Mel Martínez

Mel Martínez
Mel Martínez
Born	Melquíades Rafael Ruiz Martínez; October 23, 1946 (age 80); Sagua La Grande, Cuba
Occupation(s)	Politician, lobbyist
Years active	1973–present
Known for	United States Senator from Florida (2005–2009); Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2001–2004); General Chairman of the Republican National Committee (2006–2007)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Mel Martínez, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025

Melquíades Rafael Ruiz Martínez (born October 23, 1946) is a Cuban-American lobbyist and ex-politician who represented Florida as a United States senator from 2005 to 2009. Additionally, he held the position of general chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 2007. Under President George W. Bush, Martínez served as the 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development between 2001 and 2004. He is of Cuban descent and practices Roman Catholicism. On October 19, 2007, he stepped down from his role as general chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Martínez resigned from his Cabinet role in August 2004 to pursue the U.S. Senate seat left open by retiring Democratic Senator Bob Graham. After securing the Republican nomination, he narrowly defeated Democrat Betty Castor, making history as the first Cuban-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. On December 2, 2008, Martínez announced he would not seek a second term in the 2010 election.

Reports on August 7, 2009, revealed Martínez intended to vacate his Senate seat. Subsequently, Governor Charlie Crist appointed George LeMieux to serve out the remaining term.

Following his resignation, Martínez joined the global law firm DLA Piper as both a lobbyist and partner two weeks later. He departed in August 2010 to take on the chairmanship of Chase Bank Florida along with oversight of its operations throughout Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Currently, Martínez serves as chairman for JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Southeast and Latin America divisions and co-leads the Housing Commission at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Early life

Born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, Martínez is the son of Gladys V. (Ruíz) and Melquíades C. Martínez. He immigrated to the United States in 1962 via Operation Peter Pan, a Roman Catholic humanitarian initiative that relocated over 14,000 children to America. Initially separated from family and without English proficiency, he graduated from Bishop Moore High School in 1964. After spending time with foster families, he reunited with his relatives in Orlando, Florida in 1966.

Martínez earned an associate degree from Orlando Junior College in 1967 before completing a bachelor's degree in international affairs and a Juris Doctor at Florida State University College of Law in 1973. He launched his legal career at Wooten Kimbrough, a personal injury law firm in Orlando, where he became a partner and practiced for more than ten years. His civic engagement included serving as vice-president on the board of Catholic Charities within the Orlando Diocese.

Early political career

In the 1994 race, Martínez ran for Lieutenant Governor of Florida alongside pro-life advocate Ken Connor. Their Republican ticket finished fifth in the primary election with 9.31% of votes.

On November 3, 1998, Martínez was elected as Orange County Chairman, defeating Republican State Senator John Ostalkiewicz. As chairman, he implemented what became known as the "Martínez doctrine," which mandated adequate public infrastructure—particularly school capacity—prior to approving new development projects. Despite facing legal disputes, this policy was upheld after the Florida Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal. He served in this capacity until late 2000.

Martínez played a significant role as co-chair of then-Governor George W. Bush's Florida presidential campaign in 2000 and was instrumental in fundraising efforts. He was among Florida's 25 electors who cast their votes for Bush during that election cycle. While serving as HUD Secretary, Martínez held an ex officio seat on the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

U.S. Senate election, 2004

In the November 2004 election, Martínez was the Republican candidate vying for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida, aiming to succeed retiring Democrat Bob Graham. His campaign received considerable support from Washington, including endorsements from influential Republican organizations and prominent national leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Martínez’s Cuban-American background and strong popularity in the pivotal Orlando area enhanced his appeal across Florida’s Republican base. Although initially planning a gubernatorial run in 2006, Martínez was convinced by GOP leaders to enter the Senate race earlier.

Primary

During the primary, Martínez encountered significant opposition from former Congressman Bill McCollum, who attacked Martínez’s history as a plaintiff’s lawyer. Concerns arose within the Republican Party that Martínez’s nomination might undermine criticism of Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards and that he appeared lenient on tort reform, a critical GOP platform issue.

In response to McCollum’s late surge, Martínez launched a series of assertive mail campaigns and advertisements accusing McCollum of backing hate crimes legislation. Some of these ads were withdrawn following intervention by Governor Jeb Bush. The St. Petersburg Times shifted its endorsement from Martínez to McCollum during this period.

Nonetheless, Martínez secured a decisive victory in the Republican primary on August 31, winning 45% to McCollum’s 31%. He subsequently appeared alongside President Bush at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

While serving in the Senate, Martínez was noted for occupying the Candy desk.

General election

Martínez narrowly overcame Democrat Betty Castor amid intense negative campaigning. The outcome remained uncertain until Castor conceded the day after Election Day.

As Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 2003, Martínez made twelve out of twenty-five taxpayer-funded domestic trips to Florida cities while simultaneously campaigning for the Senate seat.

President Bush carried Florida with a 52%-47% margin; however, Martínez garnered only 49.5% compared to Castor’s 48.4%, winning by roughly 70,000 votes. He notably underperformed Bush in Tampa-area counties such as Hillsborough and Pinellas, along with smaller counties like Liberty and Lafayette. Conversely, Orange and Miami-Dade counties were won by Martínez but not by Bush.

Campaign reporting violation

In August 2006, it was disclosed that Martínez’s 2004 campaign had been under Federal Election Commission (FEC) scrutiny for over a year. Initially, the campaign reported approximately $115,000 in debt out of a $12 million budget; however, revised figures revealed outstanding election expenses totaling $685,000. The campaign incurred nearly $300,000 in accounting and legal fees related to this audit. On October 28, 2008, Senator Mel Martínez agreed to pay $99,000 in fines for violations of federal election laws, including accepting contributions exceeding legal limits. An FEC audit determined that his campaign received $313,235 in excessive donations from 186 contributors.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints accusing Martínez of illegally accepting over $60,000 from Bacardi, which allegedly solicited funds improperly and utilized corporate resources for campaign-related events. A comparable complaint was lodged against Democratic Senator Bill Nelson’s 2006 campaign. In April 2007, after investigation, the FEC found no evidence warranting further action and closed the case.

Staffing controversies

On April 6, 2005, Martínez accepted the resignation of legal advisor Brian Darling, who was responsible for drafting and distributing the contentious Schiavo memorandum connected to the Terry Schiavo case. Martínez claimed he was unaware of Darling's role and mistakenly shared the document with Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, believing it to be a simple summary of the Republican plan. He characterized the memo as a "work in progress" and mentioned that Darling himself was uncertain about how he originally obtained it.

This event represented the third occasion on which Martínez assumed accountability while attributing fault to his staff: during the Republican primary, blame was assigned to an aide for a flyer accusing rival Bill McCollum of associations with the "radical homosexual lobby," and another staff member was held responsible for referring to federal agents involved in the Elián González case as "armed thugs."

Although Martínez opposed issues such as same-sex marriage, he employed two openly gay men during his 2004 Senate campaign.

Republican National Committee

Martínez was appointed general chairman of the Republican Party for the 2007–2008 election cycle in November 2006, with Mike Duncan overseeing daily operations. This selection was partly intended to counteract declining support from Latino voters following the 2006 midterm elections. Some conservatives criticized Martínez’s appointment due to his positions on immigration and a perceived lackluster performance as senator. He stepped down from this leadership role on October 19, 2007.

Published works

In August 2008, Martínez released his autobiography titled A Sense of Belonging; From Castro's Cuba to the U.S. Senate, One Man's Pursuit of the American Dream, co-authored with Ed Breslin and published by Crown Publishing. Additionally, Richard E. Foglesong’s biography Immigrant Prince (University Press of Florida, April 2011) offers an in-depth examination of Martínez’s political journey.

Lobbying Spanish government officials on behalf of United States

Early during President Barack Obama’s administration, Martínez was assigned to convey a confidential message to Spanish authorities aimed at discouraging an inquiry into former Bush administration officials accused of involvement in detainee rendition and torture. A report prepared by a Spanish human rights organization implicated six ex-officials—including former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and legal advisors David Addington and John Yoo—in enabling detainee mistreatment after September 11.

On April 15, 2009, Martínez met with Acting Foreign Minister Angel Losada, cautioning that legal action could harm U.S.-Spain diplomatic relations. While Losada recognized the independence of the judiciary, he urged that the investigation not interfere with broader bilateral cooperation.

Following this, Spanish Prosecutor Cándido Conde-Pumpido advised Judge Baltasar Garzon to discontinue the probe, citing concerns over politicizing the judicial system. Judge Garzon had been outspoken in criticizing Guantanamo Bay and had called for war crimes proceedings against former President George W. Bush. In April 2010, Conde-Pumpido recommended that the matter either be transferred to American courts or dismissed entirely to protect judicial impartiality.

Positions

Abortion: Earned a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee, reflecting a firmly anti-abortion viewpoint. He maintains a moral opposition to abortion even in instances of rape or incest, advocating for educational efforts to reduce abortion rates and promoting alternatives such as adoption. Although his legal position remains somewhat ambiguous, he has expressed that he would refrain from prosecuting individuals involved should Roe v. Wade be overturned. During a debate, Martínez remarked:

"Ultimately, I do not intend to prosecute anyone. Upon joining the United States Senate, my role will be to confirm judges who will handle these matters in the courts. This issue is not subject to a Senate vote." He further stated, "We are a long way from prosecuting people over this matter in this country."

Economy: Advocates for free trade policies, tax reductions, easing regulatory burdens on employers, and decreasing costs related to liability insurance.
Education: Supports the principles of the No Child Left Behind Act, endorses increased standardized assessments, champions school voucher initiatives, and favors English-only instruction.
Immigration: Opposed amnesty for undocumented immigrants in 2004, promoting instead a legal immigration system that aligns workers with employers without offering citizenship pathways. Nevertheless, he contributed to drafting the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which some critics labeled as "amnesty," and voted in favor of the 2007 iteration permitting many illegal immigrants to attain citizenship; however, that bill failed to achieve cloture.
Environment: Backs funding for state conservation programs without raising taxes; supports opening federal lands for hunting and shooting sports; encourages voluntary incentive programs aimed at conserving private lands.
Foreign policy
- Cuba: Takes a critical stance on Cuba’s human rights situation; advocates for stricter travel restrictions and economic sanctions; supports financing opposition groups within Cuba; opposes aid to nations that resist U.S. policies; calls for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. He is a member of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus.
- Iraq: Endorses the Bush Doctrine but expresses disapproval of the swift disbanding of the Iraqi Army.
- Israel: Favors Israel’s right to self-determination and endorses robust U.S.-Israel relations.
Health care: Supports private accounts for new participants in Medicare and Social Security; promotes rigorous investigations into Medicare fraud; backs allowing drug reimportation from Canada.
Homeland security: Opposes closing military bases in Florida; calls for maintaining a strong military force, including funding older naval vessels beyond just air defense capabilities.
Religion: Defends the free exercise of religion and opposes removing religious displays from public spaces.
Same-sex marriage and gay rights: Advocated for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage to ensure federal protection rather than leaving regulation to individual states. Opposed laws preventing employers from dismissing gay employees and declined support for anti-hate crimes legislation. In 2007, joined a minority opposing a federal court nominee due to her attendance at a same-sex commitment ceremony but later withdrew his opposition during her confirmation vote.
Senior Citizens: Served as lead sponsor of national Silver Alert legislation designed to find missing elderly individuals.
U.S. Supreme Court nominations: Voted in favor of nominees John Roberts (2005), Samuel Alito (2006), and Sonia Sotomayor (2009).
Welfare: Endorses Republican-style welfare reforms focusing on personal accountability and job training initiatives.
Public housing: Advocated comprehensive housing assistance addressing physical, mental, and financial needs. As HUD Secretary, played an instrumental role in housing development efforts and continued such initiatives as senator.

On January 25, 2008, Martínez publicly supported Sen. John McCain during the Florida Republican primary, citing McCain’s expertise on national security and economic matters. McCain went on to win that primary.

Personal life

Mel Martínez and his spouse Kitty are parents to three children and grandparents to five grandchildren. He is the sibling of Rafael E. Martínez and currently lives in Orlando.

External links

Republican Party General Chairman Senator Mel Martínez
New York Times–Melquíades Rafael Martínez News a compilation of news and analysis
Profile on SourceWatch

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