The trip will be short as the former Democratic Maryland governor is scheduled to arrive in Columbia midday and will head directly to the State House. O'Malley plans to pay his respects to the senator, who was shot and killed along with eight others in the Charleston church massacre last week, and fly out after an hour.

A group of state senators and representatives will accompany a horse-drawn caisson carrying the body of Pinckney through Columbia as they walk down Main Street to the capitol. Senator Pinckney will lie in state from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

On a previous trip to South Carolina, an early presidential nominating state, O’Malley paid a visit to the Charleston church. Pinckney pulled together a group of clergy and community leaders to meet with O’Malley in the basement of the church and gave him a tour, according to one of O’Malley’s associates.

Gov. Larry Hogan announces he has an aggressive form of cancer of the lymph nodes.

The governor said there is a "very strong chance of success, beating it altogether and getting rid of the cancer."

"My odds of beating this are much, much better than my odds were at beating Anthony Brown," Hogan said.

"This latest challenge will require my attention and focus," Hogan said. "Fortunately, I'm blessed with a wonderful family."

Gov. Larry Hogan announces he has an aggressive form of cancer of the lymph nodes.

The governor said there is a "very strong chance of success, beating it altogether and getting rid of the cancer."

"My odds of beating this are much, much better than my odds were at beating Anthony Brown," Hogan said.

"This latest challenge will require my attention and focus," Hogan said. "Fortunately, I'm blessed with a wonderful family."

O'Malley will attend house parties in Marshalltown and Mount Vernon in the afternoon before a 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet in Iowa City. The location for the Iowa City event is still to be announced.

The Marshalltown event will be hosted by Iowa House of Representative Minority Leader Rep. Mark Smith, while the Mount Vernon house party will be hosted by former State Rep. Nate Willems.

Planned Parenthood of Maryland (PPM) is honored to present the 2014 Betty Tyler Award to Maryland Governor Martin J. O'Malley for his outstanding leadership in protecting and advancing reproductive rights in Maryland. The award will be presented at PPM’s 9th Annual Spring Gala event to be held on the evening of Wednesday, April 30th at The Four Seasons Harbor East in Baltimore.

“At a time when women’s health and access to reproductive care is under attack across the country, Governor O'Malley has protected the rights of women in Maryland," said Jenny Black, President & CEO of PPM. “For his outstanding record of prioritizing Maryland women and women’s health, we are happy to recognize the leadership of Governor O’Malley at Planned Parenthood of Maryland."

“Over the last seven years, we made the better choice to set goals to protect the health and well-being of women and children. Working together as one Maryland, we not only achieved our goal, we more than doubled it, driving down infant mortality by 21 percent since 2008, “said Governor O’Malley. “By improving the health -- and the well-being -- of women, we are building a stronger future for all of our children and grandchildren. I am honored to receive this recognition from Planned Parenthood Maryland for Maryland’s hard-won progress.”

According to a report from the Center for American Progress, Maryland is the best state for women in America based on three factors: economics, leadership and health. During the O’Malley administration, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene implemented the Babies Born Healthy Initiative. This three-pronged initiative ensures women are healthy before, during, and after pregnancy by supporting access to high-quality family planning, screening and referral for Medicaid eligibility, WIC nutrition benefits, substance abuse treatment, domestic violence prevention and other screenings and referrals. Using this approach, Maryland has driven down infant mortality 21% since Governor O’Malley took office in 2007.

The Betty Tyler Award memorializes a woman without whom there might not be a Planned Parenthood of Maryland, whose 12 years of service led the Board of Directors from 1974 through 1986. PPM bestows the Betty Tyler Award on deserving trailblazers for women’s health and reproductive justice in Maryland. The first award was given in 1988, and past awardees include Senator Delores G. Kelley, Frances B. Phillips, RN, MHA,Delegate Peter A. Hammen and U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen.

Joining the Governor at the Spring Gala will be Alexis McGill-Johnson, Chair of the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake,MD Attorney General Doug Gansler, Comptroller Peter Franchot, Delegate Jon Cardin, County Executive Ken Ulman, Delegate Jolene Ivey, Senator Brian Frosh and others.

Any Democrat looking for an electable alternative to Hillary Clinton should welcome O'Malley's candidacy. Before O’Malley entered the race on Saturday, Clinton’s lone challenger was Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who does not even consider himself a member of the Democratic Party. O’Malley, the former governor of Maryland and former mayor of Baltimore, is positioning himself to Clinton’s left, giving liberals the chance to vote for someone who would have a fighting chance of getting elected if nominated, which is more than can be said of Sanders.

And it's not just Democrats looking for a Clinton alternative: Clinton herself can benefit from O'Malley's campaign. O'Malley will take some of the spotlight away from Sanders, a liberal firebrand, fracturing the opposition vote. A vigorous challenge from O’Malley would also help Clinton dispel the criticism that her nomination is a virtual coronation, and it could help her clarify her positions.

This is the case even when O'Malley is wrong on the issues -- as he is on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, for example. O'Malley opposes the pact, as does Sanders, while Clinton has been straddling the issue. Ignoring a socialist is one thing. But O’Malley’s presence in the race should make it harder for Clinton to be evasive.