Martin O'Malley's new PAC aims to help down-ballot Democrats

Source: Politico

Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor and 2016 presidential candidate, is launching a new political organization Thursday to help Democratic candidates across the country, in a move that may represent another step toward a 2020 presidential run.

O’Malley has been more active than nearly any other party member in campaigning for local candidates around the country in 2017, visiting 21 states for fellow Democrats since last year’s election. His new Win Back Your State PAC will allow him to chip in for more hopefuls.

The kickoff comes as influential figures in the party put a premium on rebuilding the political infrastructure from the ground up after eight years of down-ballot devastation.

“This is not a time for anybody to sit on the sidelines or to try to read tea leaves for 2020,” he said in an interview ahead of the group’s launch. “My wife said to me, ‘Why do you keep going out there?’ And I said, ‘Because I feel like I’m doing something good for my country. You want me to sit at home and throw stuff at the television?’ Life is all about how we transform our grief. There are a lot of Democrats who, for the last year, have been wallowing in grief. I, instead, decided to get out on the road and help really decent people who are running."

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/16/martin-omalley-democrats-244945