Martin O'Malley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin O'Malley
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Official portrait, 2023
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| 17th Commissioner of the Social Security Administration | |
| In office December 20, 2023 – November 29, 2024 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Kilolo Kijakazi (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Carolyn Colvin (acting) |
| 61st Governor of Maryland | |
| In office January 17, 2007 – January 21, 2015 |
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| Lieutenant | Anthony Brown |
| Preceded by | Bob Ehrlich |
| Succeeded by | Larry Hogan |
| 48th Mayor of Baltimore | |
| In office December 7, 1999 – January 17, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Kurt Schmoke |
| Succeeded by | Sheila Dixon |
| Member of the Baltimore City Council from the 3rd district |
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| In office 1991–1999 |
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| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Martin Joseph O'Malley
January 18, 1963 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Katie Curran
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Catholic University (BA) University of Maryland, Baltimore (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Martin Joseph O'Malley (born January 18, 1963) is an American politician. He was the 17th commissioner of the Social Security Administration from 2023 to 2024. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before his role in the Social Security Administration, O'Malley served as the 61st governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015. He was also the 48th mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He started his political career in the Baltimore City Council in 1991.
As mayor, O'Malley worked to reduce crime in Baltimore. As governor, he signed important laws. These included making some immigrants eligible for in-state college tuition. He also signed a law to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland. Both laws were approved by voters.
In 2015, O'Malley ran for president in the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. He stopped his campaign in February 2016. He later endorsed Hillary Clinton.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Early Political Career
- Mayor of Baltimore (1999–2007)
- Governor of Maryland (2007–2015)
- 2016 Presidential Campaign
- Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (2023–2024)
- 2025 Democratic National Committee Chair Candidacy
- Honors
- Personal Life
- Electoral History
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and Education
Martin Joseph O'Malley was born on January 18, 1963, in Washington, D.C. His parents were Barbara and Thomas Martin O'Malley. His father was a lawyer and served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. O'Malley's family has Irish, German, Dutch, and Scottish roots.
He went to Our Lady of Lourdes School and Gonzaga College High School. He graduated from the Catholic University of America in 1985. He then studied law at the University of Maryland School of Law. He earned his law degree in 1988.
Early Political Career
O'Malley started working in politics while still in college. In 1982, he joined the Gary Hart presidential campaign. He volunteered in Iowa, helping to organize events.
In 1986, he worked for Barbara Mikulski's successful campaign for the U.S. Senate. He later worked in her Senate office. From 1988 to 1990, he was an assistant State's Attorney for the City of Baltimore.
In 1990, O'Malley ran for the Maryland State Senate. He lost by a very small number of votes. In 1991, he was elected to the Baltimore City Council. He served there from 1991 to 1999. As a councilman, he led committees on investigations and finance.
Mayor of Baltimore (1999–2007)
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Becoming Mayor
O'Malley decided to run for Mayor of Baltimore in 1999. The current mayor, Kurt Schmoke, was not running again. O'Malley was the only white candidate in a city with many African-American residents. He focused his campaign on reducing crime. He won the Democratic primary with 53% of the vote. He then won the general election with 90% of the vote.
He ran for re-election in 2003 and won with 67% of the vote in the primary. He was reelected in the general election in 2004 with 87% of the vote. Due to a special situation, this term was for three years instead of the usual four.
Key Policies as Mayor
As mayor, O'Malley focused on using data to improve city management. He used a system called CitiStat to track how well city services were doing. This helped his team make better decisions. For example, they measured how long it took to fix city infrastructure.
In 2002, Esquire called him "The Best Young Mayor in the Country." In 2005, TIME named him one of America's "Top 5 Big City Mayors."
Governor of Maryland (2007–2015)
Gubernatorial Elections
O'Malley decided to run for governor in 2005. He chose Anthony Brown as his running mate for lieutenant governor. In the 2006 Maryland gubernatorial election, he challenged the current Republican governor, Bob Ehrlich. O'Malley won the election with 52.7% of the vote.
In 2010, O'Malley ran for re-election against Bob Ehrlich again. He won by a large margin, getting 56.2% of the votes. Because of term limits, he could not run for a third term in 2014.
First Term as Governor
Budget and StateStat
In 2007, O'Malley called a special meeting of the General Assembly. They passed a tax plan to help with a budget shortage. He also signed a law in 2009 to allow traffic speed cameras. This helped raise money for the state.
O'Malley brought his data-driven approach to the state level. He started Maryland StateStat in 2007. This system helped track the performance of state agencies. By 2014, over 20 agencies used StateStat. He also launched Maryland's Open Data Portal in 2012. This made government data available to the public.
National Popular Vote
In 2007, O'Malley was the first governor to sign a law to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. This plan aims to change how states give their electoral votes in presidential elections. It has been adopted by many other states since then.
Second Term as Governor
Immigration and Education
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In 2011, O'Malley signed a law to help children of undocumented immigrants. It allowed them to pay in-state college tuition if they met certain conditions. Voters approved this law in a referendum in 2012.
Same-Sex Marriage
O'Malley supported a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland. He signed the bill into law on March 1, 2012. Voters also approved this law in a referendum in November 2012.
Animal Welfare and Environment
In 2013, O'Malley signed a bill to ban shark finning in Maryland. This made Maryland the first East Coast state to make it illegal to possess or sell shark fins.
He also approved hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," in western Maryland in 2014. This was allowed only with strict rules.
Capital Punishment and Gun Control
O'Malley was against capital punishment. In 2013, he signed a bill that ended capital punishment in Maryland for future cases. He also changed the sentences of four inmates on death row to life imprisonment.
He also supported gun control. In May 2013, he signed a new gun control bill into law.
2016 Presidential Campaign
O'Malley had been thought to have presidential ambitions for a long time. He announced his candidacy for the 2016 presidential nomination on May 30, 2015.
He struggled to gain support during his campaign. On February 1, 2016, he stopped his campaign after finishing third in the Iowa caucuses. He later endorsed Hillary Clinton.
Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (2023–2024)
In July 2023, President Joe Biden nominated O'Malley to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA's main office is near Baltimore. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2023. He took office on December 20, 2023.
O'Malley took over the SSA when it faced many challenges. These included a smaller workforce and low employee morale. He made improving customer service his top goal. He also worked to simplify forms and use data to make the agency more efficient. He focused on reducing the backlog of disability claims.
Former U.S. congressmen Earl Pomeroy and Dave Camp praised O'Malley's work at the SSA. They said he made positive changes quickly. They especially noted his change to how the agency handles overpaid benefits. He made it easier for people to repay them.
2025 Democratic National Committee Chair Candidacy
O'Malley left the Social Security Administration on November 29, 2024. He did this to run for chairperson of the Democratic National Committee in February 2025.
Honors
The University of Galway gave him an honorary degree in 2008.
Personal Life
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O'Malley met his wife, Catherine "Katie" Curran, in 1986. They were both in law school. They married in 1990 and have four children: Grace, Tara, William, and Jack. O'Malley is a Catholic. He attends church regularly.
O'Malley's March (Band)
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O'Malley's March
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| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland Washington D.C. |
| Genres | Irish rock, folk rock |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | none |
| Associated acts | Shannon Tide Martin O'Malley |
| Members | Martin O'Malley Jared Denhard Jamie Wilson Jim Eagan Ralph Reinoldi Sean McComiskey Pete Miller |
| Past members | Danny Costello |
O'Malley grew up with Irish music. In 1979, he formed a band called Shannon Tide. In 1988, he started the Celtic rock band O'Malley's March. He is the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar and penny whistle.
The band plays Irish music and other songs. They have performed at O'Malley's campaign events. In 2012, they played at the White House for President Barack Obama during a Saint Patrick's Day celebration.
Electoral History
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Images for kids
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O'Malley with Brooke Lierman at a SSA STAT meeting, July 2024
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See also
In Spanish: Martin O'Malley para niños
- 2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates
