O’Malley announces 10 New Hampshire endorsements.
'Manchester Alderman O’Neil, city historian Clayton top list.
Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley will formally announce 10 New Hampshire endorsements later Thursday, including a veteran Manchester alderman and the executive director of the city’s historical society.
Alderman Dan O’Neil, who has been informally supportive of the former Maryland governor’s campaign for several months, is now officially on board with O’Malley.
A strong supporter of former President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s, O’Neil is joined in backing O’Malley by Manchester Historical Society executive director John Clayton, a former longtime feature columnist for the New Hampshire Union Leader.
In addition to O’Neil and Clayton, O’Malley is being backed by Manchester residents Catherine Cavanaugh, a former NARAL board member, well-known Irish singer Marty Quirk and Matt and Jody Wilhelm, who have worked with CityYear and AmeriCorps.
Also backing O’Malley are state Rep. John Mann of Alstead, former state Reps. Betsy Burtis of Derry and Catherine Mulholland of Grafton, as well as activist Peter Spanos of Sunapee.
The campaign says the endorsements come in the wake of “a breakthrough debate performance” in Iowa last weekend and ahead of an appearance by O’Malley and fellow candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s Jefferson Jackson Dinner on Nov. 29.
John Bivona, O'Malley’s state director, said the endorsements emphasize O’Malley’s “continued commitment to campaigning the New Hampshire way and support the kind of grassroots operation we need to be successful in the first-in-the-nation primary.
O’Malley announced 21 endorsements last month, including New Hampshire campaign co-chairs former state Sen. Peter Burling of Cornish, Mary Rauh of New Castle, and Dave Allen of Manchester.
“The importance of building a strong grassroots organization can’t be under-estimated,” Bivona said. “We don’t have what other candidates have in terms of staff on the ground and we’re not pretending that we do, but I do think our work is paying dividends in getting local support in key areas.”
O’Malley will return to the state on Monday to hold a forum at Bedford High School at 9:20 a.m.; and town halls at the Franklin Pierce University in Rindge at 11:15 a.m. and at the Riverwoods Retirement Community in Exeter at 1:45 p.m.
The following week, O’Malley will be in the state for the party fundraiser and more campaign stops on Nov. 29 and 30.'
http://www.wmur.com/politics/omalley-announces-10-new-hampshire-endorsements/36547908