NEW YORK — Freshman New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman said he ultimately decided to back Nancy Pelosi as House speaker just before the vote because Democrats need to come together.

Like some other progressives, Bowman declined to say last month if he would vote for Pelosi. Progressives and moderate Democrats have clashed for weeks over who is to blame for candidates having a poor showing in down-ballot races.

But in a Tuesday night interview on Inside City Hall, Bowman said he voted for Pelosi so the party and country can move forward.

"It's important for the speaker to be a Democrat, and it's important for Democrats to come together as a party, show stability, show consistency, and show our Republican colleagues and the nation how to govern, and that we have the ability to govern and move the nation forward after four years of complete chaos and psychological harm that's been committed by President Trump," Bowman told political anchor Errol Louis.

Bowman was sworn in this week to represent the 16th Congressional District, which covers parts of the Bronx and Westchester County. Eliot Engel previously held the seat. The former middle-school principal is seen as a star in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and is one of the newest members of the so-called "Squad," along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Meanwhile, on the eve of what is slated to be a contentious certification of the presidential election results in Congress on Wednesday, Bowman says he expects his party to stick to the facts while backing Joe Biden's win.

"The Republicans continue to lead and govern based on lies and disinformation. So I plan to see a circus and chaos from them," Bowman said. "And from my colleagues in the Democratic Party, we will stick to the facts and stick to speaking clear and concise about the issues."

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Bowman, who received the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, also tells NY1 he is hearing a lot of vaccine reluctance in his district amid fears that not enough New Yorkers will be inoculated to lead to herd immunity.

"So many individuals and communities don't have faith in our health care system, especially in the African American community," Bowman said. "I had to show the way, and share my fears and anxieties and articulate the history in terms of people's fears and anxieties. But we all need to be vaccinated, particularly in our most neglected communities. It's the only way for us to beat the virus."

About 480,550 coronavirus vaccines have been delivered to New York City as of January 5, but only 118,304 people have received their first dose — a clip of about 24.6%. 756 people in the New York City have gotten their second shot, according to the city. Medical experts say 75% to 80% of a community needs to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity to make major progress against the pandemic.

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Watch the full interview above.

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