O'Malley, who was elected in 2006, gave what has been called the most important speech of his career this DNC, as he positions himself for a potential 2016 presidential bid. O'Malley has openly supported and
modeled Maryland's economic plan off of President Obama's, balancing spending cuts with investments. His 2004 DNC speech focused on national security, calling for more federal support of local security enforcement.
O'Malley's Sept. 4 primetime speech at this year's convention focused on a refrain of "forward, not back," pointing out the progress the country has seen under President Obama and Democrats. He directly attacked Mitt Romney saying, "Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan now say they want to take America back.
And so we ask: Back to what? Back to the failed policies that drove us into a deep recession? Back to the days of record job losses? Back to the days when insurance companies called being a woman a 'pre-existing condition?'" Critics gave him lackluster reviews though, saying his speech was somewhat forgettable and that his energy seemed forced.
Sworn into Congress in 1977, Mikulski is Congress' longest-serving woman. She's known for her outspoken human rights advocacy and sharp humor. She's spoken at many previous
conventions, advocating the rights of women and other disadvantaged Americans. Last fall she told Esquire magazine the atmosphere in Congress was the most "toxic" she's ever served in.
Mikulski helped kick off a Democratic Convention ladies night on Wednesday, surrounded by her fellow Senate women and highlighting the Obama record on issues important to women. Addressing the crowd, she highlighted the joint effort of the Senate women and President Barack Obama to
"strengthen families and restore security to the middle class." Every issue is a woman's issue, she said. Mikulski added that the priorities of the president and women align, citing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - which allows victims of pay discrimination to take their employers to court - and health care reform.
The current house minority whip was sworn into Congress in 1981 and, as a prominent party member, has spoken at several previous conventions. He was
quoted saying Americans have moved from anger to anxiety since the last election, making 2012 the year of the anxious voter with the least productive Congress he's ever served in.
Hoyer spoke on Sept. 5, championing President Obama for "bringing the economy back from the verge of a second depression" and
emphasizing the number of jobs created under the Obama administration. He said that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan "promise hard truths but they don't deliver hard answers or real solutions."
Edwards became the first African-American woman to represent Maryland when she was sworn into Congress in 2008. She openly supported the Occupy Wall Street Movement and fought to end private corporate
financing of political campaigns. She gained fame in 2011 for quoting the White Stripes song "Effect and Cause" during a floor debate about a temporary government shutdown, saying, "You just can't take the effect and make it the cause."
Drawing deeply on her personal history, Edwards' speech made a case for President Barack Obama, citing his reforms in education and health care. Edwards told the crowd how she struggled as the single mother of a toddler. When she came down with pneumonia, the hospital bills nearly caused her to lose her home to foreclosure and forced her to go to a
food bank. "I support President Barack Obama because he gets it. He knows that no one should end up in an emergency room, facing financial ruin and the loss of a middle-class life, just because they can't afford a doctor's visit and $20 of antibiotics." The speech was noteworthy for its positivity. Not once did Edwards mention or even refer to Mitt Romney or the Republican Party.