| First elected at 29 years old, Representative Martinez Fischer is currently serving his 9th Legislative Session fighting for the people of San Antonio in the Texas House of Representatives. Since being elected, he has risen to become the most senior member and Dean of the Bexar County Delegation to the Texas Legislature and the 20th most senior member of the Texas Legislature overall. He now serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Business & Industry in the leadership of the Texas House of Representatives, giving the people of San Antonio a voice at the forefront of the legislative issues that will shape the future of the Lone Star State.
A lifelong San Antonian, Rep. Martinez Fischer grew up working with his siblings at their parents' small, 20-seat restaurant, where he learned the value of a dollar and the importance of hard work. As a child he served as an altar boy at St. Luke Catholic Church, and success on the football field took him from Catholic school to Oliver Wendell Holmes High School, where he played for the nationally-ranked Huskies and was named to the school's Hall of Fame. After graduating from high school, Rep. Martinez Fischer went on to become the first member of his family to receive a college degree, graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio just days before his father lost his battle with cancer. He didn't let that stop him, going on to work his way through University of Texas School of Law, receiving his law degree and then receiving an additional graduate degree from Baruch College in New York, where he studied as a National Urban Fellow and received his Master of Public Administration. With three degrees under his belt, Rep. Martinez Fischer began practicing law in San Antonio and, with his mom serving as his first campaign manager, won election to the Texas House of Representatives.
Texas Monthly perhaps put it best when, in naming Rep. Martinez Fischer one of the 10 Best Legislators in the state in 2013, they declared him "a soldier prepared to do battle but ready to make peace." Though often outnumbered by his opponents, Rep. Martinez Fischer has repeatedly delivered legislative victories for the people of San Antonio, defeating harmful legislation and working to pass job-creating, bipartisan legislation of his own.
Rep. Martinez Fischer's relentless pursuit on behalf of Texas school children and educators earned him the prestigious "Friend of Education Award" as well as a "Legislative Star" recognition by the Texas Classroom Teachers Association.
Another of Rep. Martinez Fischer's key legislative achievements was his role in passing the 'Boeing Bill,' which created hundreds of good-paying manufacturing jobs in San Antonio to build, test, and repair the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and paved the way for San Antonio to have the honor of repairing and refitting Air Force One - the executive aircraft for the President of the United States. Rep. Martinez Fischer's work to improve the economy of San Antonio and his talent for legislating earned him the distinguished recognition of being named one of Texas's '20 Latino Political Rising Stars' and one of the '20 Latino Democrats to watch over the next 20 years.' That same session he earned the Texas Monthly 'Bull of the Brazos Award,' named in honor of legendary Texas Senator Bill Moore and bestowed upon the most effective legislator in Austin.
In addition to his legislative role, Rep. Martinez Fischer lead the largest voting rights lawsuit in the nation challenging how Texas congressional and state legislative seats are drawn. As chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC), Rep. Martinez Fischer and his peers challenged the state in what has become the longest voting rights case in Texas history (2011-present). His relentless pursuit of justice for minority voting rights made him one of the 30 most influential Democrats in Texas by Campaigns & Elections magazine. And the internationally acclaimed publication The Economist, named Rep. Martinez Fischer among the leaders changing the national political demographic scene in an article titled, "The New Face of America."
A hard worker, he has been recognized for his accomplishments and has received numerous awards in every one of the legislative sessions in which he has served.
Outside of politics, Rep. Martinez Fischer is a practicing lawyer in the San Antonio area. He has practiced in front of numerous state and federal courts throughout Texas since his admission to the bar. Rep. Martinez Fischer also served as an appointee to the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee, advising the United States Trade Representative on trade policies that affect state and local governments. He has briefed former President Obama on national voting rights policy and was a frequent invitee to the Obama White House - serving as the First Family's guest on over a dozen occasions and even watching the 2011 Super Bowl with the President and First Family. Rep. Martinez Fischer and his wife, Elizabeth, who is also a practicing attorney, live together with their daughters Francesca (10) and Camilla (8) in western San Antonio. His favorite sport is whatever his girls happen to be playing (currently basketball). |