cumulative declines in state population, after the 1930 census, South Carolina lost a seat and the 7th district was eliminated in redistricting. It was last represented by Democrat Hampton P. Fulmer, who was redistricted into the 2nd district.

South Carolina had only six districts for the next 80 years. African Americans were effectively barred from voting until after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Increases in population led to the state's receiving another congressional seat in the redistricting cycle following the 2010 census.

The 7th district is located in the rapidly developing area of northeastern South Carolina, including the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area (the Grand Strand) and the Pee Dee region. It is a white-majority district and its voters elected Republican Tom Rice as US Representative from the district in 2012; he took office in January 2013, when the 113th Congress convened. Due almost entirely to the presence of heavily Republican Horry County, which has as many people as the rest of the district combined, it tilts Republican.

The district boundaries are roughly similar to the configuration of the 6th congressional district before it was reconfigured after the 1990 census as a black-majority district.

Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:

Chesterfield County (9)

: All 9 communities

Darlington County (8)

: All 8 communities

Dillon County (6)

: All 6 communities

Florence County (9)

: Coward, Danwood, Florence, Johnsonville, Olanta, Pamplico, Scranton (part; also 6th), Timmonsville, Quinby

Georgetown County (7)

: All 7 communities

Horry County (20)

: All 20 communities

Marion County (8)

: All 8 communities

Marlboro County (7)

: All 7 communities

Recent election results from statewide races

List of members representing the district

Past election results

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

References

• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

References

1. "My Congressional District". U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP).
2. (April 3, 2025). "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)".
3. "Census 2010 shows Red states gaining congressional districts". Washington Post.
4. "Archived copy".
5. [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST45/CD118_SC01.pdf https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST45/CD118_SC07.pdf]
6. "Dra 2020".
7. "Election Statistics - US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". Karen Haas, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
8. The votes for the Democratic candidate includes votes cast for the candidate who also ran under the [[Working Families Party]] ticket
9. (November 4, 2014). "South Carolina Election Commission Official Results". West Virginia Secretary of State.
10. "2016 Statewide General Election official results". South Carolina State Election Commission.
11. Johnson, Cheryl L.. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". [[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
12. (November 10, 2020). "2020 Statewide General Election Night Reporting - Results". South Carolina Election Commission.
13. (November 11, 2022). "2022 Statewide General Election".
14. (November 11, 2024). "2024 Statewide General Election".