Tom Martin (Texas politician)

Tom Martin
34th Mayor of Lubbock, Texas
In office 2008–2012
Governor	Rick Perry
Preceded by	David A. Miller
Succeeded by	Glen Robertson
Personal details
Born	1949 (age 67–68)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Karen Martin (since 1969)
Residence	Lubbock, Texas
Alma mater	Texas Tech University
Profession	Police Officer, Professor
Religion	Presbyterian

Thomas Allen Martin (born 1949) is the former mayor of Lubbock, Texas, having served in that position from 2008 to 2012. He was a member of the Lubbock City Council from 2002 to 2006. Prior to seeking elected office, he had a career in law enforcement in Lubbock, Grapevine, and San Marcos, Texas. He has served as an instructor of criminal justice and political science at Wayland Baptist University's Lubbock campus. Although Texas elections for mayors are explicitly nonpartisan, Martin is regarded as a Republican.

Martin was a defender of maintaining confidentiality on the e-mail messages of city officials on public e-mail accounts and cellphones. In 2009 he was involved in a dispute with Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott who had issued a "ruling that made public text messages between City Council members related to city business sent on their personal phones" (the dispute had arisen from the firing of Lubbock's liaison for homeland security).

Martin has insisted on the correct pronunciation of "Lubbock" as /ˈlʌbək/.

Martin lost re-election in 2012 to Glen Robertson by a margin of 30 points. One Lubbock resident (who had previously supported Martin but who went for Robertson in 2012) cited Martin's "dedication and countless hours" and explained the magnitude of the election margin as being an undercurrent of concerns about increasing debt and spending, and the escalating reliance on hidden taxes on water bills to fund unrelated departments.

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