His single term as governor was controversial due to the passage and repeal of an unpopular state sales tax on services and an anti-obscenity campaign targeting Miami rappers 2 Live Crew, who later recorded a derogatory song attacking Martinez.

After his time as governor, Martinez was appointed Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy by President George H. W. Bush.

Martinez held that position from 1991 until 1993 when he returned to Tampa and became a business consultant and a board member of several local educational organizations.

[8] During Martinez's term of office, the city built one of America's first waste-to-energy plants, opened a large performing arts center and a modern convention center, completely reconstructed Lowry Park Zoo, restored the 1915 City Hall building, and annexed thousands of acres of unincorporated land northeast of town that would become the neighborhood of New Tampa.

However, in 1983, he changed his party affiliation to Republican after meeting with Ronald Reagan when the president was in Tampa to give a speech, causing some dismay among local supporters and leading to speculation that he may eventually run for higher office.

[4] In early 1985, Martinez began actively exploring the possibility of running for governor of Florida, and he formally announced his candidacy in November of that year.

Martinez appointed Martin Marietta executive A. Thomas Young as chairman of the commission, with then-Florida Secretary of Commerce Jeb Bush (later Governor of Florida himself), as vice-chairman.

In order to raise more revenue for the state, the Florida legislature passed a sales tax on services with Martinez's support.

[10] The response from Floridians was strongly negative, so only two months after the tax went into effect, Martinez called the legislature back for a special session to repeal it.

That same year Martinez ordered state prosecutors to determine whether Miami-area rappers 2 Live Crew's album Nasty as They Wanna Be violated Florida obscenity laws.

[15] In the fall of 1989, after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed states greater flexibility to restrict abortions, Martinez promptly called the Florida Legislature into special session in an effort to pass anti-abortion laws.

In 1990, Time magazine referred to Martinez as "embattled" as he authorized a statewide television advertisement campaign boasting about his deeds, which were largely unpopular.

[13] Martinez was unpopular within his own party by the time of the 1990 gubernatorial election, in which he suffered a landslide defeat against Democratic nominee, former United States Senator Lawton Chiles.

Since then, Martinez has served as a consultant to Florida-based businesses and law firms[16] and is a political analyst for Bay News 9 television.