Mel Martínez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mel Martínez
United States Senator from Florida
In office January 3, 2005 – September 9, 2009
Preceded by	Bob Graham
Succeeded by	George LeMieux
General Chair of the Republican National Committee
In office January 19, 2007 – October 19, 2007 Served with Mike Duncan (National Chair)
Preceded by	Ken Mehlman (chair)
Succeeded by	Mike Duncan (chair)
12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
In office January 24, 2001 – August 13, 2004
President	George W. Bush
Deputy	Alphonso Jackson
Preceded by	Andrew Cuomo
Succeeded by	Alphonso Jackson
2nd Mayor of Orange County
In office January 3, 1998 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Linda Chapin
Succeeded by	Richard Crotty
Personal details
Born	Melquíades Rafael Ruiz Martínez (1946-10-23) October 23, 1946 (age 78) Sagua La Grande, Cuba
Political party	Democratic (before 1979) Republican (1979–present)
Spouse	Kitty Martínez
Children	3
Education	Orlando Junior College (AA) Florida State University (BA, JD)

Melquíades Rafael Ruiz Martínez (born October 23, 1946) is a Cuban-American who used to be a politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Florida from 2005 to 2009. He was also the general chairman of the Republican Party for a short time in 2006-2007.

Before becoming a senator, Martínez was the 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under President George W. Bush. He is a Cuban-American and a Roman Catholic.

Martínez left his job as HUD Secretary in 2004 to run for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida. He won the Republican nomination and then won the election against Betty Castor. This made him the first Cuban-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. He later decided not to run for re-election in 2010 and resigned from his Senate seat in 2009. After leaving the Senate, Martínez became a lobbyist and later worked for Chase Bank in Florida and other regions.

Early Life and Education

Martínez was born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, in 1946. When he was 15, in 1962, he came to the United States. He was part of a special effort called Operation Peter Pan, which helped more than 14,000 children come to the U.S. from Cuba.

When he first arrived, Martínez was alone and didn't speak much English. He lived in youth facilities and with foster families. In 1966, he was reunited with his family in Orlando. He graduated from Bishop Moore High School in 1964.

Martínez continued his education, earning a degree from Orlando Junior College in 1967. He then got a bachelor's degree in international affairs and a law degree from Florida State University. After finishing law school in 1973, he worked as a lawyer in Orlando for 25 years. He was also involved in many community groups, like Catholic Charities.

Beginning a Political Career

Senator Mel Martínez chats with U.S. President George W. Bush in the Center Hall of the White House during a celebration of Cinco de Mayo.

In 1994, Martínez ran for Lieutenant Governor of Florida, but his team did not win the Republican primary.

Serving Orange County Mayor

On November 3, 1998, Martínez was elected to lead Orange County, Florida. During his time in office, the position was renamed "mayor." He created a rule called the "Martínez doctrine." This rule said that new buildings could only be built if there was enough public infrastructure, like schools, to support them. This rule was challenged in court but was upheld. Martínez served as mayor until the end of 2000.

Before becoming the Secretary of HUD, Martínez also served on various boards and commissions. He was the co-chairman of George W. Bush's presidential election campaign in Florida. He also helped raise money for the campaign.

Personal Life

Mel Martínez is married to Kitty Martínez. They have three children and five grandchildren. He lives in Orlando, Florida.

U.S. Senate Election (2004)

In November 2004, Martínez was the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate election in Florida. He was running to replace the retiring Democratic Senator Bob Graham. Martínez received support from many Republican groups and leaders across the country. His Cuban background and popularity in the Orlando area helped him gain support in Florida.

Primary Election

Martínez faced a strong challenge from former Congressman Bill McCollum in the Republican primary. Martínez won the primary election on August 31, 2004, with 45% of the votes. Soon after, he spoke alongside President Bush at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

General Election

Martínez won against his Democratic opponent, Betty Castor, in a very close election. The winner was not clear until the day after the election when Castor conceded. Martínez won by about 70,000 votes.

Republican National Committee

In November 2006, Martínez was chosen to be the general chairman of the Republican Party for the 2007–2008 election period. He stepped down from this role on October 19, 2007.

Books About Mel Martínez

In August 2008, Martínez released his own book called A Sense of Belonging; From Castro's Cuba to the U.S. Senate, One Man's Pursuit of the American Dream. This book tells his life story.

Another book about Martínez, called Immigrant Prince, was written by Richard E. Foglesong. It was published in April 2011.

Political Views and Positions

Mel Martínez has shared his views on many important topics:

• Economy: He generally supports free trade and tax cuts. He also believes in reducing rules for businesses.
• Education: He supports the No Child Left Behind Act, which aims to improve schools. He also supports more standardized testing and programs that allow parents to use public money for private schools (school vouchers).
• Immigration: He has said that immigration policy should first keep the country safe. He has opposed giving "amnesty" (legal forgiveness) to people who are in the country illegally. He believes people should come to the U.S. through legal ways.
• Environment: He supports funding for conservation without raising taxes. He also supports allowing hunting and shooting sports on federal lands.
• Foreign Policy:
  • Cuba: He is critical of Cuba's human rights record. He supports strict travel rules and economic restrictions against Cuba.
  • Iraq: He supported the Bush Doctrine, which focused on preventing threats to the U.S.
  • Israel: He supports Israel's right to govern itself and believes the U.S. and Israel should have close ties.
• Health Care: He supports private Medicare and Social Security accounts for new workers.
• Homeland Security: He believes in having a very strong military.
• Religion: He supports the freedom to practice religion.
• Senior Citizens: He helped create a nationwide Silver Alert program to help find missing seniors.
• U.S. Supreme Court Nominations: He voted to approve all three judges nominated to the Supreme Court during his time in the Senate.
• Welfare: He supports welfare reforms that encourage people to be responsible for themselves.
• Public Housing: He supports providing housing for people who need it, whether for physical, mental, or financial reasons. As Secretary of HUD, he played a big part in building housing.

In 2008, Martínez supported Senator John McCain in the presidential election, saying McCain understood national security and foreign policy well.

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Mel Martínez para niños

• List of foreign-born United States Cabinet members
• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
• List of United States senators born outside the United States