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.