Martinez, speaking to supporters in Las Cruces earlier today. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
CNN, NBC and CBS have called the New Mexico governor’s race for Republican Susana Martinez – making her the first Hispanic woman to be elected governor in any state in the nation.
The Republican Governors Association, which gave $1.3 million to Martinez’s campaign, was also declaring victory.
“Susana Martinez was a star for Republicans this cycle,” RGA chairman Haley Barbour said in a news release. “She handily won a very Democratic state by focusing on her message and the issues important to New Mexico. The Democrats threw everything they had at Susana because they recognized the bright future she has in the Republican Party.”
According to KOB-TV in Albuquerque, Martinez leads Democrat Diane Denish 55 percent to 45 percent.
The RGA has been paying attention to this race for a reason. The district attorney from Las Cruces, who grew up in El Paso, is now officially a national political star.
Her standing as the first Hispanic woman to be elected to a governorship has caught the attention of Washington insiders. The Washington Post labeled Martinez this weekend as one of the “two freshest Hispanic faces in national politics” and a “potential Republican vice presidential nominee.”