Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor and commissioner of the Social Security Administration, on Monday became the first person to announce a bid to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party plots a post-election path forward.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a onetime presidential candidate, announced he is entering the fray. But many more names are already circulating.

The 50-state strategy is one that former DNC Chair Howard Dean subscribed to during his tenure from 2005 to 2009. The strategy committed money and helped build up party infrastructure in every state, even those that reliably voted Republican in presidential races, to create Democratic victories at all levels of government.