"That is why today, to you and to all who can hear my voice, I declare that I am a candidate for the president of the United States and I am running for you," said former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley at his announcement rally on Saturday.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is running for the Democratic presidential nod.
For now, O'Malley's up against just two other nominees compared to the increasingly crowded Republican field, but he still has quite the hurdle — overcoming Hillary Clinton's huge lead in popularity.
"Hilary kicked things off by going completely unrecognized at a Chipotle. Not to be outdone, Martin O'Malley kicked things off by going completely unrecognized at a Martin O'Malley event," said President Obama during the White House Correspondents Dinner.
The president may have been joking, but O'Malley has nowhere near the name recognition Clinton does. A March Washington Post-ABC poll showed O'Malley had the support of just one percent of the public nationally. (Video via Martin O'Malley)
But speaking to The Wall Street Journal, O'Malley says he has a strategy to beat Clinton — casting himself as a more "authentic liberal."
Given his history leading the charge over divisive social issues, O'Malley may be in the right position to do just that. As Maryland's governor, he managed to raise the minimum wage, push through strict gun laws, get rid of the death penalty and back same-sex marriage. (Video via Washington College)
He's also touted his seven years as Baltimore's mayor and eight years as Maryland's governor as valuable executive experience that Clinton lacks. (Video via USA Today)
"And I certainly have different experience than Secretary Clinton has, and executive experience matters."
Of course, the fact that he still plays live music in a Celtic rock band called O'Malley's March probably won't hurt his chances, either. (Video via YouTube / knmlover)
This video includes images from Getty Images.
