WASHINGTON — Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat and the highest-ranking African American in the House, spoke recently with the Los Angeles Times about Democrats' plan before the midterm elections, the Jan. 6 hearings, his future in the party's leadership and when he'll know when it's time for him to leave office.
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wraps up her final months in leadership, many in the Democratic Party are anxious about who will take the helm in 2023, and whether they will retain the majority. Some progressives have been eager to see older party stalwarts like Clyburn move aside to usher in the next generation.
Clyburn spoke as he is set to receive on July 20 the NAACP's highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, during its annual convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Past recipients include Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and John Lewis.
