Martin Hoke

Martin R. Hoke
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 10th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Clarence E. Miller
Succeeded by	Dennis Kucinich
Personal details
Born	May 18, 1952 (1952-05-18) (age 59) Lakewood, Ohio
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Amherst College, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

Martin R. Hoke (born May 18, 1952)^[1] is an American Republican politician, member of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.

Hoke was born in Lakewood, Ohio and attended school at the private Western Reserve Academy. He graduated from Amherst College in 1973 and earned a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1980.^[1] During the 1970s he practiced Sikhism.^[2] He also founded a cell phone company.

In 1992, Hoke won the Republican nomination for Ohio's 10th congressional district, located in Cleveland's west side. Hoke upset heavily favored Democrat Mary Rose Oakar, who had represented the district (formerly the 20th District) for 16 years, in the general election. Oakar was hampered by accusations of check writing at the House of Representatives Bank. Hoke was the first Republican to represent a significant portion of traditionally heavily Democratic Cleveland in over 30 years.

Hoke won re-election in 1994 against Frank Gaul, a Cuyahoga County Treasurer who had recently overseen losses in a county bond fund based on faulty advice from private bond counsel.

In 1996, Hoke was defeated by former Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich 49%-46%. Hoke was harmed by several gaffes he had made, the Democratic nature of the district, strong labor support for Kucinich, and a mounting public perception that he would lose, furthered when his fellow Cleveland-area Republican Congressman Steve LaTourette argued that voters should vote for him because Hoke was likely to lose and the Cleveland area needed at least one Republican congressman.

Hoke was appointed to the Ohio Casino Control Commission by Governor John R. Kasich on February 23, 2011. His term of office will end on February 22, 2013.^[3]

Controversy

Following the 1994 State of the Union speech by President Bill Clinton, Hoke was being interviewed alongside Democratic Ohio Congressman Eric Fingerhut. When a female television news producer asked Fingerhut if she could ask him to unbutton his jacket, Fingerhut responded "you can ask me to do anything you want." After miking Hoke and Fingerhut, the producer walked away and Hoke remarked, in an Italian accent, "She's got ze beega breasts."^{[4][dead link]} Hoke quickly realized that he was being recorded and had made a major gaffe, saying "we're probably live". Although the cameras were not broadcasting live at that moment, the incident was taped. Local news stations in Cleveland, Ohio soon broadcast the comment all over the city. Hoke quickly apologized for the remark, stating that he deserved "a 2-by-4 to the head."^{[4][dead link]}.

See also

• Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 10th District

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Biographical Guide of the United States Congress
2. ^ encyclopedia.com
3. ^ "Kasich appoints members of Ohio Casino Control Commission, February 23, 2011
4. ^ ^{a b} Ferguson, Andrew. "The look that killed - how Ohio Representative Martin Hoke was caught on tape and chastised publicly for commenting on the size of a woman producer's breasts before a TV interview." The National Review April 4, 1994

External links

• Martin Hoke at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Congressional Bad Boys

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Clarence E. Miller	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 10th congressional district 1993–1997	Succeeded by Dennis Kucinich

Persondata
Name	Hoke, Martin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	May 18, 1952
Place of birth	Lakewood, Ohio
Date of death
Place of death