It’s time to say a short requiem for the candidacy of Martin O’Malley. A candidacy which was much better than it’s been given credit for.

O’Malley – the former two-term Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore – had a very solid record as an executive. There isn’t much to criticize about his terms in these offices. And his political positions were progressive and solid, somewhere between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

• With respect to a living wage, O’Malley was also in support of the $15 minimum wage, just like Bernie Sanders.
• With respect to financial regulation, O’Malley is also in support of the restoration of the Glass-Steagall act, including strong support for the reinstatement of the provision of the act separating commercial and investment banking.
• With respect to immigration reform, O’Malley signed a statewide DREAM Act allowing young illegal immigrants to pay in-state college tuition and to a bill to get driver’s licenses, and was strongly in support of immigration reform.
• With respect to gun control, O’Malley has also been a strong supporter. In May 2013 he signed Maryland’s Firearm Safety Act, and is advocating for a national assault weapons ban. Right-to-vote amendment.

In these and many other ways, O’Malley was a very solid, progressive candidate with an exemplary record to back it up. He wasn’t half bad in the debates, either.

But this year, the year of the angry candidate, where Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump were catching fire, was not the year for him. Many candidates have to run twice before they have an actual shot at being President. Mitt Romney is a good example of that. As is Ronald Reagan. This time O’Malley got his feet wet. In four or eight years from now, he’ll be that much better.