Catholic Democrat Martin O'Malley to Announce Presidential Plans May 30
Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, a Catholic Democrat, plans to announce his intentions for the White House on May 30, pitting himself against Hillary Clinton. He will make the announcement from Baltimore, where he once lived and served as mayor.
O'Malley held a conference call with supporters Thursday night to discuss his presidential plans and made it clearer than ever in his discussions that he will run, an aide told The Washington Post.
He didn't officially announce his bid during the discussions, as that would trigger a 15-day deadline for him to file paperwork before May 30.
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O'Malley, who served two terms as Maryland governor between 2007 and 2015, is signing a lease for a 7,200 square foot office space in Baltimore, where he plans to make the announcement.
"Join Martin O'Malley for a Special Announcement; Date: Saturday, May 30; Time: Morning; Location: Baltimore, MD," states the newly created website, omalleyannouncement.com.
The former governor has hired top Democratic strategists, including Bill Hyers, former manager of Bill de Blasio's mayor campaign, and Karine Jean-Pierre, a former aide to President Barack Obama.
O'Malley has been working towards his presidential run for about a year. He has travelled to early presidential states and spoken to liberal donors and activists.
"He's been doing a lot of outreach to longtime supporters, friends, and staff in advance of that, as it's obviously a big decision," his spokeswoman Lis Smith said in a statement Wednesday.
In a closed-door meeting with top liberal activists and academics in New York Monday, he presented himself as a progressive alternative to Clinton, a source told Fox News. For that, the former governor spoke about his opposition to the Asia-Pacific free-trade deal, as well as other issues that progressive Democrats consider important.
O'Malley Friday appeared to criticize Obama as well, for the continued detention of undocumented women and children.
"We should not be in the business of building barbed wire detention camps. Detentions are cruel, costly & against our values-esp for families," he tweeted.
In March, O'Malley explained to The Des Moines Register why he was interested in the White House.
"What has become very, very clear to me is that the one issue that all of us are concerned about as Americans is: How do we get wages to start rising again in our country?" he said. "Here in Iowa, your median wage has declined from $54,000 to $52,000 over the last 12 years. That's never happened before this side of the Second World War. So what I am about right now is putting forward a better framework of the better choices we need to make so that wages will start rising again."
