Jim Clyburn

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Jim Clyburn

United States Representative from South Carolina's 6th district
In office 1993 - present
Preceded by	Robin Tallon
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	July 21, 1940 Sumter, South Carolina
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Emily England
Religion	African Methodist Episcopal

James Enos "Jim" Clyburn (born July 21, 1940) is an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 6th congressional district of South Carolina (map). He is a Democrat. The district, South Carolina's only majority-black district, includes all of Florence and large portions of Columbia and Charleston.

He will become the House Majority Whip when the 110th Congress convenes on January 3, 2007.

1 Early life
2 1992 Election
3 Congressional career
4 External links

[edit] Early life

Clyburn was born in Sumter, South Carolina, the son of Enos Lloyd Clyburn, a fundamentalist minister, and his wife Almeta, a cosmetologist. He attended South Carolina State College (now South Carolina State University) in Orangeburg, pledging to the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and graduating with a bachelor's degree in history. He worked as a teacher at C.A. Brown High School in Charleston. After an unsuccessful run for the South Carolina General Assembly, he moved to Columbia to join the staff of Governor John C. West in 1971. In this position he became the first minority advisor to a South Carolina Governor. He was appointed the state's human affairs commissioner by Governor West in 1974, a position in which he held until 1992, when he stepped down to run for Congress.

[edit] 1992 Election

Following a Supreme Court mandate, the Florence-based 6th district was redrawn as a black-majority district. Five-term incumbent Robin Tallon opted to retire, and five black candidates ran for the Democratic nomination for the seat. Clyburn secured 55% of the vote in the primary, eliminating the need for an expected run-off. The new 6th was so heavily Democratic that Clyburn's primary victory was tantamount to election. He has been reelected seven times, never facing a serious or well-funded challenger.

[edit] Congressional career

During the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries, Clyburn supported Dick Gephardt until he dropped out of the race and afterwards supported John Kerry. Clyburn is generally considered to be the most important African-American political leader in his home state and handily won re-election in 2006 against Republican Gary McLeod, who has been his opponent in every election since 1998.

Clyburn was elected as vice-chairman of the House Democratic Caucus in 2003, the third-ranking post in the caucus. He became chairman in 2006 after caucus chairman Bob Menendez was appointed to the Senate.

After the Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in the 2006 election, Clyburn was unanimously elected as Majority Whip in the 110th Congress, the third-highest leadership post (behind Speaker-presumptive Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer). He will be the second African American (behind Bill Gray of Pennsylvania) and the first South Carolinian to hold the position.

[edit] External links

Preceded by Robin Tallon	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 6th congressional district 1993 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Roy Blunt	House Majority Whip 2007-?	Succeeded by incumbent (elect)
Preceded by Steny Hoyer	House Democratic Whip 2007–?	Succeeded by incumbent (elect)

Majority Whips of the United States House of Representatives
Tawney • Watson • Dwight • Bell • Knutson • Vestal • McDuffie • Greenwood • Boland • Ramspeck • Sparkman • Arends • Priest • Arends • Albert • Boggs • O'Neill • McFall • Brademas • Foley • Coelho • Gray • Bonior • DeLay • Blunt • Clyburn