A month after announcing his run for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, Martin O’Malley has finally hired a campaign manager. Barack Obama campaign veteran Dave Hamrick was tapped for the job.
Hamrick’s experience as both a grassroots organizer and a field director will help boost the underdog progressive candidate as he tries to catch up with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the campaign.
Having worked as a grassroots voter turnout strategist in the 2008 primaries and serving as senior adviser in both Michigan and Pennsylvania during the general election, Hamrick has hands-on experience in boosting voter turnout.
Before working for Obama, Hamrick coordinated reelection efforts for Bill Clinton in 1996, served as regional field director in Iowa for Al Gore’s presidential run in 2000 and was national political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2005.
After the Obama campaign, Hamrick went on to found New Partners Consulting, a Washington, D.C., based political and corporate consulting firm.
Prior to Hamrick’s hire, New York based political consultant Bill Hyers led O’Malley’s campaign. O’Malley also had three aides holding the title of deputy campaign manager, but not one had formally stepped into the role.
“He brings a tremendous amount of political experience and a strong grasp for Iowa politics,” O’Malley said in a statement following the new hire. “Plus, he shares my admiration for our nation’s poet laureate, Bruce Springsteen, and has seen him in concert more than 50 times.”
