Washington — Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina announced Thursday he will seek an 18th term in Congress, making him the last of his generation of House Democratic leaders still on the ballot.
Clyburn made the announcement at an event with supporters at the South Carolina Democratic Party headquarters in Columbia, saying he would be signing the paperwork needed to run.
The 85-year-old’s reelection bid comes amid a yearslong push in the Democratic Party for generational change. Clyburn served as the No. 3 Democrat in the House from 2007 to 2023, and was the top-ranking African-American in Congress during that time.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland stepped down from their leadership roles ahead of Clyburn, who relinquished his position as House Democratic whip in 2023 and served as assistant leader for a little more than a year after that.
Pelosi and Hoyer have both announced their retirements from Congress in recent months, making Clyburn the last of House Democrats’ previous generation of leaders to seek reelection.
In an interview with the Washington Post earlier this month, Clyburn signaled he wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet.
“I’ve done polling, I’ve interviewed my constituents, and my family is split on the decision — they have not coalesced around it yet. I’m leaning towards doing it,” he said.
Clyburn has served in Congress since 1993 and has been a kingmaker in Democratic politics in South Carolina for years. His endorsement of Joe Biden before the state’s Democratic primary in 2020 revived Biden’s campaign and propelled him to the nomination.
South Carolina’s primary will take place on June 9. Clyburn represents the state’s 6th Congressional District, which is solidly Democratic.
