Susana Martinez (born July 14, 1959) is an American politician and attorney who served as the
31st governor of New Mexico
, insignia = Seal of the Governor of New Mexico.svg
, insigniasize = 110px
, insigniacaption = Seal of the Governor
, image = File:Michelle Lujan Grisham 2021.jpg
, imagesize = 200px
, alt =
, incumbent = Michelle Lujan Grisham
, inc ...
from 2011 to 2019. A
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, she served as chair of the
Republican Governors Association
The Republican Governors Association (RGA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1961, consisting of U.S. state and territorial Republican governors. The Republican Governors Association is dedicated to one primary objective: e ...
(RGA) from 2015 to 2016. She was the first female Governor of New Mexico, and the first
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
female governor in the United States.
Born in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
, Martinez is a graduate of the
University of Oklahoma College of Law
The University of Oklahoma College of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Oklahoma. It is located on the University's campus in Norman, Oklahoma.
The College of Law was founded in 1909 by a resolution of the OU Boa ...
. After being admitted to the
State Bar of New Mexico, she began her prosecuting career in 1986 as an Assistant District Attorney for the
3rd Judicial District of
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
, based in
Las Cruces. She was appointed Deputy District Attorney in 1992. She joined the Republican Party and ran for District Attorney in 1996, serving three terms, from 1997 to 2011.
After incumbent Governor
Bill Richardson
William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...
was
term limited, Martinez declared her 2010 candidacy for the governorship. She won a five-candidate Republican primary and went on to defeat the then incumbent
Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico
The lieutenant governor of New Mexico ( es, Lista de Vicegobernadores de Nuevo México) is an elected official in the state of New Mexico that ranks just below the governor of New Mexico. The lieutenant governor is the first person in the order of ...
Diane Denish with 53% of the vote in the
general election. Four years later, she was
reelected with 57% of the vote against
New Mexico Attorney General
The Attorney General of New Mexico, an elected executive officer of the state, oversees the New Mexico Attorney General's Office and serves as head of the New Mexico Department of Justice.
The officeholder, who is required to be a licensed attor ...
Gary King. In 2013, Martinez was named one of ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine's
100 most influential people in the world
''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine '' Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, ...
.
Early life, education, and early career
Susana Martinez was born on July 14, 1959, in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
. She was brought up in a middle-class family of Mexican descent. Her father, Jacobo "Jake" Martinez (1932–2013), was a boxer for the
U.S. Marines
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and won three straight
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...
titles in the 1950s. He served as a deputy sheriff for
El Paso County.
[Heild, Colleen]
"Tough As Nails"
'' Albuquerque Journal'', September 10, 2010. Her mother, Paula Aguirre (d. 2006), worked in various offices. Susana Martinez has two siblings, a sister and a brother.
Martinez was the legal guardian and caretaker of her older sister, Letitia "Lettie" Martinez, who had
cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...
and was developmentally disabled. Lettie died at age 64 on August 13, 2021. Martinez is a great-granddaughter of Mexican Revolutionary General
Toribio Ortega.
Martinez attended
Riverside High School in El Paso, Texas. As a student, she was actively involved in various clubs and councils. She ran for and won the position of student body president in her senior year.
Being an honors student, she graduated as the
valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
for the class of 1977. She earned her bachelor's degree in
criminal justice
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
from the
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stud ...
in 1981. She moved to Oklahoma and pursued the
J.D. degree from the
University of Oklahoma College of Law
The University of Oklahoma College of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Oklahoma. It is located on the University's campus in Norman, Oklahoma.
The College of Law was founded in 1909 by a resolution of the OU Boa ...
. She graduated in 1986.
District Attorney's office
Assistant and deputy
Martinez was Assistant
District Attorney for the 3rd Judicial District, serving
Doña Ana County, New Mexico
Doña Ana County is located in the southern part of the State of New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 219,561, which makes it the second-most populated county in New Mexico. Its county seat is Las Cruces, t ...
, from 1986 to 1992. As Assistant District Attorney, she developed a specialty in the office of working with sexually abused children and developing a multidisciplinary team (that included help for victims). She participated in seminars related to domestic violence and sexual offenses, rapes and women and children. The district attorney for whom she worked, Doug Driggers, promoted her to Deputy District Attorney.
Martinez was dismissed, but later returned, and was again appointed as Deputy District Attorney. She helped campaign for Driggers as he was running for a third term as District Attorney. Driggers lost the Democratic primary election to Gregory Valdez, a defense attorney. Martinez was fired by Valdez shortly after his victory in the general election. Valdez claims that he fired Martinez because she had missed key timelines in a case. Martinez filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Valdez and was awarded an out-of-court settlement of $100,000 to $120,000. She later twice defeated Valdez in the general election for District Attorney with approximate 18-point and 20-point wins, respectively.
Martinez was first elected district attorney in the 3rd Judicial District in 1996 with nearly 60% of the vote. She was re-elected three more times.
As a prosecutor, Martinez focused on cases involving public corruption and
child abuse. She worked to pass legislation to expand
Katie's Law to "require a
DNA sample for all felony arrests". During her first term as governor, she signed the expansion bill into law in April 2011.
Governor of New Mexico (2011–2019)
2010 election
With 51% of the vote in a five-way contest, Martinez won the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nomination for governor of New Mexico in the primary election on June 1, 2010. Martinez defeated PR firm owner
Doug Turner
Douglas William Turner (born January 3, 1969) is the founding partner of the global communications firm Agenda. He also was a Republican candidate for the New Mexico gubernatorial election in 2010, where he was defeated in the primary election ...
,
State Representative Janice Arnold-Jones
Janice E. Arnold-Jones (born March 20, 1952) is an American politician who served as the New Mexico State Representative for the 24th district from 2003 to 2011. She is a member of the Republican Party.
Early life, education, and business care ...
, Pete Domenici, Jr. (son of the former U.S. Senator
Pete Domenici
Pietro Vichi "Pete" Domenici (May 7, 1932 – September 13, 2017) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States Senator from New Mexico from 1973 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served six terms in the S ...
), and former Republican Party state chairman
Allen Weh
Allen Edward Weh (born November 17, 1942) is an American business executive, politician, and retired colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico in the 2010 election, and t ...
. During the primary campaign, Martinez was endorsed by former
Alaska Governor
The governor of Alaska ( Iñupiaq: ''Alaaskam kavanaa'') is the head of government of Alaska. The governor is the chief executive of the state and is the holder of the highest office in the executive branch of the government as well as being the ...
Sarah Palin.
With 53% of the vote, Martinez defeated
Diane Denish, then
lieutenant governor of New Mexico in the general election on November 2, 2010. One element of her platform was to secure the
Mexico–United States border
The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border trave ...
from illegal immigrants. She defeated Denish by over 40,605 votes; she received 321,219 votes to Denish's 280,614 votes. The Martinez v. Denish race, and the simultaneous
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014. She was the first and s ...
v.
Jari Askins
Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, being the second woman and the first female Democratic Party member to hol ...
race in Oklahoma, were the third and fourth cases of gubernatorial races in U.S. history in which two women were competitors (since the elections of
Kay Orr
Kay Avonne Orr (née Stark; January 2, 1939) is an American politician who served as the 36th governor of Nebraska from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, she was the state's first and to date only female governor.
Early life and e ...
in Nebraska in 1986 and
Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle (''née'' Cutter; June 4, 1953) is an American politician, who was the sixth governor of Hawaii from 2002 until 2010. She was the first Republican governor of Hawaii since 1962. Lingle was also the state's first female and first J ...
in Hawaii in 2002). Each of the victors was the Republican woman candidate.
2014 election
On October 15, 2013, Martinez declared she would run for re-election. At the time of her announcement, she had already raised over $2.2 million in campaign contributions, nearly five times the amount of any of her challengers in the
gubernatorial Democratic Primary. In the end she raised over $7 million in campaign money.
Martinez faced no Republican primary opposition. On November 4, 2013, State Attorney General
Gary King was the nominee chosen by voters in the Democratic primary to challenge Martinez; he received 35% in a
five-way race. From the moment King won the primary, Martinez spent the entire campaign on daily and hourly TV attack commercials against King, which continued up to the day of the general election. 2014 had the lowest voting turn-out rate that year. On November 4, 2014, Martinez defeated King winning re-election with 57% of The vote.
Tenure
![Gov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Gov._Susana_Martinez_at_Leroy_Petry_statue_unveiling.jpg)
When Martinez took office, she set out a budget proposal for fiscal year 2012 and 2013, as well as establishing a moratorium on all state vehicle purchases until 2012.
She barred all state agencies from hiring former
lobbyists
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, whi ...
.
On January 31, 2011, Martinez signed an executive order rescinding sanctuary status for illegal immigrants who commit crimes in New Mexico.
Martinez counts among her legislative victories: "the cap on film
axcredits; a bill that would exempt locomotive fuel from state gross-receipts tax; and an expansion of
Katie's Law, which will require law-enforcement officials to obtain
DNA samples from all suspects booked on
felony
A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...
charges". She supported and signed a bill that will "assign schools the grades of A to F based on student achievement and other factors, such as high-school graduation rates. Martinez described her push for education reforms as 'a hard-fought battle against those who continued to defend the status quo'". In April 2011, Martinez signed the expansion bill on Katie's Law.
and a bill banning the use of
corporal punishment in public schools, making New Mexico the 31st state (and currently most recent) to ban the practice in public schools.
In 2011, the
Supreme Court of New Mexico
The New Mexico Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court which reviews civil and criminal decisi ...
ruled twice against actions by Martinez. "In January, the court unanimously decided that Martinez acted improperly when she requested the state's records administrator delay publishing greenhouse-gas emissions rules that the state Environmental Improvement Board approved shortly before she took office." In addition, a unanimous court ruled on April 13, 2011, that "Gov. Susana Martinez lacked authority to arbitrarily remove two members of the state Public Employee Labor Relations Board."
In 2011, Martinez attended her first "Tribal-State Summit," as required by New Mexico, in which the governor meets annually with the 22 recognized tribes. The topics of discussion for 2011 were tribal economic development and infrastructure; health care; natural resources, water, and education.
Martinez has pushed for an increase in
private investment to complete the US$212 million state-funded
Spaceport America project. In order to drive the new effort, Gov. Martinez appointed an entirely new board of directors to oversee the Spaceport Authority. In 2012, Martinez sold the state's luxury jet, which she called "the ultimate symbol of waste and excess"; it sold for $2.51 million.
The 2012
Las Conchas Fire
The Las Conchas Fire was a large wildfire in the state of New Mexico, in the United States, in 2011. The fire started in Santa Fe National Forest and burned more than 150,000 acres, threatening Los Alamos National Laboratory and the town of Lo ...
, the third largest wildfire in state history, required emergency actions. Martinez issued a state of emergency to control the use of fireworks. After the Las Conchas Fire burned to within miles of
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...
, Martinez made the removal of radioactive waste a top priority. The fire destroyed trees and vegetation that normally absorb waters; in their absence, the state was subject to flooding, and Martinez asked the Obama administration for federal relief funding.
In 2012, the chief medical officer for the New Mexico Department of Health and the deputy secretary both resigned. The individuals allege that Martinez ordered their termination for promoting birth control to the public. Martinez and the New Mexico Department of Health denied any connection between the resignations and an interview concerning condom use.
![082912 SusanaMartinez 001 (7895086404)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/082912_SusanaMartinez_001_%287895086404%29.jpg)
Many Republicans speculated as to whether Martinez would be the vice presidential nominee on the
Republican ticket in 2012 and 2016, but she said numerous times that she would not run.
On May 15, 2012, as a result of the
Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire, Martinez declared the entire state of New Mexico to be in a
drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
. Martinez issued the formal drought declaration to enable
farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer m ...
s,
ranchers, and others secure federal drought funding. Martinez stated that "As a result of this fire,
small businesses are unquestionably feeling the impact." She encouraged them to apply for
SBA loans. On June 8, Martinez declared
Catron County, New Mexico
Catron County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,725, making it New Mexico's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Reserve. Catron County is New Mexico's largest county by area. ...
, to be in a state of emergency. The declaration made funds available for both state and local response to the fire, and for community needs.
At the 2012 Tribal-State Summit, Martinez discussed water rights, natural resources, education, and tribal economic development and infrastructure. In the presence of
Navajo President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Ben Shelly, as well as several members of the
Navajo Nation Council
The Navajo Nation Council ( nv, Béésh bąąh dah siʼání) is the legislative branch of the Navajo Nation government. The council meets four times per year, with additional special sessions, at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber, which is in Wi ...
, Martinez announced that
Central Consolidated School District will remain intact.
In January 2013, Martinez announced that the Obamacare Medicaid expansion would go into effect in New Mexico.
On March 29, 2013, Martinez vetoed a raise in the state minimum wage, citing that the raise was higher than neighboring states.
As of May 2014, job losses in New Mexico had accelerated during the previous 12 months, making it one of two states in the nation to lose jobs. For the 12 months ending in April 2014, the state reported a net loss of 4,400 jobs, according to the state's Department of Workforce Solutions. The state has been affected by the reduction in spending and employment by the federal government. The sector lost 1,100 jobs during the period. New Mexico has been 50th in job growth since Martinez took office.
Martinez has said that tax cuts enacted during her tenure make the state more competitive in attracting manufacturing jobs. The state was among the finalists for a new
Tesla battery plant. She also says that infrastructure investments at the entry port of Santa Teresa will generate transportation and manufacturing jobs.
Martinez's term expired on January 1, 2019. She was succeeded by Democrat
Michelle Lujan Grisham
Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham (; born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the List of governors of New Mexico, 32nd governor of New Mexico since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
.
Controversies
FBI investigation into fundraising
On November 7, 2015, ''
The Santa Fe New Mexican
''The Santa Fe New Mexican'' or simply ''The New Mexican'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dubbed "the West's oldest newspaper," its first issue was printed on November 28, 1849.
Background
The downtown offices for '' ...
'' revealed that the FBI was conducting an investigation into Martinez's fundraising activities, going back to her first run for governor. The investigation was focused on activities of Martinez's chief political consultant Jay McCleskey. Four months later, in March 2016, the investigation was terminated and no charges were filed.
2015 staff Christmas party
On December 13, 2015, staff at the El Dorado Hotel in
Santa Fe, New Mexico, called police concerning a noisy party on the 4th floor of the hotel, where guests were throwing bottles off the balcony. They said they already had warned the guests after complaints from other hotel guests about the noise. Martinez, members of her family, and some of her staff were attending the party. The Santa Fe police released a 911 tape, on which Martinez is heard repeatedly asking who made the complaint, and telling the police dispatcher that the investigation of the noise complaint should be, "called off," saying that officers were not needed. News outlets, politicians, hotel security, and police raised questions about the governor's sobriety during the incident. A responding Santa Fe Police officer had a belt recording that captured both police and hotel security referring to the governor as "inebriated".
Unfounded allegations against behavioral health providers
Using a provision of Obamacare requiring the freeze of Medicaid payments to healthcare providers when a credible allegation of fraud exists, the New Mexico Human Services Department suspended payments to 15 behavioral health organizations in 2013. The subsequent investigations, completed years later by Attorney General
Hector Balderas
Hector Hugo Balderas Jr. (born August 16, 1973) is an American lawyer and former prosecutor who has been the attorney general of New Mexico since 2015. In 2006, Balderas became the youngest statewide Hispanic elected official in the nation when he ...
, uncovered record keeping discrepancies at each organization, but did not find "an intentional pattern of fraud". Some of the organizations shut down because they were not able to sustain operations without Medicaid funds and were replaced by La Frontera, an Arizona-based company.
Settlement with state police officer
When Martinez took office as governor, she appointed state police officer Ruben Maynes to her personal protection detail. In 2014, Maynes left Martinez’s detail and in 2015 resigned from the state police department.
In July 2018, details of a 2015 financial settlement with Maynes came to light. Just two months after Maynes’ attorney informed Gov. Martinez that he was investigating claims against her and the state police chief, Pete Kassetas, for harassment and retaliation, the state quickly paid Maynes $200,000.
Two weeks after Martinez left office at the end of 2018, Tony Fetty, another member of Martinez’s security detail, filed a lawsuit against the state claiming that the state police department retaliated against him for raising concerns about Maynes’ conduct, including that he racked up gambling debts and that state government resources were being spent on personal activities. Fetty claims that “because of the overlapping of Agent Maynes’ personal life and frequency of non-professional concerns expressed by Gov. Martinez about Maynes, it became clear ... that there was a personal relationship between Gov. Martinez and Agent Maynes.” Fetty also says the governor’s husband,
Chuck Franco, once told state police agents that he suspected his wife was having a relationship with Maynes. Maynes has denied that he had an affair with Martinez.
Secret lawsuit settlements
After Martinez left office, Pete Kassetas, the former chief of the
New Mexico State Police
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
went public with information about lawsuits filed by other former state employees – including more members of Martinez's security detail and her former longtime ally, Amy Orlando – that were secretly settled for $1.7 million in the final days of the Martinez administration without proper investigation.
The settlements included confidentiality agreements extending to June 2023, a clear violation of New Mexico law which mandates public disclosure after 180 days. In May 2019, Gov.
Michelle Lujan Grisham
Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham (; born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the List of governors of New Mexico, 32nd governor of New Mexico since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
invalidated the confidentiality agreements and State Auditor
Brian Colón launched an investigation.
In the demand for settlement with the state, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote that “...we have compelling and irrefutable evidence, obtained legally, by (former head of security detail) Sergeant Julia Armendariz, at the Governor’s insistence, from Governor Martinez’s husband, Mr. Franco, of the Governor’s significant personal issues and instances of inappropriate behavior ...”. Another lawyer asked the state for all “embarrassing or compromising” … information “…regarding the personal life, alcohol or drug abuse or addiction, personal or intimate relationships or marital conflicts of the Governor.”
Kassetas believed that the plaintiffs were “...attempting to extort the state based on potential personal embarrassing events surrounding the Governor and (first gentleman) Mr. Franco.”
In November 2019, State Auditor
Brian Colón released the results of his department’s audit, performed by outside investigators, into the secret settlements and concluded that they were improperly awarded and were “an abuse of power” by the Martinez administration, adding, “you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that these were expedited settlements in the best interest of the administration’s reputation.” The amount of the suspicious settlements over Martinez's tenure as governor increased to nearly $3 million.
Colón confirmed that he sent findings to Attorney General
Hector Balderas
Hector Hugo Balderas Jr. (born August 16, 1973) is an American lawyer and former prosecutor who has been the attorney general of New Mexico since 2015. In 2006, Balderas became the youngest statewide Hispanic elected official in the nation when he ...
and First Judicial District Attorney Marco Serna based in Santa Fe for possible violations of state law. In response to the audit findings, the
Republican Party of New Mexico said “The Party believes all public officials should be held accountable for their actions, held to the highest standard and that all governmental activity should be honest and transparent. No one is above the law. In addition, it is imperative that any such settlements never be a burden on New Mexico taxpayers.”
Allegation of theft
In 2017, Martinez was accused of leaving a Santa Fe hamburger restaurant after ordering a meal, immediately disposing of it in the trash, and not paying for the order. The restaurant did not pursue criminal action because the total of the order was less than $15, and a representative of Martinez’s office advised a television news channel that the incident was the result of a mistake.
Polling and opinion
In an April 2012 edition of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', Martinez was named the 8th most-popular governor in the United States. According to a Public Opinion Strategies survey conducted in 2013 for Martinez's campaign, Martinez had one of the highest approval ratings among US governors.
In May 2013, Martinez had an approval rating of 66%. More than 44% of New Mexico's Democrats said they approved of her.
A January 2014 poll conducted by Research and Polling Inc., an
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
-based pollster, on behalf of Common Cause New Mexico, ranked Martinez's approval rating at 55 percent.
An October 2016 poll showed a strong drop in approval ratings to 39%, with a disapproval rating of 49%.
In April 2017 market research firm Morning Consult published a poll of approval ratings for governors nationwide, which showed Martinez with an approval rating of 43%, and a disapproval rating of 48%, the 10th highest disapproval rating out of 49 governors.
A January 2018 poll conducted by Morning Consult showed a steep drop in the approval rating of outgoing (term-limited) governor Martinez, with a 37% approval and a 57% disapproval rating. This placed her as the third least popular sitting governor in the country.
Political positions
![Susana Martinez by Gage Skidmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Susana_Martinez_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
Martinez had grown up as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, but switched to the Republican Party in 1995. Describing her decision to switch parties, Martinez told the audience at the
Republican National Convention that Republican friends had taken her to lunch to try to persuade her to join their ranks. She had attended the lunch simply to be polite, but stated that "When we left that lunch, we got in the car, and I looked over at
usbandChuck and said, 'I'll be damned – we're Republicans.
Martinez supports a
balanced budget and lower government spending. She favors putting taxpayer money into a
rainy day fund
A rainy day or rainy day fund is a reserved amount of money to be used in times when regular income is disrupted or decreased in order for typical operations to continue. In the United States, the term is usually used to apply to the funds mainta ...
, and refunding taxpayers to attempt to stimulate growth. Martinez is opposed to
elective abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregnan ...
. Martinez is personally opposed to
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
, but she accepted the
New Mexico Supreme Court
The New Mexico Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court which reviews civil and criminal decisio ...
's opinion in ''Griego v. Oliver,'' which legalized same-sex marriage in New Mexico. She has no record on civil unions.
Although Martinez opposed New Mexico's
medical marijuana
Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...
program, she indicated that repealing the existing law was not a priority. Martinez opposes portions of the
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
, such as the
individual mandate
An individual mandate is a requirement by law for certain persons to purchase or otherwise obtain a good or service.
United States Militia act
The Militia Acts of 1792, based on the Constitution's militia clause (in addition to its affirmativ ...
, but does not support repeal of the law in its entirety. She supported expansion of Medicaid in her state as part of health care reform. She also supports
Common Core
The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what K–12 students throughout the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics at the conc ...
education standards.
In November 2015, Martinez said she opposed the Obama administration's plans to admit 10,000
Syrian refugees to the U.S. until development of procedures for background-checking and resettlement of the refugees.
Martinez announced on August 17, 2016 that she would introduce legislation to reinstate the
death penalty in 2017. On October 14, 2016, the
New Mexico House of Representatives
) is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature.
There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, ...
approved the bill on a 36–30 vote. The bill would have allowed for the death penalty for only three kinds of murder:
child murder
Pedicide, child murder, child manslaughter, or child homicide is the homicide of an individual who is a minor.
Punishment by jurisdiction
United States
In 2008, there were 1,494 child homicides in the United States. Of those killed, 1,03 ...
, murder of an on-duty police officer, and murder of a prison employee by an inmate.
In 2018, Martinez announced her support for the controversial immigration policy of
President Donald J. Trump. In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal, Martinez told the paper “We don’t let people who break the law continue to be out breaking the law simply because they have children."
Personal life
Martinez met her first husband in
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, b ...
, they were both attending law school. The couple moved to
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern Ne ...
, in the mid-1980s, but divorced three years later. She met her second husband,
Chuck Franco, in Las Cruces, where they both worked in law enforcement. Martinez and Franco divorced in 2019.
On September 9, 2011, Martinez said she knew that her paternal grandparents, Adolfo Martinez and Francisca Ortega, had immigrated to the United States from Mexico "without documents". They appeared to have followed the rules at the time.
Awards and honors
*2010 – State Bar of New Mexico named Martinez "Prosecutor of the Year"
*2013 – ''Time'' magazine named Martinez to their
100 most influential people in the world list
Election history
See also
*
List of female governors in the United States
As of November 2022, 45 women have served or are serving as the governor of a U.S. state (two acting governors due to vacancies) and three women have served or are serving as the governor of an unincorporated U.S. territory. Two women have ser ...
References
External links
Official campaign website*
*
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, -
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Susana
1959 births
20th-century American lawyers
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Activists from Texas
American lawyers of Mexican descent
American politicians of Mexican descent
District attorneys in New Mexico
Governors of New Mexico
Hispanic and Latino American state governors of the United States
Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
Latino conservatism in the United States
Living people
New Mexico Democrats
New Mexico lawyers
New Mexico Republicans
People from El Paso, Texas
Politicians from Las Cruces, New Mexico
Politicians from Santa Fe, New Mexico
Republican Party governors of New Mexico
University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni
University of Texas at El Paso alumni
Women in New Mexico politics
Women state governors of the United States
20th-century American women lawyers
Hispanic and Latino American people in New Mexico politics