"I'm supporting Keith. I have been from the beginning," Rep. Raúl Grijalva said of Rep. Keith Ellison's DNC bid. | Getty Rep. Grijalva backs Rep. Ellison for DNC chair

Rep. Raúl Grijalva — a leading progressive voice in the House Democratic caucus — is backing Rep. Keith Ellison's bid to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

"I'm supporting Keith. I have been from the beginning when he first brought it up and was keeping it quiet and I told him that I would support him quietly or publicly," Grijalva (D-Ariz.) told POLITICO Friday evening.


Grijalva's backing adds to a growing list of support Ellison is getting for a potential bid to run the committee. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday said he supported Ellison for chairman and the liberal organization MoveOn.org also endorsed Ellison that day.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has not explicitly endorsed Ellison, but said he would make a "terrific" chairman.

Ellison hasn't formally announced whether he's running but even before the presidential election the Minnesota congressman had expressed interest in succeeding interim chairwoman Donna Brazile. If Ellison does decide to make a bid for the DNC job he will face former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a former DNC chairman, along with a handful of other contenders.

Dean on Friday argued that Ellison can't be an effective chairman while remaining a member of Congress, an argument some other DNC members have voiced citing former chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's tumultuous tenure.

But Grijalva said doing both jobs at the same time wouldn't be a problem.

"I think he can do both," Grijalva said.

Grijalva's endorsement reinforces Ellison's position as a liberal candidate for chairman if he decides to run. Grijalva was a top surrogate for Sanders during the Democratic presidential primary and is also a co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, alongside Ellison.

"Keith is a good face for the DNC," Grijalva said. "I know other people are interested. Everybody from [Rep. Xavier] Becerra to Howard Dean and other people but the fact of the matter is [there needs to be] somebody new at the wheel. Doing a paint job at the DNC is not going to take care of the internal problems."

On Friday evening, Becerra told Meet the Press that he's not interested in the job.