Martínez, Matthew G. (Matthew Gilbert), 1929-2011

Matthew Gilbert "Marty" Martínez (February 14, 1929 – October 15, 2011) was an American businessman and politician. He notably represented California's 30th and 31st congressional districts in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982 to 2001. Initially a member of the Democratic Party, Martínez switched parties to become a Republican after being defeated by Hilda Solis in the 2000 Democratic primary.

Born in Walsenburg, Colorado, his family moved to East Los Angeles when Martínez was a year old. He attended local public schools, eventually graduating from Los Angeles' Roosevelt High School. From 1947 to 1950, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, attaining the rank of private first class. In 1956, using the GI Bill to study business, he earned a certificate of competence from the Los Angeles Trade Technical School. Martínez opened a furniture upholstery shop in the 1950s, moving the business from Hollywood to Monterey Park in the Eastern Los Angeles suburbs, and also worked as a building contractor. During his years as a business owner he switched his political affiliation from Democratic to Republican. From 1971 to 1974, he served on the Monterey Park planning committee and embarked on a career in elective politics. Martínez changed his affiliation back to the Democratic Party shortly after winning a seat on the Monterey Park city council. He served on the council for six consecutive years, two of them (1974–1975) as mayor of Monterey Park. In 1977 he was appointed to the California Solid Waste Management Board. Martínez defeated incumbent California assemblyman Jack Fenton to win the Democratic nomination for the 59th district. He was elected without major party opposition.

In 1982, Martínez won the special election to succeed Congressman George Danielson, and was reelected nine times by varying margins. In his first term in Congress he was assigned to the Education and Labor Committee. In the 99th Congress (1985–87) he chaired the Subcommittee on Employment Opportunities. In 1991, he became the Chairman of the Human Resources Subcommittee. In 1992, Martínez was named to the Foreign Affairs Committee, and served on the Subcommittee on International Security, International Organizations and Human Rights. In 2000, Martínez was defeated in the Democratic primary by liberal State Senator Hilda Solis 62% to 29%. She charged that he was out of touch with his district when he voted to ban partial-birth abortion and opposed gun control. (He was both Roman Catholic and a member of the National Rifle Association.) While he had been a reliably Democratic vote on most issues throughout his congressional career, after his primary loss Martínez began to vote overwhelmingly with Republicans. On July 27, 2000, Martínez switched to the Republican Party, arguing that the Democrats had abandoned him. Despite vowing to run as a Republican against Solis in 2002, Martínez returned to private life. He died in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on October 15, 2011.