Rep. Raul Grijalva, who became the first member of Congress to endorse Bernie Sanders in October, has switched to supporting presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“Hillary Clinton has the capacity and the instincts needed to carry forward what has been started,” Grijalva said Thursday in a statement, according to NBC News. “I support her and will do what I can to help ensure her victory.”
The switch comes roughly a week after Grijalva, who is the co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told the Washington Post that it was “not going to happen” for Sanders.
“With voting completed in the final Democratic primary, it is now time for the Democratic Party to unify. For all of us who supported Bernie from the beginning, the most important thing now is to beat Donald Trump in November,” the Arizona congressman said.
Only a handful of House members have endorsed Sanders, including Keith Ellison, Tulsi Gabbard, Alan Grayson, Marcy Kaptur, Dan Lipinski, Collin Peterson, Peter Welch and Rick Nolan.
Though Clinton clinched the Democratic nomination last week, Sanders has not yet suspended his campaign. The two candidates met this week in Washington, D.C., and Sanders is expected to address his supporters in a live video Thursday night.
Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Sanders’ only Senate backer, said last week he would be “supporting Clinton because she is the Democratic Party’s nominee,” but did not offer his full endorsement.
