Presidential candidate Martin O’Malley, a Democrat from Maryland, currently stands in third place in polls for the Democratic nomination but for one Marist student, he is the top choice. Marist junior Owen Condon was recently invited to O’Malley’s upcoming fundraising dinner next Thursday, Nov. 19, in NYC after donating to the former Maryland governor’s campaign.

Invitation that Condon received

“I’m excited to attend the event as a fan, a journalist, and a Marist student,” Condon said. “I know that O’Malley doesn’t have the biggest following so I’m excited to see how big of a crowd turns up. It’s an opportunity that I haven’t had before and I’m looking forward to writing about it and representing Marist.”

While many college students are leaning towards Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders as their presidential picks, Condon found himself drawn towards O’Malley, especially after seeing how he conducted himself during the first Democratic debate. “He managed to separate himself from Clinton and Sanders in a good way,” Condon said.

What makes O’Malley such a good candidate? According to Condon, it is because of his track record on issues he’s passionate about. “Not only did he create thousands of jobs for the people of Maryland but he also is big on gun reform and environmental reform,” Condon said. “His plan is to put an end to the U.S.’s dependency on fossil fuels by 2050 and while that might seem a stretch, it’s at least something. He has such a great attitude on getting things done.”