Democrat O'Malley to Host Meet-and-Greet in Concord

A potential 2016 first-in-the-nation presidential primary candidate will be in Concord later this week, holding a meet-and-greet in the café at Gibson’s Bookstore on South Main Street.

Gov. Martin O’Malley, D-MD, is scheduled to stop by the store and hang out at True Brew between 5 and 7 p.m. on Friday, March 6, according to an email alert from the store.

Storeowner Michael Herrmann said O’Malley will not be signing books but is utilizing the store and café space as an opportunity to meet with voters in the city. He said the space is available for all presidential hopefuls regardless of their political persuasions.

“We want all aspiring presidential hopefuls to think of our house as their house – as a place where they can greet the public,” the email stated. “And more importantly, we want the public to think of our house as their house – as a place where they can meet the candidates.”

The event is being organized by former state Rep. Lorrie Carey, D-Boscawen.

Martin announced earlier today, according to The Huffington Post, that he would not be a candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland in 2016, after the announcement that U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, would not seek a sixth term.

In January, Martin’s second term as governor of Maryland ended. Previously, he was the mayor of Baltimore, as well as a city councilor. According to Wikipedia, he was a volunteer for Gary Hart’s 1984 campaign and also worked to help elect Mikulski to the Senate in 1986 as her state field director. He’s an attorney by trade.