O'Malley endorsed by foreign policy-focused PAC

An Iowa political action committee that focuses on humane treatment of refugees, gun violence and reducing military spending has endorsed low-polling Democratic presidential contender Martin O'Malley.

In a statement issued Monday, STAR*PAC Chairman Tom Leffler pointed to the former Maryland governor's staunch opposition to the death penalty and gun control efforts as key in the group's endorsement. O'Malley and progressive rival Bernie Sanders were the only two candidates who returned surveys for the group out of more than 20 Democratic and Republican candidates.

“Governor O’Malley recognizes that corporate special influence on Congress results in exorbitant military spending on unnecessary weapons,” Leffler said in the statement. “He was one of the first to recognize the multifaceted causes of forced migrations and advocate humane treatment and policies for refugees. And O’Malley most loudly and consistently decries the voices who use demagogy and racism in political campaigning.”

STAR*PAC, which stands for Stop the Arms Race, is based in Des Moines and has supported candidates from both parties, including former Republican Iowa Congressman Jim Leach.

On the campaign trail, O'Malley has said the U.S. needs to refocus its foreign policy efforts to detect rising threats in the world before the military is needed to combat them. In September he was the first Democratic candidate to call for the U.S. to take in 65,000 Syrian refugees, with rival Hillary Clinton taking the same stance weeks later.

RELATED: O'Malley struggles, despite working Iowa hard

Though O'Malley has spent more time on the ground in Iowa than his rivals, he remains low in the polls. A new Iowa Poll conducted by The Des Moines Register and Bloomberg News released Monday showed O'Malley has support from just 4 percent of Iowa caucusgoers.