Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina's only Black member of the U.S. House and a longtime Democratic powerbroker, warns that Americans are not doing enough to defend voting rights and democracy. He links today's efforts to roll back the 1965 Voting Rights Act with the Jim Crow era he fought in the 1960s and fears those battles are returning. Clyburn criticized some post-withdrawal campaign decisions after President Biden ended his 2024 reelection bid and urged stronger ground operations in key swing states. At 85 and running for an 18th term, he says duty and upbringing keep him campaigning for one more round.
Rep. Jim Clyburn: “I Don’t Think the American People Are Doing Enough” To Protect Voting Rights and Democracy
Vice President Joe Biden, with Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), on stage after declaring victory in the South Carolina presidential primary, February 29, 2020 in Columbia, S.C. / Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Rep. James E. Clyburn, South Carolina's senior Democratic congressman and the state's only Black U.S. House member, warns that Americans must do more to defend voting rights and democratic norms. A civil rights organizer turned longtime party strategist and influential kingmaker, Clyburn has spent more than three decades building a political network rooted in personal outreach — from campus activism and meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to hosting his now-famous annual fish fry for presidential hopefuls.
From Civil Rights Activism to Contemporary Battles
Clyburn traces a direct line from the Jim Crow laws he protested in the 1960s to current efforts to roll back protections from the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Asked whether Democrats and ordinary Americans are doing enough to respond, he replied bluntly:
"I don't think the American people are doing enough. I'm not gonna allow this to be a Democrat versus a Republican thing. That is not policy and politics; that is what we as Americans ought to be about."He added that the final test will come in November, when votes are cast and counted.
Concerns About Election Acceptance
Clyburn expressed concern that former President Donald Trump may not accept a narrow loss, saying,
"I absolutely believe that, because he's done it [before]. The best way to tell what a person will do is to look at what he or she has done. And so, if he's done it, he's capable of doing it again."
Rep. Jim Clyburn with CBS News' Robert Costa. / Credit: CBS News
On Biden's Decision and Campaign Operations
While focused on the midterms, Clyburn also reflected on President Joe Biden's decision to end his 2024 reelection bid, calling it "the right decision for him" and "the right decision for the party." Yet he criticized some post-withdrawal campaign choices and worried that organizers relied too heavily on digital strategies rather than boots-on-the-ground outreach. He recounted receiving calls from voters in key states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania urging stronger field operations: "Please tell somebody they are not doing what we need to do to turn this vote out."
Seeking Another Term
At 85, Clyburn has announced his bid for an 18th term in Congress. He said his decision followed careful reflection about motives and responsibilities: "Are you being selfish, or do you still maintain concern for your constituents? And I do." He noted that more than a dozen members of Congress aged 80 or older are also seeking re-election this cycle and credited his parents for instilling a sense of obligation to "carry it forward."
/ Credit: Little, Brown & Co.
Advice and Legacy
During a recent visit to his alma mater, South Carolina State University, a historically Black college, Clyburn urged students to choose whether they want to "make headlines" or "make headway" as public servants — a distinction that captures his dual legacy of headline-making moments and long-term institutional work. He also recently published a book, "The First Eight," reflecting on pioneering Black members of Congress who helped reshape the nation after Reconstruction.
Byline: Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: Jason Schmidt.
Resources: Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.); "The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation," Jim Clyburn (Little, Brown & Co.).
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