20 Democrats Who Could Run for President in 2020

WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 6: Martin O’Malley (D-MD), former Maryland governor and former 2016 presidential hopeful, mingles with guests before the start of a panel discussion at the National Press Club, May 6, 2016, in Washington, DC. The panel, titled ‘Words Matter: the U.S. Debate over Immigration, the Media, and the 2016 Election,’ was organized by the American Bar Association. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

6. Martin O’Malley

If Martin O’Malley learned from his experiences of running for President in 2016, he may be in a better position to run again in 2020. The former governor of Maryland spent just nine months on the campaign trail, ending his campaign after trailing in third place in the Iowa caucus. After a brief pitch at running for Chair of the Democratic National Committee, O’Malley’s political plans seem to be sort of in the air.

Like many former Presidents and presidential candidates, O’Malley’s career in politics branched off from a path in the legal field. While attending law school, O’Malley worked on Gary Hart’s 1984 presidential campaign. His first attempt at running for office himself, in the Maryland State Senate, ended up in a tight race that he ultimately lost. He eventually went on to become Mayor of Baltimore where he was successful in drastically reducing the crime rate in his city.

He continued to work on improving crime rates when he advanced to the position of Governor of Maryland. During his time in office, he also took on issues such as immigration and same-sex marriage. He has also been in favor of gun control legislation and ended the death penalty in Maryland.

Speculation that he may someday run for President began back in 2008 when he appeared on behalf of Hillary Clinton at one of her campaign events. He also took a prominent position at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, speaking on the second night of the convention.

When O’Malley ended his 2016 campaign, he wrote, “Our country is worth saving, the American dream is worth saving, and this planet is worth saving.” Assuming that he still feels this way, he may decide that America is in desperate need of saving after (hopefully) surviving four years of a Trump presidency.