Martin O'Malley to return to Nashville for fundraiser

Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley will make his second campaign trip to Nashville next month for a private campaign fundraiser.

The former Maryland governor, who has struggled to gain traction in the Democratic presidential primary, will attend a Jan. 4. fundraiser at the home of Nashville attorney Henry Walker, who is one of eight hosts for the event.

The trip comes after O'Malley in August held and attended a campaign fundraiser at the Nashville home of John Deane, president of health care consulting and management firm The Advisory Board Company and O'Malley's Tennessee finance chair.

O'Malley, governor of Maryland from 2007 through 2015 and former Baltimore mayor, is a heavy underdog in the Democratic primary, trailing both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, by large margins in polls, including in Tennessee.

A Vanderbilt University poll this month found Clinton with support of 48 percent of likely Tennessee votes, compared to 28 percent for Sanders and 3 percent for O'Malley.

While Republican presidential candidates have made numerous stops in the Nashville area, Democrats have swung through much less frequently. Clinton visited Nashville last month for a campaign event as well as a fundraiser at the home of businessman and former mayoral candidate Bill Freeman. Sanders has yet to campaign through Tennessee.

Both the Democratic and Republican primaries in Tennessee will take place on March 1.

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison.