Former Gov. Martin O'Malley has added a second early primary state to his itinerary and plans to speak at a conference of South Carolina Democrats next month.
O'Malley left office earlier this month and has been weighing a presidential bid for 2016, although polling suggests he would be an underdog if presumed front-runner former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton joined the race.
The trip to Myrtle Beach on Feb. 28 comes just a few weeks before he will appear in New Hampshire for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. O'Malley has also hired field staff to work in Iowa.
Maryland's former two-term Democratic governor returned to Baltimore a few weeks ago to settle his family, make money on the lecture circuit and work as a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University. During his final years in office, O'Malley crisscrossed the country working to elect and raise money for other Democrats.
In South Carolina, O'Malley will address activists and Democratic party leaders, who gave him a warm welcome when he attended their convention in 2013.