(left to right) S.C. Congressman James Clyburn and Elizabeth Colbert Busch

(Charleston, SC)--- South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, the U.S. Representative for South Carolina’s 6^th Congressional District, announced Saturday that he is supporting the candidacy of Elizabeth Colbert Busch for the Congressional seat representing District 1.

Saying that he had deliberately chosen to wear a pink shirt as symbolic of Colbert Busch’s candidacy, Clyburn said, “You know how important it is for us to put...more women in office. There is a movement afoot…there is a strange undercurrent afoot in this country that we must be very careful about. We see attempts being camouflaged under all kinds of ideas and with all kinds of names to attempt to turn the clock back.”

Clyburn went on to wonder why the Violence Against Women Act was having trouble passing. “Why would we have difficulty not putting in place…reauthorizing a little piece of legislation…We can’t get a majority of the United States House of Representatives to approve that bill and move that forward. That’s another reason why we need to get more women in Congress.”

Clyburn urged District 1 to get behind Colbert Busch’s candidacy. “There is something unique about Elizabeth’s experiences…She has life experiences to take us to success in the general election.”

Clyburn concluded by saying, “It’s no challenge for me. This primary is about getting a nominee that can carry a Democratic message in the general election. I am convinced that whoever comes out on the other side will not have the sensitivity, will not have the background and experiences that Elizabeth has. Therefore we have got to do what is necessary to make sure that she wins this race. If I can get 56 percent (of the vote) with five people in the race, we ought to make sure she gets 66 percent with only two.”

In response, Colbert Busch noted that some of the residents who are now in the newly-created District 1 she is running to represent, used to be in Clyburn’s District 6. “To have (you) endorse me…means a tremendous amount to me and I can’t thank you enough,” she said.

Colbert Busch applauded Clyburn’s championing of education and Social Security and Medicare and concluded by telling Clyburn, “I am looking forward to working with you on Capitol Hill.”