Democratic Governors Association

Gov. Martin O'Malley is not exactly a stranger around the White House these days. He met with President Barack Obama along with other state leaders late last week to discuss the economy. On Sunday he sat at the same table as the president for an annual governors dinner at the White House. He is a frequent guest on the national Sunday talk shows, usually defending the Obama administration's policies. So it was a bit awkward to see Obama forget O'Malley's name at an education event Monday.

Gov. Martin O'Malley will address a conference of Democrats in South Carolina this month, the latest trip he is making to an early primary state as speculation about whether he will run for president in 2016 continues. The March 23 trip will come in the waning days of Maryland's 90-day legislative session, though it falls on a Saturday. The governor visited Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and other key presidential states last year as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.

(From the Maryland Politics blog) North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue spilled the news: as expected, Martin O'Malley was picked today to be the next chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. O'Malley is currently emceeing an association lunch at the St. Regis Washington hotel. He spoke briefly, giving a somewhat nationalized version of his stump speech. As DGA chairman, O'Malley now has the opportunity to expand his Rolodex with Democratic donors from other states, deepen relationships with a network of emerging Democratic leaders and recruit new faces to the party.

Gov. Martin O'Malley did his job Tuesday night in Charlotte. He fired up the party faithful with a call and response: "Forward, Not Back. " He hit the Republican nominee hard on his Swiss bank accounts - reinforcing a campaign message that Mitt Romney isn't like the rest of middle class America. And he gave an enthusiastic, high-volume endorsement of President Barack Obama - along with a little Maryland history thrown in for good measure. Governor O'Malley got the crowd revved up to reach even greater heights during the speeches by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's time on the road last year paid dividends: The Democratic Governors Association, which he chairs, raised a "record breaking" $20 million last year, according to a news release from the group. O'Malley, in a statement, called 2011 "truly a banner year for Democratic governors and the DGA. " O'Malley took command of the group in Dec. 2010 and was recently re-elected for a second term. In the first six months of the year the DGA reported raising around $11 million, which indicates the pace of fundraising slowed in the second half of the year.

Gov. Martin O'Malley will address a conference of Democrats in South Carolina this month, the latest trip he is making to an early primary state as speculation about whether he will run for president in 2016 continues. The March 23 trip will come in the waning days of Maryland's 90-day legislative session, though it falls on a Saturday. The governor visited Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and other key presidential states last year as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.

Parris N. Glendening's final lap as governor will swing far from Maryland and into a dozen or more states as he collects and disburses millions in soft-money donations on a partisan mission. Rather than spend his last months in office penning memoirs in a quiet corner of Government House, Glendening will lead an effort to elect Democratic governors throughout the country. He takes over as chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association in January and is committed to raising $30 million to achieve his goal.

CHARLOTTE -- Speaking to members of Iowa's influential delegation to the Democratic convention on Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley took a shot at several Republican governors while laying out a broad vision for the party that some suspect he hopes to one day lead. The delegation meeting was the latest of several O'Malley has attended this week -- he has also appeared before delegates from Ohio and Texas, for instance. But given Iowa's first-in-the-nation role in the presidential primary season, his visit here led to inevitable talk of his own political ambitions in 2016.

During the four years of George Bush's presidency, Gov. William Donald Schaefer and the Republican chief executive became personal and political friends.In the governor's view, the Bush administration had been good to Maryland, at times providing much-needed infusions of cash. Mr. Schaefer even visited Mr. Bush at the Camp David retreat.Thus, on Oct. 29, 1992, five days before the presidential election, the governor crashed across party lines and endorsed Mr. Bush, outraging fellow Maryland Democrats.

When the new interns arrive in the State House reception room, Gov. Martin O'Malley puts them to a test. He directs them to look at a wall displaying portraits of Maryland's most recent governors and tells them to name as many as they can. About half, he says, are unable to identify O'Malley's immediate predecessor and most recent opponent, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. Of those who recognize Ehrlich, half are stumped by Gov. Parris N. Glendening....

CHARLOTTE -- Speaking to members of Iowa's influential delegation to the Democratic convention on Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley took a shot at several Republican governors while laying out a broad vision for the party that some suspect he hopes to one day lead. The delegation meeting was the latest of several O'Malley has attended this week -- he has also appeared before delegates from Ohio and Texas, for instance. But given Iowa's first-in-the-nation role in the presidential primary season, his visit here led to inevitable talk of his own political ambitions in 2016.

— Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley took center stage before a convention of New Hampshire Democrats Saturday, rallying the faithful in a state important to his party's hopes to hold the White House in November — and to his own future should he run for president. The 22-minute keynote address to the New Hampshire Democratic Party marked O'Malley's debut as the main attraction at an event in this first-in-the-nation primary state. The visit was part of a four-state tour kicking off what looks to be a summer packed with political travel for the 49-year-old governor.

Gov. Martin O'Malley is not exactly a stranger around the White House these days. He met with President Barack Obama along with other state leaders late last week to discuss the economy. On Sunday he sat at the same table as the president for an annual governors dinner at the White House. He is a frequent guest on the national Sunday talk shows, usually defending the Obama administration's policies. So it was a bit awkward to see Obama forget O'Malley's name at an education event Monday.

Companies seeking lucrative state contracts and business deals in Maryland made five- and six-figure contributions in recent months to a Democratic governors group led by Gov. Martin O'Malley, federal records show. Firms making large gifts to the Democratic Governors Association in the last six months of 2011 include bidders for a $2.4 billion state employee health contract, a $56 million deal to rebuild highway rest stops and the license to run Baltimore's slots casino. O'Malley, who has been the association's chairman since December 2010, has said the contributions have nothing to do with his decisions as governor.

On Monday, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is set to unfurl the most ambitious legislative agenda of his six years in office. By Thursday evening, he's scheduled to be 200 miles north in a Midtown Manhattan hotel, schmoozing with contributors to the Democratic Governors Association. The high-profile travel schedule is becoming the new normal for O'Malley, who took on a second year as chairman of the governors group in December. As Maryland's 90-day General Assembly session was ramping up last week, the governor zipped down to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to weigh in on the GOP presidential primaries.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's time on the road last year paid dividends: The Democratic Governors Association, which he chairs, raised a "record breaking" $20 million last year, according to a news release from the group. O'Malley, in a statement, called 2011 "truly a banner year for Democratic governors and the DGA. " O'Malley took command of the group in Dec. 2010 and was recently re-elected for a second term. In the first six months of the year the DGA reported raising around $11 million, which indicates the pace of fundraising slowed in the second half of the year.

Democratic governors meeting Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles elected Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley to lead their organization for a second term, keeping him at the helm of the Democratic Governors Association for the busy 2012 election year. In a news release, O'Malley called 2011 a "banner year" for the DGA and said next year he hopes to build on the group's "strong foundation. " O'Malley has led the group since last December, raising a "record breaking" $11 million for the organization in the first six months of the year while using the position to build a national profile with frequent appearances on Sunday morning talk shows.

Gov. Martin O'Malley signed into law Thursday a new congressional map that gives Democrats a shot at picking up another member of the U.S. House of Representatives, scoring a political victory here and adding to his burgeoning national profile. The governor's plan steamed through the General Assembly in four days, with Democratic leaders able to defuse criticism from some members of the Legislative Black Caucus and avoid protracted debate by Republicans. Unless altered in a court, the map will govern Maryland's elections to Congress for the next 10 years, starting with the April 3 primary.