WASHINGTON — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s steady march toward a White House bid has turned into a wait-and-see grind, in which he will try to stay relevant in the national political conversation and await an opening to challenge presumed Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Once he leaves office in January, his associates say, O’Malley might give a handful of policy speeches on national issues. He might make some appearances across the country, and he might compile his writings into a book or series of books that reflect his accomplishments as governor and mayor of Baltimore.
It’s an uncertain and modest to-do list at a time when O’Malley is barely registering in national polls, despite years of working to position himself in early nominating states.
Instead of putting pressure on Clinton with a January announcement of his candidacy, those close to him say, O’Malley and his supporters think their best shot is to sit back and see how Clinton is received.
By spring, his advisers argue, the appetite for a fresher, more progressive alternative in the Democratic primaries will have grown.
“I think people have an element of Clinton fatigue,” said Dan Calegari, a Democratic activist in New Hampshire who has been friends with O’Malley for more than 30 years. “People want a new face. If Martin finds his voice, it could be him. She’s overexposed, and he’s underexposed, and he has a lot of time still to make his case. … I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t get in.”
Aides say that O’Malley has not made a final decision about whether he is running and will not publicly discuss the timing of a potential bid.
At 51, O’Malley is 16 years younger than Clinton and half a generation removed from other talked-about Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb.
No one is suggesting the odds favor O’Malley. Both detractors and longtime allies say he faces high hurdles, including finding a way to build a fundraising base robust enough to compete in the early nominating states and beyond, if he gets that far.
While O’Malley is aware of the naysayers, several of his longtime associates, including Steve Kearney, a former communications director, said he’s not likely to be deterred by their doubts.
“He’s never been bothered by difficult challenges, and he keeps moving forward,” Kearney said.
