Clyburn to step out of Democratic leadership

Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) announced Wednesday that he will step out of Democratic leadership, ending more than two decades in the top tiers of the party and opening the assistant leader spot to another aspiring lawmaker for the remainder of the 118th Congress. 

Clyburn, in his 32nd year on Capitol Hill, did not identify the reason for his decision, saying only that he’s notified Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) of his plan. Clyburn, 83, emphasized that he’s not retiring from Congress altogether and intends to return next year to help confront unnamed “threats” to the country.

“I will run for re-election for the Sixth Congressional District,” Clyburn said in a statement. 

“Events of the last several years have made it clear that the greatness of America is at peril, and the threats to our continued pursuit of ‘a more perfect Union’ are real.”

First elected in 1992, Clyburn quickly made a mark on Capitol Hill, serving as head of the Congressional Black Caucus before being elected as vice chair of the Democratic Caucus in 2003.

From there, he rose to Caucus chair, and in 2007 rose again to Democratic whip, the third-ranking spot, where he served just below Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) until last year, when Republicans seized control of the House, and the top three Democratic leaders all stepped down from their spots.

While Pelosi and Hoyer resigned from leadership altogether, however, Clyburn decided to remain, winning the position of assistant Democratic leader in the current Congress — the fourth- or fifth-ranking position, depending on whom you ask.

Perhaps Clyburn’s greatest influence over the party in recent years, however, has related to his role as a kingmaker in his home state of South Carolina, where his enthusiastic support for Joe Biden was a tipping point in Biden’s successful bid for the Democratic nomination — and ultimately the White House — in 2020.

In Wednesday’s statement, Clyburn predicted Biden would prevail again in November.