John W. Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 24th Governor of Florida | |
| In office January 6, 1925 – January 8, 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Cary A. Hardee |
| Succeeded by | Doyle E. Carlton |
| 32nd Mayor of Jacksonville | |
| In office 1917–1923 | |
| Preceded by | J. E. T. Bowden |
| Succeeded by | John T. Alsop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 21, 1884 Plainfield, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | February 22, 1958 (aged 73) St. Augustine, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lottie Wilt Pepper Martin |
John Wellborn Martin (June 21, 1884 – February 22, 1958) was an American politician who served as the 24th Governor of Florida, from 1925 to 1929. He also served as Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, from 1917 to 1923. Born in Plainfield in Marion County, Florida, Martin and his family moved to Jacksonville in 1899. Despite only about four years of formal education, he studied law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1914. Three years later, Martin ran for Mayor of Jacksonville and easily defeated incumbent J. E. T. Bowden, becoming the city's youngest mayor at age 32. He was easily re-elected twice in landslide victories and served three consecutive terms.
Martin declined to seek a fourth term in 1923 and instead ran for Governor of Florida in 1924. In the Democratic Party primary, he defeated four other candidates, including former Governor Sidney Johnston Catts. With the Democratic primary then being tantamount to election, Martin won the general election with nearly 83% of the vote against Republican William R. O'Neal. During his tenure, tourism, land speculation, and road development increased, despite the collapse of the land boom in the mid-1920s. The contemporaneous Constitution of Florida barred Martin from seeking a second consecutive term in 1928. He unsuccessfully ran for United States Senator in 1928 and Governor of Florida again in 1932. Martin died on February 22, 1958, about a month after having a severe heart attack.