Bruce Springsteen's "Land of Hope and Dreams" blared over the loudspeakers as supporters waved yellow signs proclaiming "Maryland can do better" and a lime-green banner announced the man the crowd had come to see:
Martin O'Malley, native son of Montgomery County, mayor of Baltimore and now Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland.
O'Malley's official declaration of what he acknowledged was "the worst-kept secret in Maryland politics" played out yesterday in three locations, each underscoring an objective the mayor must achieve in his bid to replace Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) next year.
In Rockville yesterday morning, O'Malley went straight to the base of his Democratic rival, County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, to remind voters of his local roots.
In a lunch with supporters in Prince George's County, home to more registered Democrats than any other jurisdiction in the state, he spoke of common challenges his city shared with their county: fighting crime, improving schools and attracting upscale development.
But it wasn't until yesterday evening, when O'Malley returned to the city that has twice elected him mayor, to a crowd of longtime supporters in a park he helped revitalize, that he made his candidacy official.
"I've reached the conclusion that we cannot allow our state to coast or slip backwards, because a stronger Maryland can do better," O'Malley, 42, told a crowd that police estimated at 2,000. "I stand humbly before you today to declare my candidacy for governor."
The speech that followed offered a vision for investing more in the state's schools, expanding access to health care, restoring the Chesapeake Bay and fighting traffic congestion.
What the day lacked in suspense, it made up for in political pageantry. O'Malley began his day with a nod to the Washington suburbs, which have gained significant clout picking Democratic candidates since 1986, the last time a Baltimore mayor -- William Donald Schaefer (D) -- moved on to Annapolis.
"Every day, I draw on the lessons that I learned here," O'Malley said during an appearance in Courthouse Square Park in Rockville, where he was introduced by his mother, who still lives in the county. "I thought it was important to come home, and to come back to this place."
O'Malley, who lived in Montgomery through college, is attempting to cut into the Duncan's base in the Democrat-rich county, which also will be key to the fortunes of the party's nominee in November against Ehrlich.
Joined on stage by his wife and four children, O'Malley also sought to bolster the case that the violent city he inherited has made significant strides since he took office in 1999.
