James Clyburn To Run for Re-Election at Age 85, Solidifying His Power Broker Status in 2028

Congressman James Clyburn, the lone Democratic representative from South Carolina, announced Thursday he will seek another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. While many Democrats are retiring this year to make room for a new generation of leaders, Mr. Clyburn’s decision at age 85 solidifies his place as one of the most important power brokers for the 2028 Democratic presidential race. Mr. Clyburn has represented South Carolina in the House since 1992. Prior to that, he had never held elected office, though he made a name of himself as a civil rights activist in his home state. In recent years, his sway over national politics has increased dramatically. In 2020, his support boosted Vice President Joe Biden to an overwhelming victory in the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, setting him on track for the presidential nomination. On Thursday, Mr. Clyburn said at the state Democratic Party’s headquarters that his work was not yet finished. “Today I’m going to answer a question that’s always asked: What is there unfinished, or what more do you need to do? Well, it’s in the preamble of our Constitution: We exist in pursuit of a more perfect union,” Mr. Clyburn said Thursday. “I’m here today to say I do believe that I am very well-equipped — and healthy enough — to move into the next term, trying to do the things that are necessary to continue that pursuit of perfection,” he added. Mr. Clyburn will likely become the third-oldest member of the House of Representatives come January. Many of the party elders are stepping aside this year amid voter concerns over the ability of Democrats’ to work effectively not only as legislators, but as communicators and activists.Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the former House Democratic majority leader, Congressman Steny Hoyer, are both stepping down at the end of this year in an historic generational change for party leadership. Ms. Pelosi and Messrs. Clyburn and Hoyer served together as the top three House Democrats for 20 years, beginning in 2002 — marking one of the longest, continuous leadership trios in the history of the House. In early March, Mr. Clyburn said in a candid interview with the Washington Post that he was unsure whether he would run again, saying his family was“split” about whether he should do it. He said that, when he does eventually retire, he plans to support his daughter, Mignon Clyburn — a former FCC commissioner — to succeed him. Mr. Clyburn is almost certain to win another term in his deep-blue district this year, setting him up to be one of the most important powerbrokers of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary race. As of Thursday, the South Carolina primary is set to be the first race in the nation for that nomination and will serve as a barometer for how well candidates fare with black voters. In five of the last six contested Democratic presidential primary races, the winner of the South Carolina primary went on to win the presidential nomination. Mr. Clyburn’s party is undergoing what could be an historic generation change, especially in the House, depending on the results of the primaries this year. So far, nine older Democrats have decided to step down from elected politics altogether, many of them citing their age and a desire to see a new generation of leadership. Mr. Biden, who was forced from the 2024 race by age-related issues, told South Carolinians at a seminar set up by Mr. Clyburn this month that the older members of the party should still be given respect — a clear sign of support for Mr. Clyburn, who would be 88 at the end of his next term, should he win. “Scripture suggests the young are called because of their strength and the older because of their knowledge,” Mr. Biden told the assembled crowd. “What does it matter to be strong enough to do it and not know enough to do it?”

James Clyburn To Run for Re-Election at Age 85, Solidifying His Power Broker Status in 2028

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