Georgia Congressman John Lewis had been a steadfast supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton and enthusiastically announced his endorsement of her presidential run in October. But that backing officially ended Wednesday with the announcement that he has switched his support to her Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama.
Lewis told NBC News that his decision to end his support for Sen. Clinton was "tougher" than leading the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" march from Selma to Montgomery, when police nearly beat him to death on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
In a written statement, Lewis said Obama's campaign "represents the beginning of a new movement in American political history" and that he wants "to be on the side of the people."
Lewis, a superdelegate who gets a vote at this summer's national convention in Denver, faced tremendous pressure to back Obama after his constituents supported the Illinois senator roughly 3-to-1 in Georgia's Feb. 5 primary, and about 90 percent of black voters statewide voted for Obama, according to exit polls.
"After taking some time for serious reflection on this issue, I have decided that when I cast my vote as a superdelegate at the Democratic convention, it is my duty ... to express the will of the people," Lewis' statement said.
"John Lewis is an American hero and a giant of the civil rights movement, and I am deeply honored to have his support," Obama said in a statement.
Clinton, questioned about Lewis during a satellite interview with Houston television station KTRK, said: "I understand he's been under tremendous pressure. He's been my friend. He will always be my friend. At the end of the day it's not about who is supporting us, it's about what we're presenting, what our positions are, what our experiences and qualifications are and I think that's voters are going to decide."
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