James D. Martin

James Douglas Martin (born September 1, 1918) is a Republican politician from the U.S. State of Alabama. His 1962 campaign for the United States Senate was the first serious showing by an Alabama Republican since Reconstruction.

Martin was born in Tarrant. He received his education in the public schools of Jefferson County and the Birmingham School of Law. He began working in the petroleum industry in 1937. In July 1941, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he commanded an artillery battery in Europe during World War II. He also served as an intelligence officer in the Army of Occupation and was discharged as a Major in March 1946. He returned to the oil industry to work as an oil products distributor.

Martin was at first a conservative Democrat, but he joined the GOP to challenge incumbent J. Lister Hill for Hill's U.S. Senate seat. Martin lost to Hill by 6,019 votes (49.1 percent for Martin vs. 50.9 percent for Hill), the best Republican showing in decades.

Martin was elected to the House of Representatives in the 89th Congress in 1964, the year of the Goldwater landslide in Alabama which saw several other Republicans elected to the House. He gave up the House seat after one term, however, in order to run for Governor of Alabama in 1966. Martin was overwhelmingly defeated by Lurleen Wallace, wife of outgoing Governor George C. Wallace, Jr. He even ran behind Republican John Grenier, who was challenging U.S. Senator John Sparkman that year.

Martin also ran for the Senate in 1972 but lost the Republican nomination to former Postmaster General Winton Blount, who in turn was easily defeated by incumbent John Sparkman. Martin ran again in 1978, first against the Alabama Supreme Court Justice Howell Heflin, the Democratic nominee to succeed Senator Sparkman. He switched races to face Donald W. Stewart to fill the unexpired term of James B. Allen, who died in office. However, Stewart, who first beat Allen's widow, Maryon Allen, in the primary, went on to defeat Martin. Martin then returned to work in the petroleum industry.

In 1987, Guy Hunt, the first Republican governor of Alabama since Reconstruction, appointed Martin commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Martin is among the oldest living former members of Congress.

References

* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000182 James Douglas Martin] CongBio|M000182
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/martin5.html#R9M0J5ATF The Political Graveyard]