Jim Clyburn backs Kendrick Meek Jr. in CD 24 race

A civil rights icon and longtime Democratic power broker in the U.S. House is backing the candidate carrying a family legacy in Florida’s 24th Congressional District.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina is endorsing Kendrick Meek Jr. in his campaign for CD 24, citing Meek’s work with the Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union, SAVE and communities across Florida.

“Kendrick understands what’s at stake because he’s been in the fight,” Clyburn said.

“But now, the stakes are even higher. Republicans across the South are working to weaken Black political power and erase Black representation in Congress — including my own district. Kendrick is the kind of leader House Democrats need to win back the majority, stand up to Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, and keep moving our country forward.”

Clyburn noted Meek’s family ties to the seat. His grandmother, Carrie Meek, was among Florida’s first Black members of Congress since Reconstruction. And his father, Kendrick Meek, served the district in Washington from 2003 to 2011.

But Clyburn said the younger Meek’s candidacy stands on its own merits.

“Kendrick isn’t asking voters to elect him because of his last name,” he said. “He’s earned this opportunity through his own work as an attorney, civil rights advocate, and community leader.”

Clyburn also tied the race to broader concerns about Black political representation, which could be at risk of diminishing in the wake of incumbent U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson’s announcement that she will retire from representing CD 24 after the November elections.

Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional map that his Office designed and the GOP-dominated Legislature pushed through at the behest of President Donald Trump.

The change, which resulted in an expected net four-seat gain for U.S. House Republicans, came four years after Florida approved decennial redistricting that reduced the number of Florida’s Black-performing congressional districts. The Florida Supreme Court upheld the map last July.

“Florida’s 24th Congressional District is an open seat, and despite tortious gerrymandering, is a district Democrats have a good chance of winning. Republicans know how important the 24th District is to Democrats regaining the majority, and would love to win it,” Clyburn said. “We cannot let that happen. That’s why I’m proud to endorse Kendrick Meek for FL-24.”

Meek said he is “profoundly honored” to have support from Clyburn, whom he called “a true titan of the Congress who has spent his entire life on the front lines of the fight for voting rights, equality, and economic progress.”

“Congressman Clyburn didn’t just witness history — he helped shape it, and he later brought that same fearless spirit to Washington, where he served alongside my grandmother, Congresswoman Carrie Meek, and my father, Congressman Kendrick Meek Sr.,” he said.

“As Republicans attempt to weaken Black political power and erase our representation, I am ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders like Congressman Clyburn, and fight for our community in Congress.”

A University of Miami-trained lawyer who filed for the race in early June, Meek has worked as a House Judiciary Committee intern, a legal assistant with the Human Rights Campaign and served at the federal Office of Management and Budget.

He now practices land use, zoning, and real estate development law as an associate at LSN Law.

He is one of seven Democrats running in CD 24, which covers Miami Gardens in Miami-Dade and Hollywood, Miramar, and Pembroke Park in Broward County.

Others running include Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, state Sen. Shevrin Jones, physician-veteran Rudy Moise and former County Commissioner Jean Monestime.

More than 68.7% of voters there backed Kamala Harris in 2024, making the Democratic Primary the race that will effectively determine who succeeds Wilson.

The Primary is Aug. 18, followed by the General Election on Nov. 3.