资深民主党众议员吉姆·克莱伯恩周四告诉美国广播公司新闻他是竞选连任，不宣布退休。
85岁的克莱伯恩后来在哥伦比亚的南卡罗来纳州民主党总部正式宣布了这一消息，他承诺在追求众议院第18个任期时将开展“有力的竞选活动”。
在他可能选择退休的猜测中，这位前众议院多数党党鞭承认他认真考虑过这个问题，并与他的三个女儿和民意调查选民进行了磋商。他说他收到的信息是，“我们不希望你离开。”
“所以，我要回应这里的人们，”克莱伯恩说。
在这所房子里呆了33年之后，克莱本还有什么未完成的事情要做呢?
“我们的存在是为了追求更完美的结合，”克莱伯恩说。“今天这里没有人认为这个国家是完美的。这不是一个完美的国家。但我不认为今天有任何人认为我们应该放弃追求完美，我今天在这里说，我相信我已经做好准备，足够健康，可以进入下一个任期，努力做必要的事情，继续追求完美。”
Clyburn的潜在连任将使他的政治生存超过民主党众议员Nancy Pelosi和Steny Hoyer，他们将于2027年1月3日本届任期结束时退休。
众议院少数党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯(Hakeem Jeffries)和众议院民主党人只需要净增加三个席位，就可以在11月的中期选举中赢得多数席位。
“他是要求我留下的人之一，”克莱伯恩谈到杰弗里斯时说。"他表示，如果他要收回房子，他有兴趣让我成为他的领导之一。"
克莱本帮助推动前总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)在2020年入主白宫，在南卡罗莱纳州初选前几天，在民主党人争夺党内提名的过程中，伯尼·桑德斯连续三次赢得初选后，他支持拜登。
拜登在2024年授予克莱本总统自由勋章。
拜登说:“吉姆始终立足于信仰、家庭和服务，在过去的半个世纪里，他以坚定的手和诚实的心引导着南卡罗来纳州和我们的国家。”“如果没有吉姆，我不会站在这里作为总统颁发这些奖项。我是真心的。”
克莱本周四没有说如果他再次当选，这是否将是他的最后一个任期。
“这很可能是我的最后一个任期，也很可能不是，”克莱本说。“我们就等着看事情如何发展吧。”
克莱本的声明是在越来越多的国会议员退休之际做出的，其中包括85岁的佩洛西、86岁的霍耶和84岁的共和党参议员米奇·麦康奈尔。
Clyburn在2021年接受Axios采访时表示，下一代有一条道路，如果他们想要他的座位，“来得到它。”
“道路是为下一代准备的;我从未要求任何人为我而死。我不知道为什么人们会说你需要为我让位。不，如果你想要我的座位，就来拿，”克莱本当时说。
然而，根据一项调查，美国国会作为一个整体已经变得越来越年轻皮尤研究中心分析第119届国会开始时就职的众议员和参议员。
众议院投票成员的平均年龄现在是57.5岁。这低于第118届国会(2023-2025年)开始时的57.9，第117届国会(2021-2023年)的58.9。
在一些最年长的议员去世或退休后，参议院开始扭转其老龄化趋势。新参议院的平均年龄为64.7岁，低于上届国会开始时的65.3岁。
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn says he's running for reelection after all
Longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn told ABC News on Thursdaythat he isrunning for reelection, not announcing his retirement.
Clyburn, 85, later made the announcement official at the South Carolina Democratic Party HQ in Columbia, where he promised to mount a "vigorous campaign" as he pursues an 18th term in the House of Representatives.
Amid speculation that he may opt to retire, the former House majority whip admitted he seriously considered it and consulted with his three daughters and polled constituents. He said the message he received was, "We don’t want you to leave."
"So, I'm responding to the people down here," Clyburn said.
After more than 33 years in the House, what is left unfinished for Clyburn to accomplish?
"We exist in pursuit of a more perfect union," Clyburn said."There's nobody here today who thinks that this country is perfect. It is not a perfect country. But I don't think there's anybody today who believe that we should give up on that pursuit of perfection, and I'm here today to say I do believe that I'm very well equipped and healthy enough to move into the next term, trying to do the things that are necessary to continue that pursuit of perfection."
Clyburn's potential reelection would push his political survival beyond Democratic Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, who are retiring at the end of the current term on Jan. 3, 2027.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to seize the majority in November's midterm elections.
"He was among those who asked me to stay," Clyburn said of Jeffries. "He expressed an interest in my being a part of his leadership if he were to take the House back."
Clyburn helped propel former President Joe Biden to the White House in 2020, throwing his endorsement behind Biden days before the South Carolina primary after three consecutive primary victories by Bernie Sanders as a field of Democrats vied for the party nomination.
Biden awarded Clyburn with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.
"Always grounded in faith, family and service, Jim has guided South Carolina and our country with a steady hand and honest heart for over the last half century," Biden said. "I would not be standing here as president making these awards were it not for Jim. I mean that sincerely."
Clyburn on Thursday would not say whether, if he is reelected, it would be his final term.
"This could very well be my last term, and it could very well not be,”Clyburn said."We'll just see how things go."
Clyburn's announcement comes as an increasing number of members of Congress are retiring, including Pelosi, 85, Hoyer, 86, and Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, 84.
Clyburn said in a 2021 interview with Axios that there is a path for the next generation and that if they wanted his seat, to "come get it."
"The path is there for the next generation; I never asked anyone to die for me. I don’t know why people come saying you need to step aside for me. No. If you want my seat, come get it," Clyburn said at the time.
Still, the U.S. Congress has gotten younger as a whole, according to aPew Research Center analysisof representatives and senators who took office at the start of the 119th Congress.
The median age of voting members of the House of Representatives is now 57.5 years. That’s down from 57.9 at the start of the 118th Congress (2023-2025), 58.9 in the 117th Congress (2021-2023).
The Senate, following the death or retirement of some of its oldest members, has begun to reverse its aging trend. The new Senate’s median age is 64.7 years, down from 65.3 at the start of the previous Congress.
