Mel Martínez
| Mel Martínez | |
|---|---|
 |
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| General Chair of the Republican National Committee | |
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In office January 19, 2007 – October 19, 2007 Served with Mike Duncan (National Chair) |
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| Preceded by | Ken Mehlman (Chair) |
| Succeeded by | Mike Duncan (Chair) |
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United States Senator from Florida |
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In office January 3, 2005 – September 9, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Graham |
| Succeeded by | George LeMieux |
| 12th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | |
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In office January 24, 2001 – December 13, 2003 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Andrew Cuomo |
| Succeeded by | Alphonso Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz October 23, 1946 Sagua La Grande, Cuba |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Kitty Martínez |
| Children | 3 |
| Education |
Orlando Junior College Florida State University, Tallahassee (BA, JD) |
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martínez (born October 23, 1946), is an American lobbyist and former politician who served as a United States Senator from Florida from 2005 to 2009 and as chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party. Previously, Martínez served as the 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush. Martínez is a Cuban-American and Roman Catholic. He announced he was resigning as chairman of the Republican National Committee on October 19, 2007.
Martínez resigned his United States Cabinet post on December 12, 2003, to run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Bob Graham. Martínez secured the Republican nomination and narrowly defeated the Democratic nominee, Betty Castor. His election made him the first Cuban-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Furthermore, he and Ken Salazar (who is Mexican-American) were the first Hispanic U.S. Senators since 1977. They were joined by a third, Bob Menéndez (who is also Cuban-American) in January 2006, until Salazar resigned from the Senate on January 20, 2009, to become Secretary of the Interior. On December 2, 2008, Martínez announced he would not be running for re-election to the Senate in 2010.
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Wikipedia