David Grier Martin III (born October 21, 1968) is an American politician and attorney serving as a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the state's 34th district. His district includes the northern part of Raleigh in

Wake Wake or The Wake may refer to: Culture *Wake (ceremony), a ritual which takes place during some funeral ceremonies *Wakes week, an English holiday tradition * Parish Wake, another name of the Welsh ', the fairs held on the local parish's patron s ...

County.

Early life and education

Born in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, Martin is the son of D. G. Martin, a lawyer, political candidate, and college administrator. Martin's grandfather,

David Grier Martin David Grier Martin Sr. (November 11, 1910 – April 5, 1974) was the 13th president of Davidson College. A graduate of Davidson College, class of 1932, he served as college treasurer under President Cunningham. He was forty-eight years old when ...

, served as the 13th president of

Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...

. Martin graduated from

and the

University of North Carolina School of Law The University of North Carolina School of Law is the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the United States and is the oldest law school in North Carol ...

, where he served as a Note Editor of the ''

North Carolina Law Review The ''North Carolina Law Review'' is the law journal of the University of North Carolina School of Law The University of North Carolina School of Law is the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carol ...

''.''The News & Observer''
/ref> He also has a LL.M degree in Military Law ( International and Operational Law concentration) from the Judge Advocate General's School.

Career

Military service

Martin is a lieutenant colonel in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020, ...

and served in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...

in 2002 and 2003. He is a graduate of the Army's Airborne School,

Air Assault School The United States Army Air Assault School, officially the Sabalauski Air Assault School (TSAAS), is a Army Forces Command Table of Distribution and Allowances unit located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Its primary task is training leaders and soldie ...

, and the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course.

Politics

Martin was first elected to the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, after defeating incumbent Republican

Don Munford R. Donovan "Don" Munford was a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirty-fourth House district, including constituents in Wake County from 2002. Munford is a lawyer and accountant from Raleigh, Nort ...

. Martin defeated Republican J.H. Ross in the November 2006 and

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

elections, and Republican Steve Henion in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. He chose not to run for re-election in 2012 after redistricting placed him in the same district with fellow Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross. But in 2013, Ross resigned from the legislature, and with her endorsement, local Democrats selected Martin to take her place for the remainder of the term. He was unopposed for a full term in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, and was easily reelected in 2016,

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, and

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

. Martin serves as the House Democratic Conference Co-Chair. During his first tenure in the House, Martin at one point co-chaired the Transportation Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee and chaired the Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. He received the Disabled American Veterans of North Carolina "Legislator of the Year" award, the Pesticide Education Project (now Toxic Free NC) "Legislative Leadership" award, the National Guard Association of the United States'

Charles Dick Medal of Merit The Charles Dick Medal of Merit is awarded by the National Guard Association of the United States to elected officials in recognition of their contributions toward the National Guard. It was established in 1988 and named in honor Charles Dick Cha ...

, the Brain Injury of North Carolina's "Our Hero Award," and was named a "Freshman of the Year" by the Conservation Council of North Carolina. In 2010, Martin was named "Defender of the Environment" by the League of Conservation Voters of NC. National and state Democrats recruited Martin to run for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

against incumbent Republican

Elizabeth Dole Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford Dole (née Hanford; born July 29, 1936)Mary Ella Cathey Hanford, "Asbury and Hanford Families: Newly Discovered Genealogical Information" ''The Historical Trail'' 33 (1996), pp. 44–45, 49. is an American attorn ...

in the

2008 election This electoral calendar 2008 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2008 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, even though they are not elections. By-elections are no ...

, but he declined in order to spend time with his family. In 2011, Martin was appointed by Secretary of Defense

Leon Panetta Leon Edward Panetta (born June 28, 1938) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in several different public office positions, including Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the Office o ...

to serve on the Reserve Forces Policy Board. Martin was named a 2014

Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...

Rodel Fellow. On June 2, 2022, Martin announced that he would be resigning his seat in the NC House to take a job at

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metonym ...

. Martin had been planning to run for re-election in 2022, but his name will be replaced on the general election ballot by another candidate chosen by the Wake County Democratic Party. His last day will be July 8.

Personal life

Martin is married with one daughter.

References

External links

North Carolina General Assembly - Representative Grier Martin
official NC House website
Project Vote Smart - Representative Grier Martin (NC)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Grier Martin
200820062004
campaign contributions
Grier Martin
official campaign site
News & Observer profile
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Grier 1968 births Living people Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Davidson College alumni Politicians from Charlotte, North Carolina Lawyers from Charlotte, North Carolina 21st-century American politicians United States Army officers United States Army reservists The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School alumni