COLUMBIA, Mo. — South Carolina U.S. Rep. James Clyburn said he is stepping down from his leadership position for the Democrats in the U.S. House.
Clyburn said Wednesday he will no longer be the Assistant Democratic Leader. However, he will still run for re-election for his seat from the Sixth Congressional District in South Carolina.
“I’ve had the privilege of serving under consequential Democratic presidents, balancing budgets in the Clinton Administration, expanding healthcare access under President Obama, and rescuing a pandemic plagued country and economy with President Biden," Clyburn said in a statement.
After the 2022 Midterm Elections, Clyburn left his role as House Democratic Whip, the number three position in the party in the House. That news came out at the same time that Nancy Pelosi announced she was stepping down as the Democratic Leader in the House.
At the time, Clyburn said he hoped to help the new leadership, which included Rep. Hakeem Jefferies, the current Democratic Leader in the House. "I am confident that Leader Jeffries, Whip Catherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, and the entire leadership team will continue the important work of putting people over politics," Clyburn added.
Despite the change away from a leadership role, he said he hopes to still continue to lead on initiatives that will benefit Americans.
"I feel compelled to expand my efforts to maintain America’s greatness and make that greatness accessible and affordable for all Americans," he said. "That has always been my life’s mission and I am proud of my efforts in that regard."
Clyburn is a key ally of President Joe Biden, and helped him gain a key victory in the South Carolina Democratic Primary in 2020. He's continued to campaign for the President, including ahead of the South Carolina Democratic Primary earlier this month.
Clyburn, a native of Sumter, was first elected to Congress in 1992. He is the only Democrat of the state's seven U.S. Representatives. He first got into government as an advisor to then Gov. Jim West in 1971, then was named the South Carolina Human Affairs Commissioner in 1974, and office he held until he ran for the U.S. House.