Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) confirmed Wednesday that civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, (D-Ga.), until recently a supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.),  has switched to Obama’s team.

John Lewis is an American hero and a giant of the Civil Rights Movement, and I am deeply honored to have his support,” Obama said in a statement.

Atlanta-area news reports on Wednesday said Lewis chose to change horses because his district and his state voted overwhelming in favor of Obama on Super Tuesday.

Obama soundly defeated Clinton in Georgia and the Atlanta area on Super Tuesday, racking up a overwhelming advantage with black voters according to exit polls.

Representatives for Lewis could not be reached for confirmation by press time, but statements from both the Clinton and Obama campaigns seemingly confirmed the congressman’s change of heart.

The Clinton campaign’s statement, which also called Lewis “an American hero,” said Clinton has “great respect” for the congressman.

“She understands the enormous pressure he has faced,” Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said in the statement.

News reports painted a picture of a tortured Lewis, torn by an allegiance to Clinton but also inspired by the successes of the nation’s first viable black presidential candidate.

“It's been a long, hard and difficult struggle to come to where I am now," Lewis said, according to the Journal-Constitution.