Jim Clyburn plans to endorse Hillary Clinton, according to one campaign source and a second Democratic source.
Advertisement
His endorsement could prove critical in SC, whose Democratic primary is February 27th.
Clyburn is the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House, and South Carolina’s lone congressional democrat.
CNN is reporting that the announcement will be made Friday at 11 a.m.at Allen University in Columbia. Clinton will not be in attendance at the event.
Clyburn joins other prominent S.C. Democrats in endorsing Clinton.
Clinton leads rival Bernie Sanders in the state, where black voters make up a majority of the state’s primary electorate. And now, the Vermont senator has also closed the gap with her in Nevada polls, where Democrats will caucus on Saturday.
In his 12th term, Clyburn represents a congressional district that stretches from Columbia to Charleston and straddles Interstate 95 – dubbed the “Corridor of Shame” for its once-flourishing agricultural communities, now struggling from years of persistently high poverty. In 2008, the congressman remained neutral ahead of the bitter primary between Clinton and Barack Obama.
He told the Washington Post he initially meant to remain neutral in the race, but last week on NPR Clyburn said he was leaning towards making an endorsement, “because family and friends have begun to say to me that my constituents deserve to know where I stand”.
“Mrs Clinton has demonstrated her leadership skills”.
Advertisement
Knotts said not getting Clyburn’s endorsement could have hurt Clinton.
