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{{short description|First Hispanic governor of Florida}} {{short description|Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991}}
{{about||the American labor union leader|Robert Martinez Jr.|the politician in Virginia|Robert E. Martinez}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder {{Infobox officeholder
|name = Bob Martinez |name = Bob Martinez
|image = Portrait of Florida Governor Robert Martinez.jpg |image = Portrait of Gov. Bob Martinez.jpg
|office = Director of the ] |office = Director of the ]
|president = ] |president = ]
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|predecessor1 = ] |predecessor1 = ]
|successor1 = ] |successor1 = ]
|office2 = ] |office2 = 54th ]
|term_start2 = October 1, 1979 |term_start2 = October 1, 1979
|term_end2 = July 16, 1986 |term_end2 = July 16, 1986
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|death_date = |death_date =
|death_place = |death_place =
|party = ] (before 1983)<br>] (1983–present) |party = ] (before 1983)<br/>] (1983–present)
|spouse = {{marriage|Mary Jane Marino|1954}} |spouse = {{marriage|Mary Jane Marino|1954}}
|children = 2 |children = 2
|education = ] (])<br>] (]) |education = ] (])<br/>] (])
}} }}


'''Robert Martinez''' (born December 25, 1934) is a retired American politician who was the first person of ] descent to be elected to the office of ] of Florida. He was the state's 40th governor and held the office from 1987 to 1991.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridagovernorsmansion.com/index.cfm?section=people&administrationID=7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040906185919/http://www.floridagovernorsmansion.com/index.cfm?section=people&administrationID=7 |archive-date=September 6, 2004 |title=Robert (Bob) Martinez |url-status=dead |access-date=September 2, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> '''Robert Martinez''' (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th ] from 1987 to 1991.<ref>{{cite web |title=Robert (Bob) Martinez |url=http://www.floridagovernorsmansion.com/index.cfm?section=people&administrationID=7 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040906185919/http://www.floridagovernorsmansion.com/index.cfm?section=people&administrationID=7 |archive-date=September 6, 2004 |access-date=September 2, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> A member of the ], Martinez was the first person of ] descent to be elected governor of Florida.


Martinez was born and raised in ], attended the ], and began his career as an educator in the local ] and then the University of Tampa. In 1965, he was named the director of the local teacher's union, a position he held during the ]. He first entered politics with an unsuccessful run for ] in 1974, then won the office in Tampa's next mayoral election in 1979 and was reelected in 1983. During his second term as mayor, Martinez switched his ] affiliation from ] to ], upsetting some supporters in heavily Democratic Tampa.<ref name="plateau "/> He resigned the position in 1986 to focus on his ultimately successful campaign for the governorship of Florida. His single term as governor was controversial due to the passage and repeal of an unpopular state ] on services and an anti-obscenity campaign targeting Miami rappers ], who later recorded a derogatory song attacking Martinez. He lost his reelection campaign to U.S. Senator ] in 1990. Martinez was born and raised in ], attended the ], and began his career as an educator in the local ] and then the ]. In 1965, he was named the director of the local teachers' union, a position he held during the ]. He first entered politics with an unsuccessful run for ] in 1974, then won the office in Tampa's next mayoral election in 1979 and was reelected in 1983. During his second term as mayor, Martinez switched his ] affiliation from ] to ], upsetting some supporters in heavily Democratic Tampa.<ref name="plateau "/> He resigned the position in 1986 to focus on his ultimately successful campaign for the governorship of Florida. His single term as governor was controversial due to the passage and repeal of an unpopular state ] on services and an anti-obscenity campaign targeting Miami rappers ], who later recorded a derogatory song attacking Martinez. He lost his reelection campaign to U.S. Senator ] in 1990.


After his time as governor, Martinez was appointed ] by President ]. Martinez held that position from 1991 until 1993, when he returned to Tampa and became a business consultant and a board member of several local educational organizations. After his time as governor, Martinez was appointed ] by President ]. Martinez held that position from 1991 until 1993 when he returned to Tampa and became a business consultant and a board member of several local educational organizations.


== Early life and career == == Early life and career ==
Bob Martinez was born in ] on December 25, 1934, the only child of Serafín Martínez and Ida Carreño Martínez. His grandparents were ] immigrants who had come to Tampa from the province of ] to find work in the Spanish/Cuban/Italian neighborhood of ].<ref name="formermayor">{{cite web | url=http://www.tampagov.net/city-clerk/info/previous-mayors/martinez-robert | title=Robert (Bob) Martinez - 54th Mayor of Tampa | publisher=City of Tampa | access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> Bob Martinez's mother was a seamstress and his father was a waiter at the ] in Ybor City, and the family lived in Ybor City and ] during his youth.<ref name="newparty">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G8MTAAAAIBAJ&pg=6893%2C135186 | title=New Party, New Fight for Bob Martinez | work=Ocala Star-Banner | date=September 1, 1986 | access-date=11 April 2016 | author=George, Ed}}</ref> Bob Martinez was born in ] on December 25, 1934, the only child of Serafín Martínez and Ida Carreño Martínez. His grandparents were ] immigrants who had come to Tampa from the province of ] to find work in the Spanish/Cuban/Italian neighborhood of ].<ref name="formermayor">{{cite web | url=http://www.tampagov.net/city-clerk/info/previous-mayors/martinez-robert | title=Robert (Bob) Martinez - 54th Mayor of Tampa | date=June 17, 2014 | publisher=City of Tampa | access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> Bob Martinez's mother was a seamstress and his father was a waiter at the ] in Ybor City, and the family lived in Ybor City and ] during his youth.<ref name="newparty">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G8MTAAAAIBAJ&pg=6893%2C135186 | title=New Party, New Fight for Bob Martinez | work=Ocala Star-Banner | date=September 1, 1986 | access-date=11 April 2016 | author=George, Ed}}</ref> Martinez graduated from ] in 1953 and earned a ] from the ] in 1957.


For several years, he taught ] at local ]s. He taught at Oak Grove Junior High for three & half years, starting in 1957.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Pleasants |first=Julian |date=March 23, 1999 |title=Interview with Bob Martinez, 1999-03-23 |url=https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00005615/00001/11 |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu |pages=10–13 |language=en}}</ref>
⚫ Martinez graduated from ] in 1953 and earned a ] from the ] in 1957. For several years, he taught ] at local ]s. He went back to college and earned a ] in ] at the ] in 1964, then returned to Tampa and worked as a business labor consultant and an economics instructor at the University of Tampa.<ref name="formermayor"/>

⚫ He then went back to college and earned a ] in ] at the ] in 1964 and returned to Tampa, working as a business labor consultant. He also taught as an economics instructor at the University of Tampa, in the summer of 1965.<ref name="formermayor" />

Shortly after graduating, he taught at ] for three & half years. During his time as a teacher there he became involved with the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.<ref name=":0" />


=== HCTA === === HCTA ===
In 1965, Martinez was named the executive director of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA), the local teachers' ] in ].<ref>. Sptimes.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> In 1968, the HCTA joined the ]'s ] in support of more education funding and ] rights for teachers. Though the labor action was seemingly unsuccessful in the short term, its goals were gradually met over the following few years through court and legislative actions. In 1971, Martinez and the HCTA negotiated the first union contract for Hillsborough County teachers.<ref>. Sptimes.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> In 1965, Martinez was named the executive director of the ] (HCTA), the local teachers' union in ].<ref>. '']''. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref>
In 1968, the HCTA joined the ]'s ] in support of more education funding and ] rights for teachers. Though the labor action was seemingly unsuccessful in the short term, its goals were gradually met over the following few years through court and legislative actions. In 1971, Martinez and the HCTA negotiated the first union contract for Hillsborough County teachers.<ref>. ''St. Petersburg Times''. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref>


== Political career == == Political career ==
In 1974, Martinez unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Tampa against ]. He resigned as executive director of the HCTA in 1975 and was appointed vice chairman of the ] by Florida Governor ]. He also ran Cafe Sevilla, his family's restaurant in West Tampa.<ref name=autogenerated1></ref> In 1974, Martinez unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Tampa against ]. He resigned as executive director of the HCTA in 1975 and was appointed vice-chairman of the ] by Florida Governor ]. He also ran Cafe Sevilla, his family's restaurant in West Tampa.<ref name=autogenerated1>. ''St. Petersburg Times''. September 5, 1979.</ref>


===Mayor of Tampa=== ===Mayor of Tampa===
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Although the mayor's office is nonpartisan, Martinez was known to be a ]. However, in 1983, he changed his party affiliation to Republican after meeting with ] when the president was in Tampa to give a speech, causing some dismay among local supporters and leading to speculation that he may eventually run for higher office.<ref name="plateau ">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zJhjAAAAIBAJ&pg=7114%2C3057872 | title=Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez on a Controversial Plateau | work=The Evening independent | date=13 August 1983 | access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> Martinez's national profile increased in 1984, when he delivered a speech at the ], and in 1985, when he was elected to the board of directors of the ].<ref name="newparty"/> Although the mayor's office is nonpartisan, Martinez was known to be a ]. However, in 1983, he changed his party affiliation to Republican after meeting with ] when the president was in Tampa to give a speech, causing some dismay among local supporters and leading to speculation that he may eventually run for higher office.<ref name="plateau ">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zJhjAAAAIBAJ&pg=7114%2C3057872 | title=Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez on a Controversial Plateau | work=The Evening independent | date=13 August 1983 | access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> Martinez's national profile increased in 1984, when he delivered a speech at the ], and in 1985, when he was elected to the board of directors of the ].<ref name="newparty"/>


===Governor of Florida=== ==Governor of Florida==


====1986 election==== ===1986 election===
In early 1985, Martinez began actively exploring the possibility of running for governor of Florida, and he formally announced his candidacy in November of that year.<ref name="makesbid">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iK1PAAAAIBAJ&pg=4086%2C7561378 | title=Martinez Makes Governor Bid | work=Ocala Star-Banner | date=26 November 1985 | access-date=11 April 2016 | author=Dunkelberger, Lloyd}}</ref> In July 1986, he resigned as mayor of Tampa to devote all of his time to the gubernatorial campaign. In early 1985, Martinez began actively exploring the possibility of running for governor of Florida, and he formally announced his candidacy in November of that year.<ref name="makesbid">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iK1PAAAAIBAJ&pg=4086%2C7561378 | title=Martinez Makes Governor Bid | work=Ocala Star-Banner | date=26 November 1985 | access-date=11 April 2016 | author=Dunkelberger, Lloyd}}</ref> In July 1986, he resigned as mayor of Tampa to devote all of his time to the gubernatorial campaign.


Martinez defeated former ] ], of ] in the Republican gubernatorial ] and Democratic state representative ] in the ]. With the election victory, Martinez became the second Republican governor of Florida since ] and the first (and thus far, only) ] governor in Florida history. He was inaugurated on January 6, 1987. Martinez defeated former ] ], of ] in the Republican gubernatorial ] and Democratic state representative ] in the ]. With the election victory, Martinez became the second Republican governor of Florida since ] and the first ] governor in Florida history. He was inaugurated on January 6, 1987.


====Governorship==== ===Tenure===
] ]


As governor, Martinez initiated America's largest environmental land acquisition program, Preservation 2000. He proposed the Surface Water Improvement Management Act that protects Florida's surface waters, including ], ], ], the ], and other areas. He helped get Florida's first solid waste management law passed and implemented Florida's Growth Management Act. He was an advocate of laws and rules that protected ]s and dolphins. He aggressively sought to eliminate wasteful spending projects sponsored by members of the legislature, and increased spending on the state's drug control programs. For a time, Martinez was regarded as a "rising star" in Republican politics. As governor, Martinez initiated America's largest environmental land acquisition program, Preservation 2000. He proposed the Surface Water Improvement Management Act that protects Florida's surface waters, including ], ], ], the ], and other areas. He helped get Florida's first solid waste management law passed and implemented Florida's Growth Management Act. He was an advocate of laws and rules that protected ]s and dolphins. He aggressively sought to eliminate wasteful spending projects sponsored by members of the legislature and increased spending on the state's drug control programs. For a time, Martinez was regarded as a "rising star" in Republican politics.


In 1987, following the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger the previous year, Martinez appointed a number of aerospace industry and community leaders to the "Florida Governor's Commission on Space." This concept was undertaken by Stephen Lee Morgan, vice chairman and executive director of the Florida Space Business Roundtable, Inc., a non-profit organization of Central Florida aerospace industry executives. Martinez appointed Martin Marietta executive A. Thomas Young as chairman of the Commission, with then-Florida Secretary of Commerce ] (later Governor of Florida himself), as vice chairman. The Commission was widely hailed as a leader in the arena of state-sponsored economic development initiatives in the aerospace industry, and led to the establishment of the Spaceport Florida Authority, following the release of its formal report, "Steps to the Stars" in 1988 (drafted under the direction of the Florida Department of Commerce's Dr. Chris Shove). While now defunct, the Florida Spaceport Authority did orchestrate several commercial launches from unused launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida, including America's return to the moon with an unmanned orbiting vehicle aboard a Lockheed Martin rocket, the Athena (then called the "Lockheed Launch Vehicle" or "LLV"). The Authority was succeeded by an organization known as "Space Florida." The purpose of the Commission was to identify approaches and specific actions which the State might take to mitigate Florida's reliance on the Space Shuttle program as an employer in the space industry. Results were mixed, with some successes and a number of programs which bore little fruit. In 1987, following the destruction of the ] the previous year, Martinez appointed a number of the aerospace industry and community leaders to the "Florida Governor's Commission on Space." This concept was undertaken by Stephen Lee Morgan, vice chairman and executive director of the Florida Space Business Roundtable, Inc., a non-profit organization of Central Florida aerospace industry executives. Martinez appointed Martin Marietta executive A. Thomas Young as chairman of the commission, with then-Florida Secretary of Commerce ] (later Governor of Florida himself), as vice-chairman. The commission was widely hailed as a leader in the arena of state-sponsored economic development initiatives in the aerospace industry, and led to the establishment of the Spaceport Florida Authority, following the release of its formal report, "Steps to the Stars" in 1988 (drafted under the direction of the Florida Department of Commerce's Dr. Chris Shove). While now defunct, the Florida Spaceport Authority did orchestrate several commercial launches from unused launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida, including America's return to the Moon with an unmanned orbiting vehicle aboard a Lockheed Martin rocket, the Athena (then called the "Lockheed Launch Vehicle" or "LLV"). The Authority was succeeded by an organization known as "Space Florida." The purpose of the commission was to identify approaches and specific actions which the State might take to mitigate Florida's reliance on the Space Shuttle program as an employer in the space industry. Results were mixed, with some successes and a number of programs that bore little fruit.


⚫ In order to raise more revenue for the state, the ] passed a ] on ] with Martinez's support.<ref name="tbo.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBQ535MQ2F.html |title=State Income Tax: Why It Won't Happen In Florida |access-date=2007-09-22 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627074753/http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBQ535MQ2F.html |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |df=mdy }}. TBO.com. June 10, 2007</ref> The response from Floridians was strongly negative, so only two months after the tax went into effect, Martinez called the legislature back for a special session to repeal it.<ref>. ''The New York Times''. (1987-09-19). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> Though the tax was repealed<ref>. ''The New York Times''. (1987-12-10). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> and replaced by a traditional sales tax on goods, the perceived flip-flop on the issue seriously hurt the governor's credibility among Floridians and reduced his ability to get his initiatives enacted.<ref name="tbo.com"/>
====Struggles and controversy====
⚫ Martinez hit a bump in the political road. In order to raise more revenue for the state, the ] passed a ] on ] with Martinez's support.<ref name="tbo.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBQ535MQ2F.html |title=State Income Tax: Why It Won't Happen In Florida |access-date=2007-09-22 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627074753/http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBQ535MQ2F.html |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |df=mdy }}. TBO.com. June 10, 2007</ref> The response from Floridians was strongly negative, so only two months after the tax went into effect, Martinez called the legislature back for a special session to repeal it.<ref>. New York Times (1987-09-19). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref>


⚫ In 1989, Martinez vowed to "clear Death Row" and signed over 90 death warrants,<ref name="time">Lacayo, Richard; Beaty, Jonathan & ] (April 2, 1990). . '']''. Retrieved November 15, 2011. Archived from on June 20, 2009.</ref> with only nine of them being successful, including the warrant signed for ]. That same year Martinez ordered state prosecutors to determine whether Miami-area ] ]'s album '']'' violated Florida obscenity laws. As a result, record store owners were arrested for selling the album, and members of the group were arrested after a concert.<ref>. ''The New York Times''. (1990-10-17). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> All arrested parties were eventually acquitted. On '']'', their follow-up album, 2 Live Crew included a song entitled "Fuck Martinez".<ref>. ]. Retrieved August 3, 2021.</ref>
Though the tax was repealed<ref>. New York Times (1987-12-10). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> and replaced by a traditional sales tax on goods, the perceived flip-flop on the issue seriously hurt the governor's credibility among Floridians and reduced his ability to get his initiatives enacted.<ref name="tbo.com"/>


⚫ In the fall of 1989, after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed states greater flexibility to restrict abortions, Martinez promptly called the Florida Legislature into special session in an effort to pass anti-abortion laws. The special session was a debacle as none of the governor's proposals made it out of committee and his approval ratings sank to around 24%.
⚫ In 1989, Martinez vowed to "clear Death Row" and signed over 90 death warrants,<ref name="time">Lacayo, Richard. (1990-04-02) . Time.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> some of which did not pass all state and federal appeals. That same year Martinez ordered state prosecutors to determine whether Miami-area ] ]'s album '']'' violated Florida obscenity laws. As a result, record store owners were arrested for selling the album and members of the group were arrested after a concert.<ref>. New York Times (1990-10-17). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref> All arrested parties were eventually acquitted. On '']'', their follow-up album, ] included a song entitled ''F*** Martinez''.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828065858/http://lyrics.duble.com/lyrics/0/2-live-crew-lyrics/2-live-crew--martinez-lyrics.htm# |date=August 28, 2016 }}. Lyrics.duble.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.</ref>


===1990 election===
⚫ In the Fall of 1989, after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed states greater flexibility to restrict abortions, Martinez promptly called the Florida Legislature into special session in an effort to pass anti-abortion laws. The special session was a debacle as none of the governor's proposals made it out of committee and his approval ratings sank to around 24%.
⚫ In 1990, '']'' magazine referred to Martinez as "embattled" as he authorized a statewide television advertisement campaign boasting about his deeds, which were largely unpopular.<ref name="time" /> Martinez was unpopular within his own party by the time of the ], in which he suffered a landslide defeat against Democratic nominee, former ] ]. As of {{year}}, Martinez is the last Florida governor to lose reelection.

⚫ In 1990, TIME magazine referred to Martinez as "embattled" as he authorized a statewide television advertisement campaign boasting his deeds, which were largely unpopular.<ref name="time" /> It wasn't enough to get him a second term, though, as he suffered a landslide defeat in the 1990 gubernatorial election against former Democratic ] ].


==Post elected-office== ==Post elected-office==
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==Personal life== ==Personal life==
⚫ Bob Martinez married the former Mary Jane Marino in 1954, soon after they graduated from ]. They have two children, Robert Alan Martinez and Sharon Martinez.<ref name="glance">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8Y0xAAAAIBAJ&pg=1323%2C2680701 | title=Bob Martinez at a Glance | work=Ocala Star-Banner | date= September 24, 1990 | access-date=11 April 2016 | author=Crownover, Cathy}}</ref>
]

⚫ Bob Martinez married the former Mary Jane Marino in 1954, soon after they graduated from Tampa Jefferson High School. They have two children, Robert Alan Martinez and Sharon Martinez.<ref name="glance">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8Y0xAAAAIBAJ&pg=1323%2C2680701 | title=Bob Martinez at a Glance | work=Ocala Star-Banner | date=24 September 1990 | access-date=11 April 2016 | author=Crownover. Cathy}}</ref>


{{clear}} {{clear}}


==See also== ==See also==
⚫ {{Portal|Florida|Biography}}
* ] * ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
⚫ {{Portal|Florida|Biography}}
* *
* *
*{{C-SPAN|Robert Martinez}} *{{C-SPAN|3288}}


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Latest revision as of 04:58, 19 December 2024

Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991 For the American labor union leader, see Robert Martinez Jr. For the politician in Virginia, see Robert E. Martinez.

Bob Martinez
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
In office
March 28, 1991 – January 20, 1993
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded byBill Bennett
Succeeded byJohn Walters (acting)
40th Governor of Florida
In office
January 6, 1987 – January 8, 1991
LieutenantBobby Brantley
Preceded byWayne Mixson
Succeeded byLawton Chiles
54th Mayor of Tampa
In office
October 1, 1979 – July 16, 1986
Preceded byBill Poe
Succeeded bySandra Freedman
Personal details
Born (1934-12-25) December 25, 1934 (age 90)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (before 1983)
Republican (1983–present)
Spouse Mary Jane Marino ​(m. 1954)​
Children2
EducationUniversity of Tampa (BS)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (MS)

Robert Martinez (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, Martinez was the first person of Spanish descent to be elected governor of Florida.

Martinez was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, attended the University of Tampa, and began his career as an educator in the local public school system and then the University of Tampa. In 1965, he was named the director of the local teachers' union, a position he held during the Florida statewide teachers' strike of 1968. He first entered politics with an unsuccessful run for mayor of Tampa in 1974, then won the office in Tampa's next mayoral election in 1979 and was reelected in 1983. During his second term as mayor, Martinez switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, upsetting some supporters in heavily Democratic Tampa. He resigned the position in 1986 to focus on his ultimately successful campaign for the governorship of Florida. His single term as governor was controversial due to the passage and repeal of an unpopular state sales tax on services and an anti-obscenity campaign targeting Miami rappers 2 Live Crew, who later recorded a derogatory song attacking Martinez. He lost his reelection campaign to U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles in 1990.

After his time as governor, Martinez was appointed Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy by President George H. W. Bush. Martinez held that position from 1991 until 1993 when he returned to Tampa and became a business consultant and a board member of several local educational organizations.

Early life and career

Bob Martinez was born in Tampa, Florida on December 25, 1934, the only child of Serafín Martínez and Ida Carreño Martínez. His grandparents were Spanish immigrants who had come to Tampa from the province of Asturias to find work in the Spanish/Cuban/Italian neighborhood of Ybor City. Bob Martinez's mother was a seamstress and his father was a waiter at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, and the family lived in Ybor City and West Tampa during his youth. Martinez graduated from Jefferson High School in 1953 and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Tampa in 1957.

For several years, he taught civics at local high schools. He taught at Oak Grove Junior High for three & half years, starting in 1957.

He then went back to college and earned a master's degree in labor and industrial relations at the University of Illinois in 1964 and returned to Tampa, working as a business labor consultant. He also taught as an economics instructor at the University of Tampa, in the summer of 1965.

Shortly after graduating, he taught at Chamberlain High School for three & half years. During his time as a teacher there he became involved with the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

HCTA

In 1965, Martinez was named the executive director of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA), the local teachers' union in Hillsborough County.

In 1968, the HCTA joined the Florida Education Association's statewide teacher strike in support of more education funding and collective bargaining rights for teachers. Though the labor action was seemingly unsuccessful in the short term, its goals were gradually met over the following few years through court and legislative actions. In 1971, Martinez and the HCTA negotiated the first union contract for Hillsborough County teachers.

Political career

In 1974, Martinez unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Tampa against William "Bill" Poe. He resigned as executive director of the HCTA in 1975 and was appointed vice-chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District by Florida Governor Reubin Askew. He also ran Cafe Sevilla, his family's restaurant in West Tampa.

Mayor of Tampa

Martinez with Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush in 1983

Martinez campaigned for mayor against Poe again in 1979 and won. During Martinez's term of office, the city built one of America's first waste-to-energy plants, opened a large performing arts center and a modern convention center, completely reconstructed Lowry Park Zoo, restored the 1915 City Hall building, and annexed thousands of acres of unincorporated land northeast of town that would become the neighborhood of New Tampa.

Although the mayor's office is nonpartisan, Martinez was known to be a Democrat. However, in 1983, he changed his party affiliation to Republican after meeting with Ronald Reagan when the president was in Tampa to give a speech, causing some dismay among local supporters and leading to speculation that he may eventually run for higher office. Martinez's national profile increased in 1984, when he delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention, and in 1985, when he was elected to the board of directors of the National League of Cities.

Governor of Florida

1986 election

In early 1985, Martinez began actively exploring the possibility of running for governor of Florida, and he formally announced his candidacy in November of that year. In July 1986, he resigned as mayor of Tampa to devote all of his time to the gubernatorial campaign.

Martinez defeated former U.S. Representative Louis Frey Jr., of Winter Park in the Republican gubernatorial primary election and Democratic state representative Steve Pajcic in the 1986 Florida gubernatorial election. With the election victory, Martinez became the second Republican governor of Florida since Reconstruction and the first Hispanic governor in Florida history. He was inaugurated on January 6, 1987.

Tenure

Martinez gives his inauguration speech on January 6, 1987.

As governor, Martinez initiated America's largest environmental land acquisition program, Preservation 2000. He proposed the Surface Water Improvement Management Act that protects Florida's surface waters, including Lake Okeechobee, Tampa Bay, Lake Jackson, the Kissimmee River, and other areas. He helped get Florida's first solid waste management law passed and implemented Florida's Growth Management Act. He was an advocate of laws and rules that protected manatees and dolphins. He aggressively sought to eliminate wasteful spending projects sponsored by members of the legislature and increased spending on the state's drug control programs. For a time, Martinez was regarded as a "rising star" in Republican politics.

In 1987, following the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger the previous year, Martinez appointed a number of the aerospace industry and community leaders to the "Florida Governor's Commission on Space." This concept was undertaken by Stephen Lee Morgan, vice chairman and executive director of the Florida Space Business Roundtable, Inc., a non-profit organization of Central Florida aerospace industry executives. Martinez appointed Martin Marietta executive A. Thomas Young as chairman of the commission, with then-Florida Secretary of Commerce Jeb Bush (later Governor of Florida himself), as vice-chairman. The commission was widely hailed as a leader in the arena of state-sponsored economic development initiatives in the aerospace industry, and led to the establishment of the Spaceport Florida Authority, following the release of its formal report, "Steps to the Stars" in 1988 (drafted under the direction of the Florida Department of Commerce's Dr. Chris Shove). While now defunct, the Florida Spaceport Authority did orchestrate several commercial launches from unused launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida, including America's return to the Moon with an unmanned orbiting vehicle aboard a Lockheed Martin rocket, the Athena (then called the "Lockheed Launch Vehicle" or "LLV"). The Authority was succeeded by an organization known as "Space Florida." The purpose of the commission was to identify approaches and specific actions which the State might take to mitigate Florida's reliance on the Space Shuttle program as an employer in the space industry. Results were mixed, with some successes and a number of programs that bore little fruit.

In order to raise more revenue for the state, the Florida legislature passed a sales tax on services with Martinez's support. The response from Floridians was strongly negative, so only two months after the tax went into effect, Martinez called the legislature back for a special session to repeal it. Though the tax was repealed and replaced by a traditional sales tax on goods, the perceived flip-flop on the issue seriously hurt the governor's credibility among Floridians and reduced his ability to get his initiatives enacted.

In 1989, Martinez vowed to "clear Death Row" and signed over 90 death warrants, with only nine of them being successful, including the warrant signed for Ted Bundy. That same year Martinez ordered state prosecutors to determine whether Miami-area rappers 2 Live Crew's album Nasty as They Wanna Be violated Florida obscenity laws. As a result, record store owners were arrested for selling the album, and members of the group were arrested after a concert. All arrested parties were eventually acquitted. On Banned in the USA, their follow-up album, 2 Live Crew included a song entitled "Fuck Martinez".

In the fall of 1989, after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed states greater flexibility to restrict abortions, Martinez promptly called the Florida Legislature into special session in an effort to pass anti-abortion laws. The special session was a debacle as none of the governor's proposals made it out of committee and his approval ratings sank to around 24%.

1990 election

In 1990, Time magazine referred to Martinez as "embattled" as he authorized a statewide television advertisement campaign boasting about his deeds, which were largely unpopular. Martinez was unpopular within his own party by the time of the 1990 gubernatorial election, in which he suffered a landslide defeat against Democratic nominee, former United States Senator Lawton Chiles. As of 2024, Martinez is the last Florida governor to lose reelection.

Post elected-office

After leaving the governor's office on January 8, 1991, Martinez was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to the cabinet rank position of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (or "Drug Czar") where he served until January 20, 1993.

Since then, Martinez has served as a consultant to Florida-based businesses and law firms and is a political analyst for Bay News 9 television. He is a trustee of the University of Tampa, and a director of the Hillsborough Education Foundation, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo and the Tampa Bay History Center, all local nonprofit groups involved in some way with education.

Personal life

Bob Martinez married the former Mary Jane Marino in 1954, soon after they graduated from Tampa Jefferson High School. They have two children, Robert Alan Martinez and Sharon Martinez.

See also

References

  1. "Robert (Bob) Martinez". Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  2. ^ "Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez on a Controversial Plateau". The Evening independent. August 13, 1983. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  3. ^ "Robert (Bob) Martinez - 54th Mayor of Tampa". City of Tampa. June 17, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  4. ^ George, Ed (September 1, 1986). "New Party, New Fight for Bob Martinez". Ocala Star-Banner. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  5. ^ Pleasants, Julian (March 23, 1999). "Interview with Bob Martinez, 1999-03-23". original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu. pp. 10–13. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  6. "Hillsborough: He found his voice speaking for teachers". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
  7. "State: Once mighty teacher union's influence on wane". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
  8. ^ "Martinez Elected Mayor of Tampa". St. Petersburg Times. September 5, 1979.
  9. Dunkelberger, Lloyd (November 26, 1985). "Martinez Makes Governor Bid". Ocala Star-Banner. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  10. ^ "State Income Tax: Why It Won't Happen In Florida". Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved 2007-09-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). TBO.com. June 10, 2007
  11. "Governor Acts to End Florida Tax". The New York Times. (1987-09-19). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
  12. "Tax Repeal Is Passed In Florida". The New York Times. (1987-12-10). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
  13. ^ Lacayo, Richard; Beaty, Jonathan & Carney, Jay (April 2, 1990). "The Politics of Life and Death". Time. Retrieved November 15, 2011. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009.
  14. "Obscenity or Art? Trial on Rap Lyrics Opens". The New York Times. (1990-10-17). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
  15. "Fuck Martinez". Genius. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  16. Flsenate Archive: Welcome : Archived February 25, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Flsenate.gov. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
  17. Crownover, Cathy (September 24, 1990). "Bob Martinez at a Glance". Ocala Star-Banner. Retrieved April 11, 2016.

External links

Political offices
Preceded byBill Poe Mayor of Tampa
1979–1986 		Succeeded bySandra Freedman
Preceded byWayne Mixson Governor of Florida
1987–1991 		Succeeded byLawton Chiles
Preceded byBill Bennett Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
1991–1993 		Succeeded byJohn Walters
Acting
Party political offices
Preceded bySkip Bafalis Republican nominee for Governor of Florida
1986, 1990 		Succeeded byJeb Bush
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byMartha McSallyas Former US Senator Order of precedence of the United States
Within Florida 		Succeeded byBuddy MacKayas Former Governor
Preceded byRick Snyderas Former Governor Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Florida
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Republican Party nominees for governor of Florida (since 1953)
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