Thomas Allen Martin (December 31, 1948 – March 27, 2018) was an American politician who served as
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock ( )
is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Lubbock County. With a population of 272,086 in 2024, Lubbock is the 10th-most populous city in Texas and the 84th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the ...
, from 2008 to 2012. He was a member of the Lubbock
City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
from 2002 to 2006. Prior to seeking elected office, he had a career in law enforcement in Lubbock,
Grapevine
''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 81 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus consists of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, bot ...
, and San Marcos, Texas. He has served as an instructor of
criminal justice
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
and
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
at
Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University (WBU) is a private Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Wayland Baptist has 11 campuses in five Texas cities, six states, American Samoa, and K ...
's Lubbock campus. Although Texas elections for mayors are explicitly nonpartisan, Martin is regarded as a Republican.
Martin was a defender of maintaining confidentiality on the e-mail messages of city officials on public e-mail accounts and cellphones. In 2009 he was involved in a dispute with
Greg Abbott
Gregory Wayne Abbott ( ; born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and jurist who has served since 2015 as the 48th governor of Texas. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served from 2002 to ...
who had issued a "ruling that made public text messages between City Council members related to city business sent on their personal phones" (the dispute had arisen from the firing of Lubbock's liaison for
homeland security
Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
).
Martin has insisted on the correct pronunciation of "Lubbock" as .
Martin lost re-election in 2012 to
Glen Robertson
Glen Charles Robertson (born 1959) is an American politician who served two terms as mayor of Lubbock, from May 19, 2012 until May 17, 2016.
Robertson was an unsuccessful Republican candidate in the runoff election held on May 24, 2016, for Te ...
by a margin of 30 points. One Lubbock resident (who had previously supported Martin but who went for Robertson in 2012) cited Martin's "dedication and countless hours" and explained the magnitude of the election margin as being an undercurrent of concerns about increasing debt and spending, and the escalating reliance on hidden taxes on water bills to fund unrelated departments.
In 1969 Martin married Karen Leckie Martin, a
registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized ...
and
schoolteacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
. The Martins were actively involved members of Lubbock's First
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination spawned by the Second Great Awakening. Matthew H. Gore, The History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky to 1988, (Memphis, Tennessee: Joint Heritage Committee, 2000 ...
.
Martin died on March 27, 2018, from cancer at the age of 69.