Longtime U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, who is South Carolina's lone Democrat in Congress, announced Thursday morning that he will run for a potential 18th House term. The move comes as many of Clyburn's contemporaries call it quits on their time in Congress and seek to retire.
Clyburn made the announcement at the South Carolina Democratic Party's headquarters in Columbia. He has represented the state's 6th Congressional District since 1992, and although questions arose on whether he would seek another term, Clyburn said he still felt up to the task.
"I do believe that I'm very well equipped — and healthy enough — to move into the next term to continue in that pursuit of perfection," he said.
At 85, Clyburn is already among the oldest members of Congress. And while he committed to another run at his seat, other elected officials took upcoming term expirations as a sign to retire.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland are part of the same Democratic leadership cohort as Clyburn and have both already announced retirement plans to follow the end of their current terms. Hoyer is 86 years old and 85-year-old Pelosi's next birthday is March 26.
More than 50 House of Representatives members have already said they will not seek reelection in 2026. And while Clyburn said he was not always locked into the idea of running for reelection, support from colleagues, family members and constituents convinced him to commit.
Specifically, support from his daughters and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat who represents New York, drew him into the race.
"It made me feel necessary," he said.
In the last weeks, Clyburn has made numerous public appearances in the state's capital city. He spoke alongside former President Joe Biden Feb. 28 at an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party; Clyburn's endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 primary election helped build the path toward Biden's presidential nomination and eventual election victory.
Clyburn, too, spoke at services for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson March 2.
Calls for senior Democratic leadership to pass the torch to younger members of the party have been ringing for years. Although he now seeks reelection, Clyburn has shown that he is willing to support the transition of positions to younger Democrats.
He stepped down from assistant Democratic leader in 2024 after leaving his role as majority whip in 2023. In a 2024 interview with NPR News that followed his decision to step down as assistant Democratic leader, Clyburn said he wanted to help the party transition to younger leadership in an effective way. He also wanted to assist with Biden's 2024 reelection bid, which ultimately fueled more discussion surrounding the age of leadership.
Clyburn said at the announcement that his staff said that people felt "invested" in him.
"People felt invested in me, they had voted for me, and I should not be listening to the Washington pundits when it comes to this office," he said is what he took in after speaking with staffers.
Clyburn's district includes parts of Richland County, Charleston County and rural counties in between that span.
Candidate filing for this year’s elections in South Carolina will open March 16 and close March 30. The state's primary elections will be held June 9.
