about martin

Martin Casas is a small business owner, community activist, political campaigner, husband and father.
Martin was born and raised in Mission Viejo, CA to a construction worker father and an antique dealer/craftsman mother. He and his four brothers and one sister are second-generation Americans whose family originally hails from Mexico.

In 2005 his now wife, Katie, was accepted into Teach for America, which relocated them to St. Louis. Shortly after this move in 2006, Martin founded the Tower Grove Movie Nights, a series of 9 free movies throughout the summer. Shortly thereafter, Martin founded Frontyard Features as a way to accommodate the success of the series and the many requests to do similar events around the city. Frontyard Features quickly grew to employ 15 technicians over the summer and now shows over 200 movies around Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. Martin credits the company’s success to their mission
to provide opportunities for neighbors to come together and make their neighborhoods stronger.

Since arriving in St. Louis, Martin has been active in local Democratic politics. His first
job in St. Louis was working for the AFL-CIO and for the President of the Board of
Aldermen Lewis Reed’s 2006 campaign, Mayor Slay’s re-election campaign and various
Aldermanic races. He also helped with President Barack Obama’s successful primary
election. Closest to his heart has been his work with the young people who represent
the future of St. Louis as the President of the Young Democrats where he has worked
tirelessly to make the Young Democrats group an important voice in local, state-level,
and national issues and politics.

Martin’s interest in serving his community stems from his belief
that people who come together for a common goal can achieve great things. His main
issues are urban renewal, historic preservation, and small business development.

Martin met his wife Katie while working on the now-Chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chris Van Hollen’ss‘ first congressional
campaign in 2002. They were married in Tower Grove Park in June 2007 and their daughter
Sophia, was born in 2010. Since moving to St. Louis they have lived in the Shaw, Tower
Grove South, and Cherokee Street/Antique Row neighborhoods and most recently bought
a home in Tower Grove East.