Politics

Martin O’Malley Declines 2020 Run And Throws His Endorsement To Top Dem Contender

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Former Democratic Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said he would not be running in the 2020 presidential election, throwing his support behind Texas Democrat Beto O’ Rourke on Thursday morning.

O’Malley, who ran for president in 2016 unsuccessfully, said in an op-ed published in the Des Moines Register he believes the country needs a “new leader who can bring us together” and someone who will be a “unifier and a healer.” He believes that person is O’Rourke, who lost his Senate bid against Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Nov. 6 midterm election.

“O’Rourke has the wisdom to listen, the courage to lead, and a rock-solid faith in the powerful goodness of our nation,” O’Malley wrote. “Because he is of a new generation, O’Rourke understands that a new way of governing — with openness, transparency, and performance — is called for to tackle our problems in the Information Age. And because he is from a border state, O’Rourke understands the enduring symbol of our country is not the barbed wire fence, it is the Statue of Liberty.”

O’Malley, who served two terms as governor of Maryland, was reportedly weighing another presidential run in 2020, but he says it’s time for a new face.

This comes as Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he believes former Vice President Joe Biden has the best shot at beating President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election Wednesday, although Biden has not announced a presidential bid.

The Democratic Party is expected to have a large group competing in its primary. The winner will take on Trump in 2020.

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