Martin O’Malley, the former of governor of Maryland, was faced with a difficult decision last month when the unexpected happened: legendary Senator Barbara Mikulski announced her retirement from Congress. Coming towards the end of her fifth term, Mikulski is the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress , a title which could remain hers for decades to come. She gained national attention when she rallied to stop an expressway from coming through Baltimore back in 1986. This first major battle in her political career was a victory, and she hasn’t looked back since.
The end of her era is surprising but understandable. She is 78 years old and far past the age of most people in the workforce. This is understandable, however, as a seat on the United States senate is a coveted and cherished position. Senator Paul Sarbanes served for 30 years, and Mikulski will have matched that by the time she retires next year. By that time she will be close to 80 years old, leaving a successful and historical political career behind her. The discussion regarding Mikulski was short lived however, as talk of who would take the coveted seat on the Senate took its place. Initially eight politicians in Maryland stated they considered running, notable names including Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, John Sarbanes, the son Senator Paul Sarbanes who served before Mikulski and finally Martin O’Malley.
O’Malley is obviously well known in the state of Maryland, serving as Governor from January of 2007 to this past January of 2015. He has had a successful political career, ridding the State of Maryland of the death penalty in 2009, signing a 2011 law making certain undocumented immigrants eligible for in-state tuition, and finally signing a 2012 law that made gay marriage legal in the State of Maryland. He has acquired his fair share of critics, mostly on the topic of state taxes, but for the most part has proven his worth throughout his career, working his way up the political social hierarchy from Mayor to Governor, and now Senator or possibly President.
As Obama’s second term comes to a close in 2016, talk throughout Maryland has been concentrating on O’Malley’s next political move. Up until Mikulski’s announcement, the consensus was that O’Malley planned to declare for the 2016 presidential race. That said, following Mikulski’s announcement, the debates began.
Many people believe he should forget about entering the race for president and instead concentrate on winning the Senate seat. O’Malley has other plans though. In a statement last month he said, “I’m hopeful and confident that very capable public servants with a desire to serve in the Senate will step up as candidates for this important office, I will not be one of them.” Ending the debate throughout Maryland, his decision was made.
I personally think he is making the wrong decision. The presidential debate is national and the chances of winning are much slimmer when compared to the race for the Senate seat. He has established himself in his home state and would stand out in the field of candidates running for the spot. As discussed earlier, he has his fair share of critics, but he has made strides in governing Maryland, signing the monumental laws mentioned earlier and has also succeeded winning multiple elections. The first, and possibly the most notable, being his win of Mayor of Baltimore City. With all this under his belt, his race for the Senate seat would be a good one, with a strong chance of him winning. His race for the presidency, however, would not prove the same. He does not have a highly recognized name like Hilary Clinton, nor does he have a “classical charisma.”
Because he has a better chance of winning the Senate seat, a very respectable position I may add, O’Malley should rethink his decision, drop the presidential aspirations, and pursue the more realistic option.
