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In 1966, Martin was elected to the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. He served for seven years, including two stints as the board chairman. He was a president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

In 1966, Martin was elected to the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. He served for seven years, including two stints as the board chairman. He was a president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

Martin was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1972 representing for six terms the Charlotte-based 9th congressional district. Representative Martin served on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee member and as a chairman of the House Republican Research Committee.

Martin was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1972 representing for six terms the [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]]-based 9th congressional district. Representative Martin served on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee member and as a chairman of the House Republican Research Committee.

In 1984, with incumbent governor James Baxter Hunt, Jr., term-limited, Martin won the Republican nomination and then defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Attorney General Rufus Lige Edmisten (born 1941) by a nine-point margin. In his gubernatorial campaign, Martin was helped by the successful reelection of [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]] and the backing of the outgoing Democratic lieutenant governor, James Collins "Jimmy" Green (1921-2000), who had lost the gubernatorial [[primary]] to Edmisten and was popular in the eastern portion of the state which then had many [[Conservative Democrat]]s, who provided the election margins five times for [[conservative]] [[United States Senator]] [[Jesse Helms]] of [[Raleigh]]. In that same election, Republican Helms defeated a strong challenge from outgoing Governor Jim Hunt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carolinajournal.com/daily_journal/display.html?id=10552|title=Political grudges are nothing new|authoer=John Hood|publisher=John Locke Foundation: ''Carolina Journal''|date=October 11, 2013|accessdate=October 5, 2021}}</ref>

In 1984, with incumbent governor James Baxter Hunt, Jr., term-limited, Martin won the Republican nomination and then defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Attorney General Rufus Lige Edmisten (born 1941) by a nine-point margin. In his gubernatorial campaign, Martin was helped by the successful reelection of [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]] and the backing of the outgoing Democratic lieutenant governor, James Collins "Jimmy" Green (1921-2000), who had lost the gubernatorial [[primary]] to Edmisten and was popular in the eastern portion of the state which then had many [[Conservative Democrat]]s, who provided the election margins five times for [[conservative]] [[United States Senator]] [[Jesse Helms]] of [[Raleigh]]. In that same election, Republican Helms defeated a strong challenge from outgoing Governor Jim Hunt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carolinajournal.com/daily_journal/display.html?id=10552|title=Political grudges are nothing new|authoer=John Hood|publisher=John Locke Foundation: ''Carolina Journal''|date=October 11, 2013|accessdate=October 5, 2021}}</ref>