New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that he has endorsed Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee, giving the congressman another high-profile backer as he looks to sew up support for his bid.

In a statement, de Blasio argued that Ellison is the right person at the right time to lead the Democrats forward, pointing to his work as a work as a “grassroots organizer,” his push for “economic fairness,” and his status as a political “unifier” as reasons he is backing his candidacy.