Jim Clyburn

About

In the early 1990s, this Democratic Party politician began serving the sixth congressional district of South Carolina in the United States House of Representatives. From 2007 until 2011, he held the position of House Majority Whip.

Before Fame

After earning a degree in history from South Carolina State College, he accepted a teaching position at a Charleston high school. He began his political career as a staffer for South Carolina Governor John C. West.

Trivia

He authored a failed 2009 healthcare initiative called the Access for All Americans Act.

Family Life

The son of Almeta Dizzley and Reverend Enos Lloyd Clyburn, he grew up in Sumter, South Carolina. His marriage to Emily Clyburn resulted in a daughter, Mignon, who was appointed President Obama's Federal Communications Commissioner in late 2009.

Associated With

In early 2011, he became Assistant House Democratic Leader and worked closely with fellow Democrats Steny Hoyer (the Minority Whip) and Nancy Pelosi (the House Minority Leader).