Martin was a member of the Republican Party's state central committee for four years; was president of the high school board for Darlington from 1895 until 1910.

He was elected from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district as a delegate to the 1908 Republican National Convention held in Chicago, 1908, which nominated William Howard Taft for President of the United States.

Martin was elected to the 17th State Senate district (part of Rock County (the Towns of Avon, Beloit, Clinton, Newark, Plymouth, Spring Valley, and Turtle, Wisconsin; the Village of Clinton, and the City of Beloit), and all of Green and Lafayette counties) in 1898, succeeding Henry Putnam, with 6,584 votes to 3,794 for Democrat Rinaldo Fleck.

Martin continued to serve the new 17th; he was re-elected in 1902, 1906 and 1910, in the latter year receiving 5,639 votes to 4,186 for Democrat Thomas H. Arthur, 49 for Prohibitionist J. P. Parnley, and 1 for Socialist E. W. Stewart.

Martin was appointed by Governor James O. Davidson as a Senate member of the legislative committee to visit the charitable, penal and reformatory institutions of the state.