Clyburn thinks Sanders may make it tougher for Democrats to keep House majority
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) thinks that even if Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proves himself to be the preferred candidate of the Democratic Party nationwide, his win could have consequences down the line.
During an appearance on ABC's This Week, host George Stephanopoulos asked Clyburn if a victory from Sanders, who describes himself as a Democratic Socialist, could harm the Democrats' chances of maintaining its majority in the House. Clyburn said it will likely add an "extra burden" in some places — like the more moderate and conservatives districts in South Carolina — where Democrats pulled upsets in the last midterm election. Clyburn said it'll be a challenge to hold on to those districts if candidates have to advocate for a democratic socialist.
"South Carolinians are pretty leery about that title 'socialist,'" he said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Clyburn also said he'll finally make an endorsement this coming Wednesday, the morning after Tuesday's debate in South Carolina. Clyburn serves as the majority whip, and his support will likely go a long way in the Palmetto State, though it seems unlikely Sanders will get the nod.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Prisoner 951: ‘illuminating’ Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe dramaThe Week Recommends 'Harrowing' tale of prison ordeal and an ‘unbreakable’ bond between husband and wife
-
Sudoku medium: November 26, 2025The daily medium sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
Codeword: November 26, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
-
Congress passes bill to force release of Epstein filesSpeed Read The Justice Department will release all files from its Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation
-
Trump says he will sell F-35 jets to Saudi ArabiaSpeed Read The president plans to make several deals with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week
-
Judge blasts ‘profound’ errors in Comey caseSpeed Read ‘Government misconduct’ may necessitate dismissing the charges against the former FBI director altogether
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
