Long-serving Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina will run for an 18th term in Congress
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jim ClyburnThe dean of South Carolina Democrats said Thursday that he will run for an 18th House term; It’s a move that could position him as an influential elder statesman in Congress if his party regains the majority in November.
Clyburn, 85, is among the oldest Democrats serving in Washington and the only member of the last Democratic leadership team who intends to stick around. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi Californian and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Both Marylanders plan to retire at the end of their current terms.
Clyburn served as majority whip and deputy Democratic leader. Another term in Congress could give him the chance to serve alongside the first black speaker of the House of Representatives. Representative Hakeem Jeffries New York will be in line for the gavel if Democrats gain control. Clyburn was for many years the highest-ranking black lawmaker in the House of Representatives.
Four years ago when Clyburn announced his candidacy for a 16th term he told the Associated Press He said he plans to continue campaigning as long as his health and the support of his family remain intact.
“I told them, ‘If you see that I need to go to the rocking chair or spend my free time on the golf course, let me know,'” he said, describing his daughters’ advice. “And from what they felt and heard so far, they told me I should just keep going.”
Clyburn won re-election in 2024 by more than 20 percentage points. First elected in 1992, he represents the district, which stretches from areas around Columbia’s capital to rural central and eastern counties and Charleston.
If he is retained for an 18th term, Clyburn would be the longest-serving South Carolinian ever in the U.S. House of Representatives. The time horizon for the state’s U.S. senators is longer; two of them (Republican Strom Thurmond and Democrat Fritz Hollings) served for 48 years and nearly 39 years, respectively.
Applications for this year’s elections in South Carolina will begin on Monday and end on March 30. Primary elections in South Carolina will be held on June 9.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at: http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
