As a member of the Albuquerque City Council Martin was elected President by his fellow council members because he is a unifier who can reach out and work with people who have disparate positions. At the same time, his own enlightened and progressive views are well-grounded and effectively advanced. He's been an outspoken advocate for the rule of law and recently did a guest post at DWT about why retroactive immunity is a fatally flawed approach. Recently he won an overwhelming victory at the Democratic convention among the crowded field of candidates seeking to replace Bush rubber stamp Heather Wilson.