GOP's Martinez Wins in N.M., Becomes U.S.'s First Female Hispanic Governor

Republican Susana Martinez won the New Mexico governor's race on Tuesday night, becoming the state's first female governor and the first female Hispanic governor in U.S. history. She won by 10 points over Democratic rival Diane Denish, in a race pollsters assumed would be more hotly contested. The race was called about two hours after the polls closed, with 21 percent of the ballots counted.

This was the first time in New Mexico's history that two women -- Martinez, a border-county (Doña Ana) U.S. prosecutor, and Denish, Gov. Bill Richardson's Lt. Governor -- ran against each other for the state's chief executive position. The night before the election, AOL's Politics Daily reported that Martinez led by 9 points, with 16% undecided. Another poll said the two were neck and neck. In New Mexico, Democrats have a 50 to 32 percent edge over Republicans among registered voters, but Martinez, who is Hispanic, made significant gains among the state's Latino citizenry -- 45% of the state's population is Hispanic.

Though the race was called early, Denish, wearing a modest bright blue dress, did not enter the Hotel Andalusa ballroom in Albuquerque until two more hours had passed, near midnight EST. She gave an emotional concession speech surrounded by family and supporters, recalling that her father had brought her into the world of public service and had watched over her with light and love. She said she was proud to be a Democrat because she believes government can and must be a force for good. She urged her fellow Democrats to assist in a smooth transition, and congratulated her opponent. She tellingly spoke of the "Era of cynicism...where the competition of ideas has lost out to the competition of 'gotcha,' with everyone playing along, me included. I hope we can break the cycle of attack-driven politics and have real conversations about what is important."

Governor-Elect Martinez gave a forceful acceptance speech half an hour later at the El Elcanto Hotel in Las Cruces, her hometown. She vowed to "change the culture of corruption. Never again will fraud be committed against this state's citizens," she declared. "We're not taking no for an answer," and promised to end "the abuse that has become the state's calling card." She concluded by promising to always tell the people of New Mexico the truth. As red, white and blue confetti swirled around the room and the band played on, a mass of people pressed forward to congratulate her.

Martinez opposes a woman's right to choose, same-sex-marriage and leniency toward illegal immigrants. Denish, who is pro-choice, pro-domestic partnerships, and generally more liberal toward illegals, was hurt by her long-term working relationship with Governor Bill Richardson, whose popularity tanked when the economy did the same, and who was mired in charges of pay-to-play corruption.

In their final debate, Denish called Martinez a liar, but it didn't help her cause. ABC News reported that Denish also accused Martinez of being beholden to large corporations. "She's not talking about what really matters to New Mexico families," said Denish of Martinez, "... She has a very different agenda. She's fighting for big corporations, the people that are bankrolling her campaign."

Of course, money mattered and national political organizations took note. Martinez's campaign-finance records gave her an edge, with more than $1.3 million in the war chest heading into the final five weeks of the campaign. The Democratic and Republican Governors' Associations both poured money into the race. According to ABC News, the Democratic Governors Association donated at least $190,000 to the Denish campaign and saturated the state with three ads. The Republican Governor's Association invested close to $750,000 in the Martinez campaign, including $500,000 in June. Former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden came to stump for Denish. Sarah Palin campaigned for Martinez.

But it may have been too little too late for the Democrats. While Martinez walked away with the prize, it comes with strings attached: With New Mexico facing a budget shortfall of $300 million, the winner faces tough times ahead.