Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will speak to the AU community on March 17 as the next Kennedy Political Union speaker.
O’Malley, a Democrat, served as Maryland’s governor for nine years between 2007 and 2015, during which Marriage Equality became law and the state created and implemented its own DREAM Act.
O’Malley also helped create and steer the Department of Homeland Security during its initial stages. It is unclear whether or not he will talk about the possible shutdown looming over DHS. O’Malley is expected to talk about the future of the Democratic Party and his time as Maryland’s governor.
Governor O’Malley also put himself in the 2016 Presidential race after a speech at the University of Chicago early this year. O’Malley’s candidacy made him an attractive speaker for KPU.
"Hosting a potential 2016 Democratic contender is a unique experience for KPU that I'm glad we are able to do,” KPU Director Tyler Bowders said in a press release. “Governor O'Malley's policies should register with AU's liberal and Democratic populations.”
O’Malley will speak on St. Patrick’s Day, which Bowders says works perfectly with the governor’s Irish heritage and ventures with his Celtic rock band O’Malley’s March.
There will be a question and answer session for attendees after O’Malley’s speech.
