Danny Martiny

Daniel R. Martiny, known as Danny Martiny (born June 27, 1951), is a politician and attorney from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, who has served since January 14, 2008, as a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 10, based in the New Orleans suburbs. Since 2012, he has been the Senate Majority Leader.

From 1994 to 2008, Martiny held the District 79 seat, also in Jefferson Parish, in the Louisiana House of Representatives. Term-limited in the House, Martiny ran for the Senate in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 20, 2007. Martiny polled 19,414 votes (68.9%) to 8,752 ballots (31.1%) for the "No Party" candidate, Michael Zito. No Democrat filed in the heavily Republican district.

Martiny was born in New Orleans, the second of five children, to the late Wilfred "Wil" E. Martiny (February 24, 1923 - March 20, 2012) who died of natural causes and Doris Rault (October 5, 1925 – January 27, 2008), who died of Alzheimer's disease. His maternal grandparents were Eugene J. Rault (1894–1977) and the former Eva Martin. His older brother, Martin Augustin Martiny, is a Roman Catholic priest and missionary to Kenya. His younger siblings are Brian and Eddie Martiny, and Michelle Martiny Lamb.

Martiny graduated in 1969 from Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie and then received his Bachelor of Arts in history in 1973 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. In 1976, he procured his Juris Doctor from Loyola University. He continues to operate his own law firm in Metairie; prior to his legislative service, he was also an assistant Jefferson Parish attorney from 1978 to 1994. Active in the Catholic Church, Martiny holds the Medallion of the Order of St. Louis from the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He has also received the "Distinguished Service Award" from the conservative interest group, Morality in Media. He and his wife, the former Maureen "Nina" McCarthy, reside in Kenner. They have three sons.

Martiny was initially elected to the House in a special election held on May 21, 1994, when the Republican incumbent, Kernan "Skip" Hand (born 1945) of Kenner, Louisiana, resigned to become a judge of the 24th Judicial District. With 2,059 votes (60.8%) in a low turnout, Martiny defeated two Republican rivals, Dan Kelly and Vincent Bruno. In the primary for a full-term held on October 21, 1995, Martiny defeated fellow Republican Brent Abadie, 6,605 (67.5%) to 3,178 (32.5%). Thereafter, Martiny was unopposed for his second and third terms in the House in 1999 and 2003. He was succeeded in the House by fellow Republican Tony Ligi, who polled 42% in the primary but still prevailed outright when his opponent declined to seek a general election runoff.

During the 2010 legislative session Martiny sponsored a bill to make attendance at a cockfight a crime.

Martiny has been a State Senator since 2007 for District 10. Has served as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary B Committee from 2008 – 2012. Currently, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chairman of the Louisiana Judicial Compensation Committee. He is a member of the Senate Judiciary A and Labor Committees. During his tenure in the House, Danny served as Vice Chairman of the House Environmental Committee and as the Governor’s floor leader on environmental issues. From 2000-2008, he served as Chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee.