• Office Sought: Representative, South Carolina (6)
• Birth Date: July 21, 1940
• Occupation: Educator, Employment counselor, Former S.C. Human Affairs commissioner
• Religion: African Methodist Episcopal
• Web site: http://www.house.gov/clyburn/

Education

• South Carolina State University, BA
• University of South Carolina, JD

James "Jim" Enos Clyburn was born and raised in Sumter, S.C., and attended public schools there. He lives in Columbia, S.C. Clyburn graduated from South Carolina State College in 1962. He later attended the University of South Carolina School of Law.

He worked as a teacher, an employment counselor and executive director of the South Carolina Commission for Farm Workers. He was appointed to the staff of Gov. John West in 1971. In 1974, West appointed him state human affairs commissioner, a post he held until he retired in June 1992 to run for Congress. Clyburn beat four other black candidates in the 1992 primary, gathering 55 percent of the vote to avoid a run-off.

Elected the first black South Carolina congressman since Reconstruction, Clyburn was elected in 1992 from a new black-majority district drawn by a panel of three federal judges. His colleagues elected him Democratic freshman class president, a post he chose to share with Rep. Eva Clayton of North Carolina. He was criticized by some of his fellow freshman congressional colleagues who were more reform-minded than he.

Following the 2006 elections that gave Democrats control of the House, he rose to House majority whip, the third-highest position behind the speaker and majority leader. As majority whip, he became the first South Carolinian and the second black lawmaker in history to serve in that role.

Clyburn and his wife, Emily England, have three daughters.