Tom Martin (Texas politician)

Tom Martin
33rd Mayor of Lubbock, Texas
In office
2008–2012
Preceded byDavid A. Miller
Succeeded byGlen Robertson
Personal details
Born
Thomas Allen Martin

(1948-12-31)December 31, 1948
Rome, New York, U.S.[1]
DiedMarch 27, 2018(2018-03-27) (aged 69)
Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKaren Martin (since 1969)
Alma materTexas Tech University
ProfessionPolice Officer, Professor

Thomas Allen Martin (December 31, 1948 – March 27, 2018) was an American politician who served as mayor of Lubbock, Texas, 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.[2] Although Texas elections for mayors are explicitly nonpartisan, Martin is regarded as a Republican.[3]

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).[4]

Martin has insisted on the correct pronunciation of "Lubbock" as /ˈlʌbək/.[5]

Martin lost re-election in 2012 to Glen Robertson by a margin of 30 points.[6] 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.[7]

In 1969 Martin married Karen Leckie Martin, a registered nurse and schoolteacher. The Martins were actively involved members of Lubbock's First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.[8]

Martin died on March 27, 2018, from cancer at the age of 69.[9][10]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Thomas A. Martin Obituary (1948 - 2018) Lubbock Avalanche-Journal". Legacy.com.
  2. ^ Mayor Martin's bio on the Lubbock city web site Archived 2010-05-24 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 2009 August 29).
  3. ^ Clif Burnett, "Young Republicans With Todd Bezner Need Circus Tent" Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine in Lubbock County Register (Shallowater, Texas), 2009 August (accessed 2009 August 29).
  4. ^ Elliott Blackburn, "City to fight text message ruling" in Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 2009 August 29, pp. B1, B3 (quotation appears on p. B1). Cf. the similar e-mail controversy in New Orleans.
  5. ^ Westbrook, Ray (2011-07-25). "The linguistics of Lubb-uhk: The grating sound of 'Lubbick' hard on the ears of some longtime Lubbockites". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. pp. A1, A5.
  6. ^ Magelssen, Tommy (2012-05-13). "City's new mayor: Robertson wins big over Martin". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. pp. A1, A7. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  7. ^ Ward, Mikel (2012-06-01). "Mayor race margins a surprise Lubbock Avalanche-Journal". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. p. A5. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  8. ^ First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Lubbock (accessed 2009 August 29).
  9. ^ "Former Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin dies after battle with cancer - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock". www.kcbd.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-28.
  10. ^ "Former Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin Passes Away After Short Illness". News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
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