Martin O’Malley campaigns for Jim Lykam in Davenport

DAVENPORT - Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley told Democrats in Davenport on Sunday that 'all things in politics are temporary,” and he urged them to turn their grief over the Nov. 8 election into positive action, beginning with this month's special election for the state Senate.

O'Malley was in Davenport to campaign for state Rep. Jim Lykam, D-Davenport, who is seeking to win the District 45 seat in the Dec. 27 special election.

O'Malley, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination but dropped out after finishing a distant third in this year's Iowa caucuses, spoke to about two dozen people at Scott County Democratic Party headquarters. Then he was heading over to a fundraiser for Lykam.

Democrats suffered big losses Nov. 8 in Iowa, and party leaders are hoping the state Senate race will be the first step toward rebounding fortunes.

O'Malley echoed that, telling activists, 'It is not how low you go, it is how high you bounce.”

Lykam is facing Republican Mike Gonzales and Libertarian Severin Gilbert in the Senate race, which is in a district that leans Democratic.

In the aftermath of the election, O'Malley told reporters the left needs to focus its attention on economic issues. And he criticized President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be secretary of labor, saying he opposes the minimum wage, collective bargaining and even has a mindset against higher wages.

'Our challenge as a party now without a leader is to become more disciplined as a network in bringing everything back to wages and jobs and a stronger and growing American middle class,” O'Malley said. Trump's choices, he said, are not consistent with that goal.

O'Malley, who had briefly considered a bid for Democratic National Committee chair, spoke highly of South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be the new chair. Politico reported last week the 34-year-old was considering a run for the job, but Buttigieg wrote in an opinion piece over the weekend that he isn't interested.

As for his own future plans, O'Malley said it was too early to be looking at the 2020 presidential race. But he said he intends to continue helping Democrats across the country.

O'Malley flew into Chicago on Sunday then traveled by car through freezing weather to the Quad-Cites. He noted that he has worked to help the party in Iowa through a number of election cycles.

'True friends don't show up just when times are good,” he told reporters. 'They show up when times are hard.”