Raul Martinez is one of South Florida's most controversial politicians -- but also one of the most successful.

Hard-headed, swaggering and charismatic, Martinez governed Hialeah as mayor for more than two decades, reelected repeatedly. A Democrat in a Republican-dominated city, he never lost an election -- despite being convicted in a federal corruption trial, investigated for voter fraud, and videotaped roughing up a street protester.

The Cuban-American mayor weathered all scandals with a fighter's stance. His conviction was reversed on appeal, he was never charged in the election probe, and the street brawl faded to a footnote.

Martinez concedes that he can be a lightning rod, but says voters like him because he has been one thing above all: effective.

''All the good that I've done for the community would outweigh, by far, anything that I've done that was wrong or perceived as wrong,'' Martinez said.

Walking down West 51st Street in Hialeah during a recent meet-and-greet, Martinez -- at six-feet-four, he's known to some as ''El Grande'' -- is a familiar figure to residents who remember him as far back as 1981, when he began his first mayoral term.

''I support him totally,'' said Caridad Vizcaino, a Democrat who has lived in Hialeah for 39 years. ``Of all the mayors I have known, he is the best. He transformed this place incredibly, from a small town to a great city.''

Next month, Martinez will find out whether local recognition -- Hialeah City Hall even bears his name -- will be enough to win him a seat on the national stage. He is seeking to replace longtime incumbent Lincoln Diaz-Balart in Congress, representing District 21, which stretches from South Broward County to South Miami-Dade County.

If successful, the man who once jokingly floated an idea to allow Hialeah to secede from Miami-Dade would win the national political job he has wanted for years -- and maybe even gain some redemption in the process.

A congressional seat was Martinez's dream 18 years ago; the corruption case derailed the plan. He could have been the first Cuban American in Congress. That distinction went instead to Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the wife of then-U.S. Attorney Dexter Lehtinen, whose office prosecuted Martinez.

Even today, that missed opportunity partly fuels his campaign. Martinez, 59, sees the congressional job as an extension of his previous political work. He would work for affordable healthcare, lower property insurance rates and immigration reform, he said, financing the programs with money redirected from infrastructure projects in Iraq.

Cuba, though, remains ever-present in this contest. Both Martinez and DiazBalart support the trade embargo on Cuba; they differ on how often Cuban exiles should visit the island to see relatives or send them money.

Martinez favors lifting the regulations that restrict exiles to one visit every three years. Diaz-Balart supports the restrictions, imposed by President Bush in 2004.

Records show that Martinez has raised more than $1.3 million, with major contributions from real-estate interests, lawyers, general contractors and health professionals.

Supporters believe that he could win because the district's Democratic and independent voters are on the rise, and recent polls by Bendixen & Associates, Roll Call and Telemundo51 suggest a tightened race. And then there is his proven ability to woo voters.

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@