Preceded by Clarence E. Miller Role American Politician Nationality American Party Republican Party | Political party Republican Succeeded by Dennis Kucinich Name Martin Hoke | |
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Born May 18, 1952 (age 71)
Lakewood, Ohio ( 1952-05-18 ) Alma mater Amherst College, Case Western Reserve University School of Law Education Amherst College, Case Western Reserve University School of Law | ||
Martin R. Hoke (born May 18, 1952) is an American Republican politician, member of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
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Biography
Hoke was born in Lakewood, Ohio and attended school at the private Western Reserve Academy. He graduated from Amherst College in 1973 and earned a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1980. He has been noted for practicing Sikhism. He also founded a cell phone company, "Red Carpet Cellular", in 1985.
In 1992, Hoke won the Republican nomination for Ohio's 10th congressional district, located in Cleveland's west side. Hoke upset heavily favored Democrat Mary Rose Oakar, who had represented the district (formerly the 20th District) for 16 years, in the general election. Oakar was hampered by accusations of check writing at the House of Representatives Bank. Hoke was the first Republican to represent a significant portion of traditionally heavily Democratic Cleveland in over 30 years. Hoke won re-election in 1994 against Frank Gaul, a Cuyahoga County Treasurer who had recently overseen losses in a county bond fund based on faulty advice from private bond counsel. In 1996, Hoke was defeated by former Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich 49%-46%. Hoke was harmed by several gaffes he had made, the Democratic nature of the district, strong labor support for Kucinich, and a mounting public perception that he would lose.
Hoke was appointed to the Ohio Casino Control Commission by Governor John Kasich on February 23, 2011. His term of office will end on February 21, 2017.
Controversy
Following the 1994 State of the Union speech by President Bill Clinton, Hoke was preparing to be interviewed for a live broadcast for a local Cleveland television station. After being outfitted with a microphone by a female producer, Hoke remarked to another congressman that "She's got ze beega breasts" in a mock Italian accent. Although not broadcast live, the remark was recorded, and was the subject of a report by The Washington Post the following day. Coverage of the remark may have been a factor in his failed bid for re-election in 1996.