Congressman John Lewis Endorses Joe Biden For President

The election cycle has largely been stalled due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis gripping the nation and the world. However, took this time to announce his endorsement of as president, giving the former vice president a significant campaign boost.

The Washington Post reports that during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, the Georgia congressman and civil rights icon made glowing remarks in support of Biden before making the endorsement publicly.

“I read about Joe Biden when he became an elected official. I heard him speak. I met him,” Lewis said on the call. “And he’s been a friend, a dear friend. He’s a man of courage, a man with a great conscience, a man of faith. He will be a great president. He will lead our country to a better place.”

Lewis made a particular challenge to Black voters in throwing their support behind Biden, harkening back to his time as a young civil rights activists ahead of the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

“I would tell young people the story of Selma and Montgomery and Mississippi,” Lewis added “If we fail to vote, we don’t count. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society.”

Lewis also made a careful suggestion shared by his colleagues in Congress that Biden should select a woman of color as his running mate should he sang the nomination.

“I think vice president Biden should look around,” Lewis stated. “It would be good to have a woman of color, it would be good to have a woman.”

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Photo: Getty