Lindsey Graham freaks out that GOP's redistricting push will backfire in home state

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) cautioned that a redistricting attempt in South Carolina could backfire because of the state's large Black population.

"I would recommend that everybody look at the map and see if it's a net positive [for Republicans]," Graham told SCETV News in an interview this week. "It's up to the state legislature to do this, but in trying to pick up a seat, you don't want to jeopardize other seats."

So I've been told, and I've — this is accurate — that three Republican districts go from the mid-60s to the mid-50s, that the new 6th district will be 51% Republican," he continued. "That's not exactly a runaway. So when it comes to the map, I understand people are trying to pick up a seat."

Graham urged Republicans to use common sense when gerrymandering the state.

"If the end of the day we create a map that gives Democrats more competitive opportunity, what have you gained?" he noted. "You may pick up one seat, you may risk two or three others."

"Virginia just created five Democratic seats, so I don't mind trying to play the game the way the Democrats were playing it," he added. "But when it comes to South Carolina, we have 31% African Americans, and we need to be sensitive to what we do here."

The senior South Carolina senator also pointed out that early voting was already underway.

"People have already voted for me and my opponents," he said. "You don't want to void those elections, I think."

"You don't know what's going to happen in any election, but I know this, that if a Republican won in 2020 by 51 percent, that's not exactly a safe Republican seat."