Trigger warning: discussion of sexual assault
One of the most painful sights we’ve seen in recent years that isn’t related to Donald Trump is the attempted political resurrection of Andrew Cuomo. Four years after being forced to resign in disgrace as governor of New York for sexually harassing at least 11 women, he’s running for mayor of New York City. Most polling in the Democratic primary—normally the real contest in a city where the GOP has been more or less nonexistent since the Mike Bloomberg era—shows Cuomo leading. The primary uses Australian-style ranked-choice voting, with most calculations suggesting Cuomo and upstart state assemblyman Zohran Mamdami fighting it out for first place.
It’s ghastly in and of itself to see Cuomo making a comeback. But he got a big endorsement on Thursday that is tantamount to piling obscenity on top of insult and injury. Namely, from one of the most respected Black lawmakers in Washington, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.
Mr. Clyburn made the case that Mr. Cuomo was the right candidate to help Democrats fend off the ill effects of President Trump’s second term, when Mr. Trump is “challenging the pillars of our democracy.”
“The mayor of New York is uniquely positioned to play an important role in the future of the national Democratic Party,” Mr. Clyburn said in a statement, adding that Mr. Cuomo had the “experiences, credentials and character to not just serve New York, but also help save the nation.”
Clyburn’s endorsement will supposedly bolster Cuomo’s support among Black voters. He’s even going as far as to lend his voice to pro-Cuomo robocalls.
As most of us know, Clyburn’s endorsement of Joe Biden all but ended the 2020 Democratic primary. His endorsement carried substantial weight among Black voters in South Carolina—a significant portion of whom live in Clyburn’s 6th district, which twists and winds its way from the majority-Black precincts of the Lowcountry through the Black Belt to Columbia. That move proved prescient, as it allowed the party to close ranks around Biden right before COVID-19 shut the country down. But as much as that endorsement burnished Clyburn’s legacy, his endorsement of Cuomo has tarnished it. To my mind, it’s evidence that it’s time to thank Clyburn for his service and send him into retirement in 2026. Yep, you read that right. It gives me no pleasure to do so, but I’m calling for Clyburn to be primaried.
Clyburn waxed poetic about how Cuomo had been a champion for POCs as Bill Clinton’s housing secretary, and had always been on “the right side of history.” But what about the women whom state attorney general Tish James found had been harassed by Cuomo, and who faced retaliation when they came forward? Did you consider them, Jim? Apparently you didn’t. Moreover, how can we denounce Trump’s history of reveling in degrading women and yet find it acceptable for Cuomo to get back in the game?
When I saw this story roll across my feed on Threads, it was really hard to contain my anger—especially since it’s been proven that Black women are at disproportionate risk for sexual assault. For every Black woman who reports being raped, 15 women (!) don’t report. Some 20 percent of Black women are rape survivors, including 25 percent of Black girls under the age of 18.
Put yourself in the shoes of a Black woman who has been sexually assaulted. You’re thinking of coming forward, only to hear one of the most senior Black members of Congress endorse a credibly accused sexual predator. What message does that send?
Clyburn has made a lot of history over his 32 years in Congress. He is the only Democrat to represent Columbia since 1965, and one of only two to represent Charleston since 1981. But that legacy now stands tarnished. If he finds it acceptable to endorse Cuomo despite his history, then it’s evidence his time has passed.
As one of the longest-tenured members of Daily Kos, having been here for almost 21 years (user ID: 18,332), and as a Black man myself, I can’t let this slide. I spent most of my first 46 years on this planet only an hour and a half north of this district, so this is personal for me. We need to hold Clyburn’s feet to the fire in 2026. With a Cook PVI of D+13, anyone who topples Clyburn in the primary will be assured of at least 20 years in Congress. At the very least, we can make Clyburn answer for his short-sightedness.
However, this district is hard to campaign in. On paper, paid media is really cheap, and this district has long been dominated by African-American voters in Columbia and Charleston. But significant slices of this district spill into the Augusta and Savannah markets, meaning that running in this district means running ads in areas where most people can’t vote for you. For that reason, if we’re going to hold Clyburn to account, anyone who wants to run here—based on geography, someone in and around Columbia or in and around Charleston—had better be about it.
