Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and an icon of the U.S. civil rights movement, switched his support on Wednesday from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama for his party's presidential nomination.
Making the announcement just days before the crucial Democratic primaries in Ohio and Texas, Lewis noted that his constituents back Obama, an Illinois senator, and that it was his "duty ... to express the will of the people."
Clinton had hoped that Lewis, a black who was severely beaten during civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s, would help her win the support of black voters. If he wins the White House, Obama would be the first black U.S. president.
Previously, Lewis said he was supporting Clinton, a New York senator, for the Democratic presidential nomination. "Something is happening in America," Lewis said in a statement explaining his shift. "The people are pressing for a new day in American politics and I think they see Sen. Barack Obama as a symbol of that change."
Lewis' announcement added to a series of campaign setbacks for Clinton, who once was considered the likely Democratic nominee for president. |