Rep. Al Green endorses Clinton, giving her sweep of Houston delegation

U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston has endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, giving the Democrat a sweep of her party's congressional representation in the city.

"I am proud to announce my support and endorsement of the Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States of America," Green said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle, adding the choice would put him on "the right side of politics because she is supremely and superbly prepared to be President from day one, and the right side of history because she will become the first Madam President."

Green, who endorsed President Barack Obama over Clinton is 2008, is the 9th member of Congress from Texas to endorse her this time around. That includes the other two Democrats who represent Houston: Gene Green and Sheila Jackson Lee.

The only holdouts in the state delegation are Reps. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso and Lloyd Doggett of Austin, both of whom are undecided.

For comparison, Clinton's chief Democratic rival, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has received only two endorsements from congressmen across the country.

Still, Clinton has become increasingly worried about the primary as Sanders has surged in public opinion polls, especially in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

The latest sign of the fears in the Clinton camp came this week, when her campaign's national campaign director acknowledged to a group of volunteers that early efforts to gin up support in Texas took place "without much direction" from headquarters.

Clinton only recently hired her first paid staffer in the state -- two months after Sanders.

Iowa votes Monday. The Texas primary is March 1.