South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn will endorse Hillary Clinton for president on Friday, two Democrats familiar with the congressman’s thinking told CNN.
Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, will endorse Clinton at 11 a.m. at Allen University in Columbia, the sources said.
Clinton’s campaign announced what it is billing as a “momentous” endorsement.
Clyburn’s support will come the day before Nevada’s Democratic caucuses — the first test of whether Clinton’s organizational strength and advantages among minority voters can withstand a challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
It’s likely to be most helpful, though, when the race shifts to South Carolina, which holds its Democratic primary on February 27. The state’s heavy African-American population has helped Clinton build a massive lead there, and a big win could slow Sanders’ momentum.
Clinton has focused in recent weeks on casting herself as the logical successor to President Barack Obama, saying she’d defend the President’s legacy. Sanders, meanwhile, has increasingly split with Obama as he has focused his message on economic inequality.