Presidential candidate Martin O’Malley picked up some key IA endorsements a couple weeks ago
Gov. Martin O'Malley speaking at a rally in Des Moines earlier this year. Credit: Rick Smith
http://iowadailydemocrat.com/news/2015/10/presidential-candidate-martin-omalley-picked-up-some-key-endorsements-this-week/
By Mike Glover10/09/15
Des Moines, Iowa – Democratic presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley has announced the backing of 24 key activists, including the leaders of a majority of Democratic groups in crucial Polk County.
The backing came from key labor leaders, elected officials and party activists.
“Monday’s announcement includes the heads of South Side Des Moines Democrats, East Side Des Moines Democrats, Central Iowa Democrats and Ankeny Area Democrats,” O’Malley’s campaign announced in a statement. (Editor: These leaders pointed out they are only endorsing as individuals and not for the groups they lead.)
O’Malley, a former governor of Maryland, has focused his campaign on an intense grassroots effort. While poll-leading Hillary Clinton is far better known than O’Malley, he has demonstrated that he understands that the Iowa caucuses are won by grassroots, person-to-person campaigning and not by name identification. O’Malley last month rolled out a list of 17 key backers endorsing his campaign, and Monday’s announcement built on that effort.
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'His announcement Monday included seven more elected officials, five more current or former county party leaders and community leaders from around the state “who are looking for an executive who not only holds progressive values but also has a record of getting things done on them.”
During his tenure as governor, O’Malley pushed into force a measure that allows undocumented residents (Dreamers) brought to this country as children to get in-state tuition to college and signed into law a measure legalizing same-sex marriage, a measure later endorsed by courts in Maryland. Both of those issues give him significant credibility with Democratic liberals, a group that is crucial in Iowa Democratic Party precinct caucuses.
Democratic caucuses tend to be dominated by activists more liberal than Democrats as a whole, just as Republican caucuses tend to be dominated by social conservatives more conservative than Republicans as a whole.
“Today the campaign built on that success by announcing the support of 24 more activists and community leaders who now how to organize for the caucuses and will serve as a vital resource as the campaign progresses this fall,” O’Malley’s campaign said in announcing the endorsements.'
That will change when the start counting votes.
