Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley told President Joe Biden on Monday that he was resigning as head of the U.S. Social Security Administration to run for office with the hopes of leading the Democratic National Committee.

O’Malley, 61, announced his candidacy in an interview with the New York Times and emphasized the need to connect with voters through a broad and unifying vision.

“We must connect our Party with the most important place in America — the kitchen table of every family’s home,” O’Malley said in a post on social media. “Jobs, Opportunity, and Economic Security for all. Getting things done. Hope. A 50-state strategy. Now.”

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O’Malley is the first candidate to openly seek the DNC leadership spot as the party tries to reshape itself after the 2024 presidential loss and Republicans’ takeover of both chambers of Congress.

With outgoing chair Jaime Harrison not seeking another term, the new DNC leader will face significant challenges, including mending internal divisions, revamping electoral strategies and preparing for the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential race.

O’Malley’s campaign is focused on showcasing his executive experience and his record on progressive policies and grassroots organizing. He previously chaired the Democratic Governors Association and, more recently, served as the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. The former governor plans to step down from his current role on Nov. 29.

“We face enormous challenges and a lot of soul-searching,” O Malley said in his interview with The Times. “We need to focus on fixing the problem and not the blame.”

The race for DNC chair is expected to draw a competitive field of candidates. Other contenders include Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler; Minnesota Democratic party chief Ken Martin; close Biden aide Mitch Landrieu, also a former New Orleans mayor; and Sen. Laphonza Butler of California, who was appointed to fill the seat of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2023 and chose not to run for a full term this year, according to Reuters.

Harrison, whose tenure has faced criticism after Vice President Kamala Harris’ decisive defeat by President-elect Donald Trump, is expected to address the party’s future direction in the coming weeks.

USA TODAY’s Cooper Allen, Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, Joey Garrison, David Jackson, and Ariana Triggs; USA TODAY network’s Susan Tompor and Reuters contributed to the reporting of this storyJeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow