Isaiah Martin
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Isaiah Martin | |
|---|---|
 Martin in 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 24, 1998 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Houston (BA) |
TikTok information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | 332 thousand |
| Likes | 10.8 million |
Last updated: May 16, 2025 | |
Isaiah Martin is an American political advisor and Democratic candidate in the 2025 United States House of Representatives elections for Texas's 18th congressional district. He previously served as a senior advisor to Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Martin was born in Houston, Texas, and attended the University of Houston, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 2021.[3]
While in college, he founded a student advocacy group called #ForTheStudents, which focused on campus voter access, food insecurity, and sexual assault resources. In 2020, he worked with local officials to convert the University of Houston's football stadium into a polling location.[2][4]
Political activity and advocacy
[edit]After graduating, Martin worked as a senior advisor to Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, serving in both her Washington, D.C., and Houston offices.[2]
In the 2024 election cycle, Martin campaigned in support of Democratic candidates including Janelle Bynum.[2] He also expressed support for Vice President Kamala Harris.[2]
Martin uses TikTok to discuss political topics and reach younger audiences.[2]
2023 campaign
[edit]Martin launched a campaign for Congress in 2023, anticipating that Jackson Lee would retire to run for mayor of Houston. When she chose to seek re-election, Martin withdrew.[5]
2025 campaign
[edit]Martin announced a new campaign in 2025 following the deaths of Jackson Lee in July 2024 and her successor, Representative Sylvester Turner, in early 2025.[6]
Governor Greg Abbott scheduled the special election for November 4, 2025, with a candidate filing deadline of September 5, 2025, and early voting beginning October 20, 2025.[7]
Lawsuit over 2023 campaign
[edit]In March 2025, Grassroots Analytics filed a lawsuit against Martin's 2023 congressional campaign, alleging that two invoices, totaling approximately $225,000 for donor data services, remained unpaid and claiming that funds were used for other expenses after the campaign ended.[8][9] The campaign responded that Grassroots Analytics failed to meet its contractual obligations and said it had made multiple attempts to resolve the issue amicably before the lawsuit was filed.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Martin is Catholic and was formerly a Junior Knight of Peter Claver.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Isaiah Martin, former Senior Advisor to Sheila Jackson Lee, launches congressional run for 18th district". KPRC. March 18, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Isaiah Martin Roasts MAGA Creators on TikTok. Now He's Running for Congress". The Barbed Wire. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ "2 candidates announce they're running for District 18 Congressional seat to replace the late Sylvester Turner". KHOU. May 8, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ "Meet Isaiah Martin". Isaiah Martin for Congress. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ "Isaiah Martin". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ a b "Two Black Catholics running to fill Texas' vacant US House seat". National Catholic Reporter. March 25, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ "Who's running to replace Sylvester Turner? New Hobby survey shows most don't know". Houston Chronicle. April 8, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Balogun, Rilwan (2025-03-20). "Congressional candidate Isaiah Martin sued for breach of contract". KPRC. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ "GRASSROOTS ANALYTICS, INC. v. ISAIAH MARTIN FOR CONGRESS, 1:25-cv-00822 - CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ Balogun, Rilwan (2025-03-20). "Congressional candidate Isaiah Martin sued for breach of contract". KPRC. Retrieved 2025-05-02.