Arkansas’ 33rd Secretary of State
Honorable Mark Martin
Mark Martin serves as Arkansas’s 33rd Secretary of State and was elected to his first term in November 2010 with a promise of secure elections and a more fiscally conservative approach to state government. He was re-elected to a second term in November 2014 with the vision of making Arkansas the best state to do business in, continuing to build on the successes of his first term.
During his first term, Secretary Martin launched a business one-stop, DreamItDoItArkansas.com, an online resource for entrepreneurs looking for answers and solutions to navigating state government when they start their businesses. He also embarked on an ambitious goal to improve Capitol facilities and restore our beautiful State Capitol that had been in disrepair for decades. His improvements were paid for without seeking additional appropriations from the legislature and most of the improvements, like energy efficiencies, will pay for themselves almost immediately. Not only were these goals achieved while still running normal operations for the office, but Secretary Martin also came in under budget by $12 million in his first term, returning those funds to the state treasury.
Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Martin served three terms as a State Representative, representing District 87 and as President of M3 Engineering. While in the legislature, Martin served on the Budget, Insurance & Commerce, Education, and Advanced Communications & Information Technology Committees, and as Chairman of the Economic & Tax Policy Committee.
After serving in the Navy, Secretary Martin went on to earn his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1998 from the University of Arkansas. He is involved in several professional engineering organizations, is a past board member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, a past chairman of the Arkansas Society of Mechanical Engineers, and previously served on the Arkansas Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Coalition Board of Directors.
As Secretary of State, Martin serves as Chair of the State Board of Election Commissioners and the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission. He is currently serving as Chair of the Information Network of Arkansas Board and is a member of the State Board of Apportionment.
Martin grew up as part of a farming family in the Delta and graduated from Hughes High School. He and his wife Sharon have two daughters, Rachel and Rebekah, and one son, Joshua. His family currently resides in Prairie Grove, Arkansas and they attend First Baptist Church.