Raúl L. Martínez (born March 6, 1949 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba) is a former mayor of Hialeah, Florida, United States. He is a Democrat and was mayor for 24 years, first elected in 1981 and was the Democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 21st congressional district in 2008. Family Martínez has launched Martínez & Fernández Public Relations in Miami Lakes to provide counsel to a variety of clients in the field of public relations, media relations, government relations, brand management, crisis management and consulting. Martinez and his wife, Ángela Callava, have two children, Aida Martínez-Ruíz and Raul L. Martinez Jr. and three grandchildren, Isabella Sofía Ruíz, Raúl Leonides Martínez III, and Lucas Oliver Martínez. Martínez is the son of Leonides (Chin) Martínez-Calderín (1925–2007). Chin Martinez was the head of the taxi drivers retirement fund in Cuba during the 1950s, and used his connections to prevent his brother's assassination, Alfredo Martínez Calderín, who then joined Raul Castro in the II Frente Oriental Frank País. Alfredo's son, Rubén Martínez Puente, is presently a general in the Cuban Army. Early years and schooling Martínez arrived in the United States in May 1960 and has been a resident of Hialeah since 1969. He graduated from Miami Senior High School. He received an Associate in Arts Degree from Miami-Dade College (then known as Miami Dade Junior College and later named Miami Dade Community College) and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Florida International University. Public service Martínez began his public service career in 1971 as a member of Hialeah's Minority Group Housing Committee. In 1976 he was appointed to the Personnel Board and later in 1977 elected to the Hialeah City Council. In 1981, Martínez was elected mayor and re-elected in 1983. In 1985 he became the first Hialeah mayor in 44 years to run unopposed. He was re-elected in 1987 and in 1989 he was elected to a four-year term. In 1993, Martínez won re-election by 273 votes, because of a 2 to 1 margin amongst absentee ballots. The election was thrown out by a state judge who ruled that "overzealous" and "unscrupulous" campaign workers forged so many absentee ballots as to taint the entire vote. Martínez won a special election that was called in 1994. Martinez was again re-elected mayor in 1997 and 2001 where for the second time in his career ran unopposed. He has run and won