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==Early Life==
==Early Life==
Martinez was born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, to Gladys V. Ruiz and Melquiades C. Martinez. He came to the [[United States]] in 1962 as part of a Roman Catholic humanitarian effort called Operation Peter Pan, which brought into the U.S. more than 14,000 children. Not knowing a word of English, Martinez learned the language, earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University, and went on to practice law for 25 years.
Martinez was born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, to Gladys V. Ruiz and Melquiades C. Martinez. He came to the [[United States]] in 1962 as part of a [[Roman Catholic]] humanitarian effort called Operation Peter Pan, which brought into the U.S. more than 14,000 children. Not knowing a word of [[English]], Martinez learned the language, earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University, and went on to practice law for 25 years.
==Political career==
In 1994, Martinez ran for Lieutenant Governor of Florida. He teamed up with former Family Research Council President Ken Connor, who was the gubernatorial candidate. The Connor/Martinez ticket was defeated in the Republican primary, finishing fifth with 83,945 votes, or 9.31% of the vote. Martinez was the elected Chairman of Orange County, Florida, and served on the Governor's Growth Management Study Commission. He previously served as President of the Orlando Utilities Commission, on the board of directors of a community bank, and as Chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority. In 2000, Martinez was selected as the co-chairman of [[Texas]] [[Governor]] [[George W. Bush]]'s 2000 Presidential campaign in Florida. Bush carried Florida and won the election. In November 2004, Martinez was elected to the United States Senate in Florida.
==External Links==
==External Links==
*[http://martinez.senate.gov/public/ Official Website]
*[http://martinez.senate.gov/public/ Official Website]