House Majority Whip James Clyburn on Sunday said Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont would add an “extra burden” for Democrats in the 2020 elections.
Mr. Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat, said a lot of people think Mr. Sanders’ leading the ticket would put Democrats’ majority in the House in danger.
“I do believe it’ll be an extra burden for us to have to carry,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.” “This is South Carolina, and South Carolinians are pretty leery about that title ’socialist,’ and so I think that that would be a real burden for us in these states or congressional districts that we have to do well in.”
Mr. Sanders easily won the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, and has gotten more votes than any other 2020 Democratic presidential contender in each of the first three presidential states: Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
But Mr. Clyburn said Democrats did well in the 2018 midterms in more moderate and conservative districts.
“And in those districts, it’s going to be tough to hold onto these jobs if you have to make the case for accepting a self-proclaimed democratic socialist,” he said.
Mr. Clyburn, the most influential elected Democrat from South Carolina, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he will endorse a candidate on Wednesday morning.
There is another Democratic presidential debate scheduled for Tuesday evening in Charleston ahead of Saturday’s Democratic primary in South Carolina.
After last Wednesday’s debate in Las Vegas, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden said he thinks he’ll get Mr. Clyburn’s endorsement.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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