February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Former president Bill Clinton will be guest of honor at an event that is part of the Maryland governor’s 2010 reelection campaign.
According to O’Malley, it’s not too early to raise cash and mobilize support.
“We’ve been gearing up all year,” O’Malley told the Echo Monday.
“There are 37 governors races being contested all over the country. So it’s a huge year and an important year for President Obama. Governors are the individuals most responsible for drawing congressional district borders after the 2010 election.
“We’ve had a couple of record years in fundraising with the Democratic Governors’ Association. We have a couple of races this year that everybody is watching – New Jersey and Virginia – but each of us is preparing as well, and I’m no exception.”
The economy and jobs will be the most important issues, the governor, who is also well known for his leading the band O’Malley’s March, predicted.
“There’s a lot of pain and a lot of hurt out there,” O’Malley said. “The campaigns in every state are going to be hotly contested, even in a state like Maryland where President Obama helped us register so many more Democrats in the last election.”
O’Malley will take the opportunity at the fundraiser to thank key supporters such as Paul Keary, Terence Meehan, Brian O’Dwyer, Stella O’Leary, Jon Kaiman, Tonio Burgos and Dwight Anderson.
“I’m looking forward to it,” O’Malley said.
“It’s very, very nice of him to be willing to come and give his support,” he said of President Clinton’s participation.