Mel Martinez

Former U.S. Senator (January 2005-August 2009)

Why He Matters

Martinez came alone to the United States from Cuba at age 15, learned English, earned a law degree, became a senator, and made it all look easy. In August 2009, he resigned from the Senate with another year left in his term; he had previously announced he wouldn't run for re-election in 2010.

When President George W. Bush made him the secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 2001, Martinez was the first Cuban-American ever appointed to any presidnet's Cabinet. In 2004, he became the first Cuban-American elected to the Senate. In those roles, he has pushed for increased home ownership, especially among minorities and the poor, and urged elected officials not to loosen restrictions on the Cuban government. He also was chairman of the Republican National Committee for a short-lived stint during Bush's second term.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Republican National Committee chairman (January to October 2007); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary (2001 to 2003);Orange County chairman (1998 to 2001);Practicing attorney (1973 to 1998)
Birthday: October 23, 1946
Hometown: Sagua La Grande, Cuba
Alma Mater: Florida State University, B.A., 1969; J.D., 1973
Spouse: Kitty

Religion: Catholic
DC Office: United States Senate356 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510, (202) 224-3041
State Offices: 15 East Robinson StreetLandmark Center 1, Ste 475Orlando, Fla. 32801 (407) 254-2573; 2120 Main Street, Ste 200, Fort Myers, Fla. 33901, (239) 332-3898;1650 Prudential Drive, Ste. 220, Jacksonville, Fla. 32207, (904) 398-8586;800 Douglas Road, Ste 148Coral Gables, Fla. 33134 (305) 444-8332;7711 N. Military Trail, Ste 1014 Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33410, (561) 842-8300;1 N. Palafox St., Ste. 159 Pensacola, Fla. 32502, (850) 433-2603;3802 Spectrum Boulevard, Ste 106, Tampa, Fla. 33612(813) 977-6450
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Path to Power

Melquiades "Mel" Martinez was born Oct. 23, 1946, in Sagua La Grande, Cuba. His parents sent him to the United States in February 1962 with Operation Pedro Pan, a Catholic Church program that brought unaccompanied children to the states. He entered a foster home and began learning English. Four years later, his parents emigrated from Cuba.

Martinez graduated from Florida State University in 1969 with a degree in international affairs and earned his law degree there in 1973. Martinez became a Republican in 1979; he had been a Democrat through college and law school. After law school, Martinez began working for the law firm of Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick.

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As a bilingual personal injury lawyer in Orlando, Martinez acquired a large caseload. He became a multimillionaire and the head of the Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers. Martinez has been active in Orlando's social circuit and he and Kitty, his wife of more than 30 years, have three children.

He can thank Ken Connor, his college roommate and a fellow laywer, for his first foray into politics. When Connor challenged Jeb Bush in the Republican governor's primary in 1994, Martinez was Connor's running mate. They won only 9 percent of the primary vote, but Martinez was bitten by the political bug.

Martinez ran for chairman, which is essentially the mayor, of Orange County in 1998 and easily won the non-partisan, three-way race. Two years later, he served as co-chair of George W. Bush's presidential campaign in Florida.

Bush HUD Secretary

When Bush won, he appointed Martinez the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, making him the first Cuban-American to serve in any president's cabinet.

In 2003, popular then-Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.), a former governor, announced his intention to seek the presidency and said he did not anticipate running for reelection to the Senate. Martinez had been contemplating a run for Florida governor in 2006, but after being encouraged by President Bush and Sens. George Allen (R-Va.) and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), Martinez announced in December 2003 that he was stepping down as HUD secretary to run for the Senate. "To be the first Cuban-American, you almost feel it's something you have to do," he said during the campaign. "I feel that my life has taken on a context that's a little bit out of my control."

2004 Senate Race

Martinez had an ugly primary battle with former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum (R), who had lost Florida's other Senate seat by 51 to 46 percent in 2000. The week before the primary, Martinez ran ads alleging that McCollum was "the new darling of the homosexual extremists" for supporting hate crime legislation; Jeb Bush convinced him to pull the ads. In a taped endorsement, President George W. Bush said, "The American dream is alive and well, and Mel Martinez represents it all."

Martinez won the three-way primary with 45 percent of the vote and two days later spoke in prime time at the Republican National Convention. "Only in America can a 15-year-old boy arrive on our shores alone, not speaking the language-with a suitcase and the hope of a brighter future-and rise to serve in the Cabinet of the president of the United States. And only in America can that same young boy today stand one step away from making history as the first Cuban-American to serve in the United States Senate," he said.

In the general election, Martinez faced Democrat Betty Castor, a former state education commissioner and president of the University of South Florida. He spent $12.8 million to Castor's $11.4 million. Martinez won 49 to 48 percent, by less than 100,000 votes. Martinez carried the state's Cuban-Americans, including some who voted for Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry.

With President Bush's backing, Martinez was the general chairman of the Republican National Committee from January 2007 to October 2007.

In the Senate, Martinez sits on the Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Commerce, Science and Transportation committees. He is the ranking member of the Special Committee on Aging.

He was not seeking reelection when his term ended in 2010, a decision he called "liberating," both for the release from constant fund-raising and the need to evaluate the political consequences of his decisions. But Martinez was expected to remain a senator until 2010. That didn't happen as he announced his retirement in August 2009, effective as soon as Gov. Christ names a replacement. Christ is a candidate for the Republican primary in the 2010 Senate race.

The Issues

Martinez voted with the majority of Republicans 86.7 percent of the time in the 110th Congress.

The Economy

In October 2008, Martinez voted for the $700 billion bailout package that passed the Senate 74-25. In February, he voted against President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan that passed the Senate 60-38. "When President Obama proposed the idea of an economic stimulus bill, he talked about a timely, targeted, and temporary spending package. The product we voted on today fails to spend enough in a timely fashion, it lacks the housing and foreclosure assistance Florida needs, and it puts too little focus on projects that will result in job creation," Martinez said in a statement.

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The Network

After serving as Florida's campaign co-chair for George W. Bush, Martinez was rewarded with the position of secretary of Housing and Urban Development. In that office from 2001 to 2003, he was a tireless advocate for the administration, and not just on its housing policies.

Martinez endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the 2008 presidential campaign, joining all three of Florida's Cuban-American U.S. Representatives. "I would not endorse someone that I didn't have total confidence is going to be Castro's worst nightmare," he announced in both English and Spanish.

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Additional Resources