Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said Tuesday he is not ruling out another run for president in 2020, after running in 2016 but suspending his campaign just before the New Hampshire primary.
“The mood that animated the electorate last time around was a mood of anger, rage and retribution, and in that atmosphere, I found myself between a rock and an angry place and couldn’t get enough oxygen even to have my message heard,” O’Malley told NBC News about his last effort. He said he is “keeping an open heart and an open mind about running again.”
Speaking at a “Politics and Eggs” event hosted by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on Tuesday, O’Malley told the crowd he has been focusing on state-level races, but believes Democrats have an opportunity to win back the House and Senate. Their success, he said, depends on Democrats recruiting good candidates in state House and Senate races.
The former governor also urged his fellow Democrats to embrace the future.
“We have to shake ourselves out of the pity party,” O’Malley said. “We have to hold out and cast away the fear of the future that has become the stale currency of our current politics, and instead embrace it, not be afraid of the light that shines within us. Look into the eyes of our kids and call forward that goodness.”
The “Politics and Eggs” series is a stop for presidential contenders and has been described as a rite of passage for candidates.
