Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Thursday he will seek another term in Congress, bucking a trend of generational change that has prompted other older House Democrats to retire.
Why it matters: The 85-year-old is poised to be the third-oldest member of Congress if reelected, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 85, and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), 86, both retiring.
- Reps. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), 88, and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), 87 — the only two other members of Congress older than Clyburn — are both running for reelection.
Between the lines: Nearly a dozen House Democrats in their 70s and 80s are retiring at the end of the 119th Congress.
- But dozens of others have remained defiant, running for reelection even as some face well-funded Democratic primary challenges.
What he's saying: "In a few minutes, I'm going to sign the paperwork that's necessary in order to qualify for the Democratic nomination to run again."
- Clyburn said he had a "long talk" with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday morning and that Jeffries "was among those who asked me to stay."
The intrigue: Clyburn said Jeffries "expressed an interest in my being a part of his leadership if we were to take the House back" in the November midterms.
- "It made me feel necessary," he said with a chuckle.
Zoom out: First elected to Congress in 1992, Clyburn is considered the preeminent Democrat in South Carolina and one of the most prominent Black political leaders nationwide.
- He is also seen as a kingmaker on the presidential level, having boosted Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign at a pivotal moment ahead of the South Carolina primary.
- He served as Pelosi's third-in-command — variably as majority whip, assistant minority leader and Democratic caucus chair — for over a decade and a half from 2007 to 2023.
- Even after Pelosi and Hoyer relinquished their leadership positions, Clyburn stayed on as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) assistant leader for another year.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
