Maryland's Martin O'Malley Eyes DNC Chair as Party Regroups

BALTIMORE, MD — In the wake of the 2016 presidential election that blindsided Democrats and has many of them questioning how they regain supporters, Maryland's former governor may step into the political spotlight amid calls for the party's reform.

Martin O'Malley, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for president, said Friday he is "taking a hard look" at throwing his hat in the ring for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair.

"Since the election, I have been approached by many Democrats who believe our party needs new leadership," O'Malley said.

Over the summer, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned after WikiLeaks released emails that indicated she worked with other Democratic Party officials to push candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders out of the primary.

"I'm taking a hard look at DNC chair because I know how badly we need to reform our nominating process, articulate a bold progressive vision, recommit ourselves to higher wages and a stronger middle class, and return to our roots as a nationwide, grassroots party," O'Malley said Friday.

In discussions about the Democratic party's future leadership, two other names have been circulating: Rep. Keith Ellison (Minnesota) and former DNC Chair Howard Dean, according to The Washington Post. Ellison has received support from Sanders, who says the Minneapolis area Congressman — who is an African-American and a Muslim — could draw voters from both of those groups back to the party.

O'Malley, who was Maryland governor from 2007 to 2015 and Baltimore mayor from 1999 to 2007, unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for President last year but suspended his campaign in February after getting only 1 percent of the vote at the Iowa caucuses. Once he withdrew from the primary, he threw his support behind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the election Tuesday to Republican Donald Trump.

O'Malley called Trump a "bully racist" and "immigrant-bashing carnival barker," speaking at the Democratic National Convention in July.

The DNC does not have a time frame for selecting a new chair, according to NBC, which said the interim chair does not want the permanent job and before identifying a new leader, the party will first conduct a post-mortem on the election.

“...If they wanted me to be the DNC chair I would do it and do it well,” O’Malley said in an interview with the Boston Globe over the summer. “But I am sure I am not the only person who could do that job well.”

Related:

• Former Gov. Martin O'Malley Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
• Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley Rips Donald Trump as ‘Bully Racist’

»Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley called Republican nominee a "bully racist," during his speech Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention. Capital News Service photo by Hannah Klarner.