Rep. Beto O’Rourke defended Beyoncé from criticism that she waited too long to endorse him saying that he was “so grateful” to her.

O’Rourke was walking toward Capitol Hill on Sunday when he was approached by a TMZ cameraman and asked about the controversy over the singer’s Election Day endorsement.

“I’m feeling grateful for everyone before me who fought so hard to give us all the right to have a voice,” he said while stopping to take pictures with fans. “We can’t voice our frustrations and complain about what’s wrong without voting and exercising our power to make it right.”

O’Rourke lost to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by two points in the closely watched Senate race.

The Houston-native posted her support for the Texas representative on Nov. 6 by wearing a hat that said “Beto for Senate.”

“I’m feeling grateful for everyone before me who fought so hard to give us all the right to have a voice. We can’t voice our frustrations and complain about what’s wrong without voting and exercising our power to make it right,” she wrote. “We need you. We all need each other, because when we are truly united we are unstoppable. Sending you all love and positivity on this happy voting day! Every vote counts. Every race matters. Everywhere.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp2ua8uH3iS/?utm_source=ig_embed

Social media users shared O’Rourke’s sentiment about Beyoncé’s same day endorsement.

“Blaming Beyoncé on Twitter but too afraid to confront your racist aunt at Thanksgiving smh that’s sad,” writer and twitter user @Jpbrammer wrote.

https://twitter.com/jpbrammer/status/1060017327880704003

“She’s one of the great artists of our time, one of the best people to come out of Houston and Texas. I was grateful that she supported us — whenever it came, it was great,” O’Rourke told TMZ.

The three-term Congressman has been urged to run in the 2020 presidential elections. He is reportedly weighing his options.