Latest news with #Clyburn
Yahoo
a day ago
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Gov. Tim Walz continues national tour in South Carolina head of potential 2028 run
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn talk to reporters at Clyburn's annual fish fry Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Shaun Chornobroff/SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA — Minutes before 10 p.m. Friday, after Democratic speakers led the audience in jeers to Republicans' efforts to slash jobs and health care and encouraged people to get involved, line dancing broke out. That mix of politics and fun, mostly the latter, is what makes U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn's annual fish fry in the state's capital city so popular, attendees said. 'We all came out, and everybody's enjoying themselves,' said Shantell Zimmerman, 58, of Columbia. 'It brings out the community,' agreed Dionne Brown, 55, of Irmo, who's been attending the event for six years. 'Then we actually get to discuss our views and takeaways.' Hundreds of people attended the event that started in 1992, the year voters first elected Clyburn to the 6th Congressional District, as a thank you to the voters who couldn't afford the Democratic Party's high-dollar fundraisers. Over time, the 'World Famous Annual Fish Fry' — which includes free food and drinks — has become a must-attend event for Democrats seeking local, statewide and national office. This year was no different, even if Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — Kamala Harris' 2024 running mate — said they're not running for the 2028 nomination. 'I know I'm not running,' Moore told reporters Friday. 'But the thing I'm also very clear about is that anyone who's talking about 2028 is not taking 2025 very seriously.' Moore and Walz, as well as Clyburn and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison of Columbia, emphasized the importance of focusing on what's happening now in Washington, D.C. Proposed cuts to government safety nets like Medicaid and billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to rapidly slash federal spending were among the topics the governors touched on Friday during speeches at the fish fry, as well as the Blue Palmetto Fundraising Dinner the same night. 'I taught school long enough to know it's because they're weak and they're bullies, and when you stand up to them, they fade away,' said Walz, a former high school geography teacher. Their addresses at the events in South Carolina — which last year got promoted from holding the Democratic Party's first-in-the-South to first-in-the-nation presidential primary — sounded a lot like campaign speeches. Walz also spoke at the South Carolina Democratic Party's annual convention on Saturday. Lucy Owens, an Anderson County delegate to the state convention, discounted the governors' refusals, saying the 2028 presidential campaign has clearly begun. 'They're all going to come through here. They're the first ones,' she said. In 2019, the fish fry drew 21 potential candidates hoping to appeal to South Carolina Democrats. The following year, Joe Biden won the South Carolina Democratic primary, a victory that ended up vaulting him to the presidency, aided by Clyburn's endorsement. South Carolina's primary was elevated for 2024 as Biden's thank you to the state. With Biden gone, the Democratic party in flux, and Harrison no longer leading the national party, South Carolina maintaining its first-in-the-nation status is in question. Clyburn's comments Friday suggest he knows the state won't keep it. He doesn't care if the state is first, he said, just that it's early. 'The most important hitter on a team is the cleanup hitter. He comes in fourth place,' Clyburn told reporters at his event. 'I'm not concerned about whether or not we're first, second, third,' he said. 'Please, let us be at least four.' That would take South Carolina back to having the first primary in the South, potentially behind contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. In the aftermath of Trump's landslide victory and the Republican Party gaining control of both chambers of Congress, the Democratic Party is in a reset. Walz and Moore, the first Black governor in Maryland's history, are among the early faces of it. Winning South Carolina, which changed the trajectory of Biden's 2020 presidential run, will be crucial for Democratic hopefuls. Owens, the Anderson County delegate, pointed to the stage where Walz and Moore spoke, saying every Democrat who wants to be president will eventually appear in that exact spot. 'They got to come through here. Not South Carolina. They got to go right there,' she said. Both governors received raucous ovations from South Carolina Democrats, drawing cheers, standing ovations and even a few laughs as they took shots at the GOP. Owens said 'they're both very great candidates,' and she's 'excited' to hear more from them over the coming years. That was the general consensus from attendees who spoke with the SC Daily Gazette. However, they were significantly more familiar with Walz because of his time on the campaign trail last year with Vice President Harris. 'I know less about Wes Moore than I do about Tim Walz, but I think he's a good speaker,' said Laura Lowery, a 69-year-old from Fountain Inn. 'I think he's done a good job in his state as well.' Moore has recently come under fire for vetoing a bill that would establish a commission to examine state and federal policies from 1877 to 1965 and come up with recommendations for reparations. South Carolina Rep. John King, D-Rock Hill, asked the state party to remove Moore as the keynote speaker of Friday's Blue Palmetto Dinner. Party leaders never responded to questions about that request. But for at least some attendees, the veto perturbed them too. 'I didn't understand why he would do that,' said Tonya Winbush of Anderson. But once Winbush, a 50-year-old Army veteran, heard Moore speak about his time in the Army, as well as his pardoning of 175,000 cannabis convictions, her opinion changed. 'I think when you don't know the whole story and you just listen to sound bites, which is what we do a lot, we'll make brash judgments about people, when we are really fighting the same fight,' she said. This story first appeared in South Carolina Daily Gazette, a sibling site of the Minnesota Reformer and part of the States Newsroom nonprofit news network.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Should SC lead off or bat clean-up in the Dem primary order? What Clyburn thinks
When the Democratic National Committee decides its presidential nominating contest order, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Santee, said all he wants is for South Carolina to be in the early primary window. Clyburn told reporters at his annual fish fry he's not concerned about South Carolina being the lead off contest, after the Democratic Party kicked off its 2024 presidential nominating process with the Palmetto State. 'I never asked for anything more than keep us in the pre-primary window which covers a whole month before the primary starts,' Clyburn said. 'So I think it's important to the party for that to be the case. Whether it be one, two, three or four, I don't care.' Clyburn, South Carolina's lone Democratic elected federal official, likened the primary order to a baseball batting lineup. 'The most important hitter on a baseball team, is clean up hitter. He comes in fourth place,' Clyburn said. 'And South Carolina has always been fourth, and we demonstrated how important being in fourth place was.' The Democratic National Committee is expected to reevaluate its presidential primary order after then-President Joe Biden said it should be looked at every four years. A decision on the 2028 order could come as soon as the end of 2026. Before 2024, South Carolina was the First in the South Presidential Primary for both the Republican and Democratic parties. Since the 1992 presidential race, the winner of the South Carolina Democratic nominating contest has historically gone on to be the nominee. The lone exceptions have been in 2004 when John Edwards won the primary, but ended up being the vice presidential running mate for John Kerry, and in 2024, when Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden shortly before the national convention. In 2020, Biden lost the first three nominating contests. But after receiving Clyburn's endorsement ahead the Palmetto State primary, Biden won South Carolina and went on to the nomination and the White House. New Hampshire has a state law that says it has to hold the first presidential primary in the country, but the Democratic Party opted to make South Carolina the first in its primary process at the wishes of Biden. Clyburn made his comments while speaking to the media shortly before appearing at his annual fish fry, an event that has become a must attend for potential presidential candidates. He was flanked by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2024, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Although the weekend was formally meant to elect party leadership for the next two years, it also served as a pep rally to energize party faithful and activists. 'Back in the 2000 election, when they decided to show us a red and blue map, and they defined and divided the country, and it got into people's heads and now they see a map and they say, oh, 'South Carolina, that's deep red.' Well, I beg to differ, this room doesn't look like it's deep red,' Walz said at the Blue Palmetto Dinner. Moore, seen as a potential 2028 candidate who insisted he wasn't thinking about a presidential campaign in three years, gave passionate remarks Friday night that resembled a presidential campaign stump speech. 'This is the moment for us to say together in one voice, gone are the days when the Democrats are the party of no and slow. We must be the party of yes and now,' Moore said. 'Gone are the days when we are the party of bureaucracy. Gone are the days when we are the party of multiyear studies on things that we already know. Gone are the days when we are the party of panels. Gone are the days when we are the party of college debate club rules. We must be the party of action, and that action must come now.' But he insisted he wasn't thinking about 2028. 'I've been very clear that first that no, I'm not running. But the thing I'm also very clear about is anyone who's talking about 2028 is not taking 2025 very seriously,' Moore said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Should SC lead off or bat clean-up in the Dem primary order. What Clyburn thinks
When the Democratic National Committee decides its presidential nominating contest order, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Santee, said all he wants is for South Carolina to be in the early primary window. Clyburn told reporters at his annual fish fry he's not concerned about South Carolina being the lead off contest, after the Democratic Party kicked off its 2024 presidential nominating process with the Palmetto State. 'I never asked for anything more than keep us in the pre-primary window which covers a whole month before the primary starts,' Clyburn said. 'So I think it's important to the party for that to be the case. Whether it be one, two, three or four, I don't care.' Clyburn, South Carolina's lone Democratic elected federal official, likened the primary order to a baseball batting lineup. 'The most important hitter on a baseball team, is clean up hitter. He comes in fourth place,' Clyburn said. 'And South Carolina has always been fourth, and we demonstrated how important being in fourth place was.' The Democratic National Committee is expected to reevaluate its presidential primary order after then-President Joe Biden said it should be looked at every four years. A decision on the 2028 order could come as soon as the end of 2026. Before 2024, South Carolina was the First in the South Presidential Primary for both the Republican and Democratic parties. Since the 1992 presidential race, the winner of the South Carolina Democratic nominating contest has historically gone on to be the nominee. The lone exceptions have been in 2004 when John Edwards won the primary, but ended up being the vice presidential running mate for John Kerry, and in 2024, when Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden shortly before the national convention. In 2020, Biden lost the first three nominating contests. But after receiving Clyburn's endorsement ahead the Palmetto State primary, Biden won South Carolina and went on to the nomination and the White House. New Hampshire has a state law that says it has to hold the first presidential primary in the country, but the Democratic Party opted to make South Carolina the first in its primary process at the wishes of Biden. Clyburn made his comments while speaking to the media shortly before appearing at his annual fish fry, an event that has become a must attend for potential presidential candidates. He was flanked by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2024, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Although the weekend was formally meant to elect party leadership for the next two years, it also served as a pep rally to energize party faithful and activists. 'Back in the 2000 election, when they decided to show us a red and blue map, and they defined and divided the country, and it got into people's heads and now they see a map and they say, oh, 'South Carolina, that's deep red.' Well, I beg to differ, this room doesn't look like it's deep red,' Walz said at the Blue Palmetto Dinner. Moore, seen as a potential 2028 candidate who insisted he wasn't thinking about a presidential campaign in three years, gave passionate remarks Friday night that resembled a presidential campaign stump speech. 'This is the moment for us to say together in one voice, gone are the days when the Democrats are the party of no and slow. We must be the party of yes and now,' Moore said. 'Gone are the days when we are the party of bureaucracy. Gone are the days when we are the party of multiyear studies on things that we already know. Gone are the days when we are the party of panels. Gone are the days when we are the party of college debate club rules. We must be the party of action, and that action must come now.' But he insisted he wasn't thinking about 2028. 'I've been very clear that first that no, I'm not running. But the thing I'm also very clear about is anyone who's talking about 2028 is not taking 2025 very seriously,' Moore said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
At North Charleston town hall, Clyburn says voters must ‘work like hell' to oppose Trump
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn brought his town hall tour to North Charleston on Thursday, urging attendees to use the most powerful tool at their disposal to resist President Donald Trump's administration: their vote. 'We must break our silence,' Clyburn told dozens of voters who filed into the banquet room of Royal Missionary Baptist Church on a rainy night. 'We cannot allow things to be said and go unanswered, and the loudest voice that you can raise is your vote.' It was the latest stop on a series of listening sessions that Clyburn, the state's lone congressional Democrat, has been holding across the state as he seeks to rally supporters against Trump's 'chaotic, destructive' agenda. At each one, a common theme has emerged, the congressman told News 2 in a brief interview after the event. 'People are very, very concerned about the direction of the country,' he said. 'This country is at a crossroads. You can sense it.' Clyburn spoke during the more than two-hour town hall about the impacts of the Republicans' sweeping tax bill, which passed the House last week. It includes many of the president's legislative priorities, from extending tax cuts enacted in 2017 during Trump's first term to increased funding for immigration enforcement to scaling back federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. GOP runs into voter buzzsaw of criticism on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' The bill imposes stricter work requirements for Medicaid recipients, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated would result in more than $700 million in spending cuts but also lead to millions of people losing health coverage. 'I think the Medicaid cuts are alarming,' Sam Lourie, a 30-year-old who lives in West Ashley, told News 2 after the event. 'I just don't think the average American realizes how close it's going to hit home until it does, and for me personally, I think it's very unnecessary for the overarching goal that [Republicans] are trying to accomplish.' Clyburn also addressed the economic consequences of Trump's 25% tariff on the auto industry, tying it to job losses at Volvo's Ridgeville plant. He criticized a May 8 deal made with the United Kingdom, a hub for luxury car manufacturing, that slashes tariffs to 10% for the first 100,000 vehicles imported to the United States. 'He did not give a break to them,' Clyburn said, referencing the thousands of workers employed by automobile companies in South Carolina, including Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. The event concluded with the congressman fielding questions on various issues, from a veteran who worried about losing his benefits to a rising high school senior concerned about how he will pay for college next year. In responding to 17-year-old Zuriel Nyamutsaka's question about higher education, Clyburn emphasized the importance of federal Pell Grants, a need-based scholarship that more than six million students rely on. He pointed to a provision tucked into the 'big, beautiful bill' that would increase the number of credit hours required to receive the maximum grant amount from 12 to 15, noting that about a quarter of current recipients would lose close to $1,500 if it passed. 'Why?' he asked rhetorically. 'So that some billionaires can get another big tax credit.' But not all the frustration was directed toward Republicans, with some lamenting about what they see as an inability on the part of Democrats to effectively counter the growing right-wing movement, both from elected officials and their fellow voters. 'I'm disenchanted with our party,' one woman said. 'We need to stop being so polite. We don't have to be rude, but we need to stop being so polite and we need to fight back.' Speaking to News 2 afterwards, Clyburn defended his party's tone and efforts in the early months of Trump's second term. 'I don't think we're doing anything wrong,' he said. 'I think that the problem that we have is that Democrats are civil in our approach. You don't see us using profane language when we try to connect with people. You don't see us doing things that would be detrimental to people.' Still, he pointed to recent wins in special elections across the country as evidence that Democrats' messaging is resonating with voters. 'We may not be connected to all the people in the viewing audience, but we seem to be making pretty good connections with those people when they go to the polls,' he added. Thursday's town hall was hosted by the Racial Justice Network. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Congressman James Clyburn holds town hall in Lake City
LAKE CITY, S.C. (WBTW) — Congressman James Clyburn hosted a town hall in Lake City on Tuesday, and nearly 200 people from multiple counties came out to hear what he had to say, and made sure they were heard as well. Clyburn voiced his concerns about what he called 'The Trump Administration's lack of concern for issues like health disparities in rural areas,' the economy, and civil rights. 'We have differences, which we will always have, it doesn't mean we cannot resolve those differences and figure out how to get along with each other,' Clyburn said. Retired Physician Dr. Albert Mims voiced his concerns about the people that need health care in rural areas. 'The thing that concerns me so much with this budget is the absolute disregard for those among us that need the most help,' Mims explained. Mauretta Wilson, the Democratic chair for Williamsburg County, said these town halls are what the party needs to let the public know they are still working for everyone. 'I think, right now, we have to step out and have these conversations, and Congressman Clyburn has taken that stance in having this town hall series, so I applaud him for that effort,' Wilson said. Clyburn said he heard the concerns of the community and saw different economic and social backgrounds come together to express their thoughts. 'I saw, sitting in the audience, some pretty low income folks, and I also saw in that audience one of the richest women in this country,' Clyburn said. 'To see that all in the same room, this is what this meeting is all about.' This town hall was one of several Clyburn is hosting across the sixth congressional district. The next one is set for Thursday in North Charleston. * * * Eric Cooper is a multimedia journalist at News13. He joined the team in September 2024 and covers stories in the Pee Dee. He is a native of Cades in Williamsburg County and a proud graduate of Kingstree Senior High School and Benedict College. You can read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
