Martinez Agrees To Be RNC Chairman

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

WASHINGTON — Senator Martinez, a Republican of Florida and a close White House ally and Cuban American, has agreed to become the next general chairman of the Republican National Committee, GOP officials said, an appointment that comes in the wake of an election that yielded shrinking GOP support from Hispanic voters.

Mr. Martinez, a first-term senator, will remain in office and serve as the chief party spokesman and fund-raiser for the GOP heading into the 2008 elections. The RNC’s current general counsel and a former party treasurer, Mike Duncan, will manage day-to-day operations and be elected chairman in January, Republican aides said. An official announcement is expected soon.

The current RNC chairman, Ken Mehlman, will step aside in January, after spending much of his tenure updating the party’s technological infrastructure and reaching out to minority groups, especially African-Americans and Hispanics. The exit polls showed that Mr. Mehlman’s efforts were overwhelmed by voter concerns about the war, corruption, and the hard-line approach some Republicans assumed in this year’s immigration debate.

Democrats won 69% of the Hispanic vote last Tuesday, a 10-year high. This was seen as big setback at the White House in particular, after President Bush won 55% of the Hispanic vote in 2004.

“I am concerned about where we stand with Hispanic voters,” Mr. Mehlman said in an interview Friday. “The day we become just the party of the wall not only won’t we secure the borders but we will substantially limit the growth of the party.” Hispanics are not single-issue voters, but GOP officials said the tone of immigration debate hurt the GOP with the fastest-growing minority group.

While Mr. Bush pushed for a comprehensive package that included a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, the Republican-controlled Congress demanded a fence-first law that emphasized security only.

Exit polling showed 57% of voters favored allowing illegal immigrants a shot at legal status.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use