Martin O'Malley's Democratic primary campaign is not going well. In early November, he is averaging 1.8 percent in the polls, behind Hillary Clinton's average of 54.8 percent and Bernie Sanders' 32.5 percent, according to Real Clear Politics. Coupled with his middling debate performance and dwindling campaign funds, O'Malley does not appear to have a strong chance of winning the Democratic nomination.

But that does not mean the campaign will not benefit his career. Several now-prominent political figures had less-than promising polling numbers at the same point in previous election cycles. Rick Santorum (R) and Joe Biden (D), both had similarly low poll numbers in the 2012 and 2008 primaries, respectively.

Here's a look at how O'Malley compares to these political powerhouses.

Martin O'Malley (D)

Highest Office Reached: Maryland governor

Polling in November 2015: 0-2 percent

Primary Finish: TBD

Known For: He has received some recognition for advocating for more Democratic primary debates, but he remains widely unknown without a firm national presence.

Rick Santorum (R)

Highest Office Reached: Pennsylvania senator

Polling in November 2011: 1-2 percent

Primary Finish: He won 11 states and 261 delegates, finishing in second place behind Mitt Romney, who far outpaced every candidate with 1524 delegates.

Known For: The devout Catholic achieved national recognition for his staunch opposition to same-sex marriage and birth control. He is again running for president, but is polling at less than 1 percent.

Joe Biden (D)

Highest Office Reached: Vice president

Polling in November 2007: 1-3 percent

Primary Finish: He dropped out of the race in early January after receiving less than 1 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucus.

Known For: He won the 2008 general election as Barack Obama's running mate and became vice president in 2009. He considered running for president in 2016 candidate, but ultimately decided against joining the race.

Polling data source: Real Clear Politics