James D. Martin

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For other persons named James Martin, see James Martin (disambiguation).

James Douglas Martin (born September 1, 1918) is a politician from the U.S. State of Alabama.

Martin was born in Tarrant, Alabama, He received his education in the public schools of Jefferson County and the Birmingham School of Law. He began working in the petroleum industry in 1937 and in July 1941, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he commanded an artillery battery in Europe during World War II. He also served as an intelligence officer in the Army of Occupation and was discharged as a Major in March 1946. He returned to the oil industry and to work as an oil products distributor.

Martin was at first a Conservative Democrat, although he eventually joined the Republican Party. As a Republican, in 1962 Martin ran against incumbent J. Lister Hill for Hill's U.S. Senate seat. Martin's campaign was the first major Republican Senate campaign in Alabama since Reconstruction. Martin lost to Hill by 6,019 votes (49.1% for Martin vs. 50.9% for Hill), the best Republican showing in decades.

Martin was elected to the House of Representatives in the 89th Congress in 1964, the year of the Goldwater landslide in Alabama which saw several other Republicans elected to the House, and served in the House from 1965 to 1967. He did not run for re-election in order to run for Governor of Alabama in 1966. Martin was defeated by Lurleen Wallace.

Martin also ran for the Senate in 1972 and 1978. In 1978 he first entered the race against Howell Heflin to succeed John Sparkman, but switched races to face Donald W. Stewart to fill the unexpired term of James Allen, who died in office. However, he was defeated. He then returned to work in the petroleum industry. Since 1987 he has been commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.