Martinez, a Cuban immigrant, is a former Democrat and a trial lawyer
 

As Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, "Martinez didn't do anything worth remembering. Martinez wasn't even particularly successful at cutting HUD's budget."

Martinez has a history of 180 degree reversals once safely elected to office. He campaigned against light rail for Orlando, Florida, then supported it once in office. In 2004, Senate candidate Martinez opposed amnesty for illegal aliens. By 2006, Martinez was fighting for amnesty.