2022-23 Martin O'Malley (No 66)

Martin O'Malley with President Obama

Martin leading the band

Martin with President Bill Clinton, ?? and Rev. Jesse Jackson

Martin O'Malley is an American public servant and lifelong Democrat, born in Washington, D.C.  in 1963 to Thomas O'Malley and his wife Barbara Suelzer.  He was educated  at Catholic University of America and University of Maryland School of Law at Baltimore, earning his J.D. and being admitted to the Maryland bar in 1988. His involvement in politics began when still at college, working on Gary Hart's presidential campaign and later for Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski. After graduating, he was hired as an Assistant State's Attorney for the City of Baltimore, holding that position until 1990, when he first ran for office - in the Maryland Senate - but was narrowly defeated. In 1991 he was elected to the Baltimore City Council and served until 1999, when he unexpectedly and successfully ran for Mayor of Baltimore, being re-elected to a second term in 2004.

During his time as Mayor, he focused on reducing crime and improving the efficiency of city services. His new data-driven system of performance management, "Citistat," earned the Innovations in Government Award from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 2002. His administration set Baltimore on course for the largest ten year reduction of crime of any major city in America. Hear him talk about the programme.

In 2006 he was elected as Governor of Maryland and served two terms, from 2007 to 2015. He pursued the same data-driven approach to state-level government and achieved many results, including making Maryland's public schools #1 in America for an unprecedented five years in a row. 

Martin O'Malley ran for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 2016, but dropped out after a poor showing in early primaries, endorsing Hilary Clinton instead. 

In his 2019 book, "Smarter Government", O'Malley lays out in his own words how to govern for better results in the Information Age. 

Martin O'Malley was nominated by President Joe Biden to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration and took office in December, 2023. He led the agency until November 2024, following the election of Donald Trump as president. His tenure is noted for revitalizing the SSA through data-driven management, improved customer service and modernization efforts, all achieved despite operating under staffing constraints and budgetary limitations.

Martin met his wife, Catherine "Katie" Curran, in 1986 while they were both in law school. They were married in 1990 and are the parents of four children, Grace, Tara, William and Jack. 

Martin O'Malley was inaugurated as the 66th Chieftain of the O'Malley Clan in 2022 and held his Gathering in Westport and on Clare Island in 2023.  

In 1988, he founded the Baltimore-based Celtic rock band O'Malley's March, in which he is the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar and whistle. During his mayoralty he wrote and performed a number of songs celebrating his adopted city and its strong Irish heritage. In addition to more traditional venues, the band performed for O'Malley's campaign events. In 2012, they played at the White House for President Barack Obama as part of an extended St Patrick's Day celebration honoring Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. The band also played on Clare Island at Chieftain Martin's Gathering.

Read more on Martin's website.