| Martin R. Hoke | |
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| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Mary Rose Oakar |
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| Succeeded by | Dennis Kucinich |
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| Born | May 18, 1952 Lakewood, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Amherst College, Case Western Reserve University School of Law |
Martin R. Hoke (born May 18, 1952)[1] is an American Republican politician and former member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
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[1]. During the 1970's he practiced Sikhism.[2] He also founded a cell phone company.
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, furthered when his fellow Cleveland-area Republican Congressman Steve LaTourette argued that voters should vote for him because Hoke was likely to lose and the Cleveland-area needed at least one Republican congressman.
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Controversy
Following the 1994 State of the Union speech by President Bill Clinton, Hoke was being interviewed alongside Democratic Ohio Congressman Eric Fingerhut. When a female television news producer asked Fingerhut if she could ask him to unbutton his jacket, Fingerhut responded "you can ask me to do anything you want." After miking Hoke and Fingerhut, the producer walked away and Hoke remarked, in an Italian accent, "She's got ze beega breasts."[3] Hoke quickly realized that he was being recorded and had made a major gaffe, saying "we're probably live". Although the cameras were not broadcasting live at that moment, the incident was taped. Local news stations in Cleveland, Ohio soon broadcast the comment all over the city. Hoke quickly apologized for the remark and claimed that he deserved "a 2-by-4 to the head."[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b Biographical Guide of the United States Congress
- ^ encyclopedia.com
- ^ Ferguson, Andrew. "The look that killed - how Ohio Representative Martin Hoke was caught on tape and chastised publicly for commenting on the size of a woman producer's breasts before a TV interview." The National Review April 4, 1994
- ^ Ferguson, Andrew. "The look that killed - how Ohio Representative Martin Hoke was caught on tape and chastised publicly for commenting on the size of a woman producer's breasts before a TV interview." The National Review April 4, 1994
External links
| United States House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by Clarence E. Miller |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 10th congressional district 1993–1997 |
Succeeded by Dennis Kucinich |
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