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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg won his first endorsement from a member of Congress on Monday with the backing of fellow New Yorker U.S. Representative Max Rose.

Rose is a veteran who was elected in 2018 to represent parts of New York City including Staten Island, typically a Republican stronghold that voted for President Donald Trump in 2016.

Rose said Bloomberg took over as mayor of New York City in 2002 as it was still reeling from the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and brought it “back to life.”

“Mayor Bloomberg’s even keeled and visionary leadership is what we need to reduce the chaos, partisanship and hyper-vitriol that has overtaken Washington,” Rose said in a statement issued by Bloomberg’s campaign.

“Rather than submit to another stage of politics as usual, we must be bold and unifying in taking on the huge challenges we face as a nation,” the statement added.

In backing billionaire Bloomberg, a former Republican, Rose distanced himself from the high-profile liberals among those at the top of the pack of Democrats hoping to take on Trump in November, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

Rose represents one of 31 congressional districts that voted for Republican Trump in 2016, but were won by Democrats two years later. Republicans are hoping to take back those seats in the November election.

The congressman’s Washington office did not immediately return a request for comment.