Martinez, shown here announcing her gubernatorial campaign in July. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez has sent out a mailer that promotes her history of winning the crossover votes of Democrats and others in the four times she’s won election as a district attorney.
“Doña Ana County has 2 registered Democrats for every registered Republican. It is a tough place for a Republican to win,” the mailer states. “But Susana has proven she can win tough elections in a Democrat county. Even when the top of the ticket fails, she succeeds.”
The mailer, which a source close the campaign said was sent to “a couple thousand Republicans” around the state earlier today, then goes on to point out that, even as GOP presidential candidates lost the county in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008, Martinez defeated Democratic opponents.
It’s the first major attempt to reach Republicans around the state by a regionally known candidate who many believe has the ability and résumé to compete heavily in the GOP primary.
There are several other Republicans running or considering running for governor. State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones has already declared her candidacy. Public relations professional Doug Turner appears to be about to formally jump into the race, and former state GOP Chairman Allen Weh has formed an exploratory committee. Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson says she’s thinking about running.