Tom Martin (Texas politician)

{{Short description|American politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Tom Martin

| office = 33rd Mayor of Lubbock, Texas

| term_start = 2008

| term_end = 2012

| predecessor = David A. Miller

| successor = Glen Robertson

| birth_name=Thomas Allen Martin

| birth_date = {{birth date|1948|12|31}}

| birth_place=Rome, New York, U.S.{{Cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lubbockonline/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-a-martin&pid=188607027&fhid=19543|title=Thomas A. Martin Obituary (1948 - 2018) Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|website=Legacy.com}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|3|27|1948|12|31|mf=yes}}

| death_place=Lubbock, Texas, U.S.

| spouse = Karen Martin (since 1969)

| profession = Police Officer, Professor

| alma_mater = Texas Tech University

| party = Republican

}}

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.[http://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/Council/MayorBiography.aspx Mayor Martin's bio on the Lubbock city web site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524023211/http://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/Council/MayorBiography.aspx |date=2010-05-24 }} (accessed 2009 August 29). Although Texas elections for mayors are explicitly nonpartisan, Martin is regarded as a Republican.Clif Burnett, [http://lubbockcountyregister.blogspot.com/2009/08/young-republicans-with-todd-bezner-need.html "Young Republicans With Todd Bezner Need Circus Tent"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708051711/http://lubbockcountyregister.blogspot.com/2009/08/young-republicans-with-todd-bezner-need.html |date=2011-07-08 }} in Lubbock County Register (Shallowater, Texas), 2009 August (accessed 2009 August 29).

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).Elliott Blackburn, [http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/081509/loc_481935700.shtml "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.

Martin has insisted on the correct pronunciation of "Lubbock" as {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ʌ|b|ə|k}}.{{cite news

| first = Ray

| last = Westbrook

| date = 2011-07-25

| pages = A1, A5

| newspaper = Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

| title = The linguistics of Lubb-uhk: The grating sound of 'Lubbick' hard on the ears of some longtime Lubbockites

| url = http://lubbockonline.com/life-savvy-shopper/2011-07-24/grating-sound-lubbick-hard-ears-some-longtime-lubbockites

}}

Martin lost re-election in 2012 to Glen Robertson by a margin of 30 points.{{cite news

|url = http://www.lubbockonline.com/election/2012-05-12/robertson-defeats-martin-rout-will-be-sworn-wednesday-lubbock-mayor#.T7xc_1ImXGg

|title = City's new mayor: Robertson wins big over Martin

|date = 2012-05-13

|accessdate = 2012-05-22

|pages = A1, A7

|last = Magelssen

|first = Tommy

|newspaper = Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

}} 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.{{cite news

|url = http://lubbockonline.com/editorial-letters/2012-06-01/letter-mayor-race-margins-surprise#.T-DimZEmXGg

|title = Mayor race margins a surprise Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

|first = Mikel

|last = Ward

|date = 2012-06-01

|accessdate = 2012-06-19

|newspaper = Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

|page = A5

}}

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.[http://www.cpclubbock.com/staff.php?staffID=8014& First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Lubbock] (accessed 2009 August 29).

Martin died on March 27, 2018, from cancer at the age of 69.{{cite web |url=http://www.kcbd.com/story/37823702/former-lubbock-mayor-tom-martin-dies-after-battle-with-cancer |title=Former Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin dies after battle with cancer - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock |website=www.kcbd.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328033657/http://www.kcbd.com/story/37823702/former-lubbock-mayor-tom-martin-dies-after-battle-with-cancer |archive-date=2018-03-28}} {{Cite web|url=http://kfyo.com/former-lubbock-mayor-tom-martin-passes-away-after-short-illness/|title=Former Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin Passes Away After Short Illness|website=News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO|date=28 March 2018 |language=en|access-date=2018-03-28}}