Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's son-in-law has announced his plans to run for the state Senate.

J.D. Merrill announced his plans on Twitter Monday. He said he plans to run in Maryland's 41st District, which includes parts of Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

Merrill has worked for the past year as special assistant to the chief of staff at Baltimore City Public Schools. He said one of his top priorities will be to improve schools.

On his campaign website, Merrill said he led a $2.2 million campaign to build a new library and learning center while he was a teacher at Baltimore City College.

O'Malley's daughter, Grace, married Merrill in the summer of 2016.