Martin O'Malley Biography

Martin O'Malley was born on January 18, 1963, in Washington, DC, US, to Thomas Martin O'Malley and his wife, Barbara. Martin's father worked as a bombardier in the US Army Air Force during World War II and later became a criminal defense lawyer. O'Malley is primarily of Irish descent but also has German, Scottish, and Dutch roots.

O'Malley initially attended the Our Lady of Lourdes School in Bethesda and then the Gonzaga College High School. In 1985, he graduated with a BA degree from the Catholic University of America. In 1988, he obtained his JD from the University of Maryland School of Law and was admitted in the bar, too.

Martin O'Malley took up his first job in politics in 1986, when he became the state field director for Congresswoman Barbara Mikulski's Senate campaign. From 1987 to 1988, O'Malley worked as a legislative fellow for Sen. Mikulski. He also studied in law school simultaneously.

O'Malley soon became the assistant state's attorney for Baltimore. From 1991 to 1999, he was part of the Baltimore City Council.

In 1999, Martin O'Malley announced his mayoral campaign and subsequently won the Democratic primary with more than 50% of the total votes. He thus became the 48th mayor of Baltimore on December 7, 1999. He then won the general election with more than 90% of the votes.

In 2004, he was re-elected and won the general election with 88% of the total votes, beating Republican candidate Elbert (Ray) Henderson. Thus, he served as a mayor for 7 years until he became Maryland’s governor in 2006.

Esquire magazine named him “the best young mayor in the country.” Time magazine, too, ranked him as one of America’s “Top 5 Big City Mayors.” From 1999 to 2009, his policies as a mayor helped Baltimore reduce crime rates to a great extent.

In January 2007, Martin O’Malley became the 61st governor of Maryland. He eventually served two terms as the governor of Maryland, having been re-elected in 2010.

From 2007 to 2015, his administration not only created jobs and opportunities for the people of Maryland but also made it a safer place. By 2013, he had achieved the fastest job growth rate in the region.

Maryland was also ranked number 1 in terms of public schools in the US for 5 consecutive years. He introduced a bill to ban the trade of shark fins in Maryland, making Maryland the first state in the East Coast to make it illegal to sell or distribute shark fins.

Under his governorship, Maryland also ranked number 1 in terms of entrepreneurship and controlling college tuition costs. Additionally, Maryland topped ranks in terms of median income, businesses owned by women, and the number of PhD scientists per capita. It thus became a major hub of science and technology in the US.

O’Malley is also known for his record cut in state expenses, which was more than any of Maryland’s previous governors. He invested in priorities such as education and reduced the size of the state government to its smallest since 1973.

His reforms also brought down rates of homicide and violent crimes in the city. His health policies provided meals to underprivileged children and reduced infant mortality rates to a record low. He also made efforts to protect the blue crab and oyster population of Chesapeake Bay.

His administration created many green energy sector jobs and led the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). He also cut taxes for Maryland natives and introduced a progressive tax code.

He introduced the US’s first state-wide living wage law and signed the DREAM Act for the expansion of college education. He also abolished the death penalty in Maryland and introduced new gun control measures.

O’Malley also made same-sex marriage legal in Maryland and made illegal immigrants who moved to the US as children eligible for in-state college tuition. In 2009, he was named one of Governing magazine’s Public Officials of the Year. He is pro-choice and supports legalizing abortion.

In May 2015, Martin O’Malley officially announced that he had opted to run for 2016 US presidential election as a Democratic candidate. He, however, ended his campaign in February 2016. He later endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic primary of the 2016 US presidential election.

Martin O’Malley met his wife Catherine Curran, or Katie, in law school in 1986. They got married in 1990. Katie is now a Maryland District Court Judge.

The couple now has four children: two sons, William and Jack, and two daughters, Grace and Tara. A devout Catholic, O’Malley grew up being educated in Catholic schools. He and his family are ardent followers of the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

O'Malley has been fond of Irish music since his early years. During his time at Gonzaga College High School in the late 1970s, O'Malley and his football coach created an Irish music and fold rock band named Shannon Tide.

Following his graduation from the University of Maryland Law School, in the late 1980s, O'Malley created the Celtic rock band O'Malley's March, based in Baltimore. He is still the band’s lead singer. He also plays acoustic guitar and penny whistle for the band

It is believed the fictional mayor of the HBO drama The Wire was inspired by O'Malley and other political figures. O'Malley was seen playing himself in the 2004 disaster film Ladder 49.

He also appeared in a segment of the 2004 History Channel documentary First Invasion: The War of 1812 and was seen in the Travel Channel documentary The War of 1812 Trail in 2014. In 2019, he made an appearance on Ireland's The Late Late Show.