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Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Cruces DA Defeats Democrat Denish
By Sean Olson And Rene Romo
Journal Staff Writers
Republican Susana Martinez will become New Mexico's first female elected governor and the nation's first Hispanic female governor.
The Republican district attorney from Las Cruces will take office in January after defeating two-term Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish in the general election Tuesday.
Martinez had a 43,000 vote lead with 90 percent of the vote counted, or about 54 percent compared to Denish's 46 percent, according to unofficial results.
"Tonight, we have made history," Martinez said in a victory speech at Hotel Encanto in her hometown of Las Cruces.
The obviously happy 51-year-old governor-elect promised that New Mexicans would see new jobs, less corruption and an improved educational system.
"I give you my word that I will always put the interests of New Mexicans first," she said. "I will always tell you the truth whether it benefits me or not, and I will always commit myself, heart and soul, to making our state the very best it can be.
"I look forward to challenges and I am invigorated by the confidence you have placed in me," Martinez said.
Denish, who watched election results unfold at Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque, gave a concession speech just before 10 p.m.
"Together, we did all that we could to win this election," Denish told a crowd of supporters.
"We may have come up short, but I hold my head high and you should, too," Denish said. "The voters here and across the country have been responding to economic and political forces and have chosen a different direction. I truly believe we could have been the more effective agent for that change."
Denish implored fellow Democrats to work with Martinez and Republicans in the Legislature.
"There is hard work to do; it will require a willingness to compromise on both sides of the aisle," she said.
Martinez echoed that sentiment in her speech in Las Cruces.
"We must do more than just change the party in power if we're going to set a new course in New Mexico. We must work across party lines — Republicans and Democrats — to move our state forward," Martinez said.
Republican John Sanchez, the owner of an Albuquerque roofing company, ran on a ticket with Martinez and will serve as lieutenant governor. Former Democratic Party of New Mexico chairman and Albuquerque lawyer Brian Colón ran as the lieutenant governor nominee on Denish's ticket.
Republican Party of New Mexico chairman Harvey E. Yates Jr. said Republicans are ready to take over the governor's mansion.
"Republicans have looked forward to that opportunity for some time," Yates said.
"This is very historic and to me this is a special night because I've been following her since the fourth grade," said Clara Nevarez, a rookie prosecutor in the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's office who watched Martinez's victory speech in the Las Cruces hotel ballroom.
Nevarez said she was inspired to pursue a career as a lawyer in the early '90s when Martinez spoke to Nevarez and other girls in a program aimed at showing girls various career options.
"To me, seeing this woman and her goals and what she wanted to do, I said, 'That's what I want to do,' " Nevarez said. "I know I'm not the only person who's been inspired by her."
Facing Santa Fe
Martinez's honeymoon at the Roundhouse might be short-lived, with a $260 million state government revenue shortfall looming and deadlines to put together a new administration and a balanced budget in January.
Her first legislative session will convene on Jan. 18 and a special session on congressional and legislative redistricting probably will follow in the spring.
Martinez has shown tenacity in the often-nasty gubernatorial campaign against Denish and, before that, in her longtime career as a criminal prosecutor.
Martinez was born and raised in a lower-middle class home in El Paso, but has spent more than 20 years in New Mexico after graduating from the University of Texas at El Paso and later graduating from law school at the University of Oklahoma.
One of her first jobs was as a gun-toting security guard for her parent's homegrown company. She was 18.
Martinez made her name as an aggressive prosecutor in the Doña Ana County-based 3rd Judicial District for 21 years, including 14 years as a district attorney. She was first elected in 1996, defeating her former boss, and has won three attempts at re-election since.
Martinez and Denish wasted no time going after one another with attacks during their summer and fall campaign, starting what would become a brutally negative campaign season in June, just after the primary election.
Gov. Bill Richardson's shadow loomed large over the 2010 election contest, although he tried to keep his controversial profile low.
Richardson's popularity has declined dramatically over the past two years, with his administration clouded by pay-to-play scandals and a poor showing in the 2008 presidential primary campaign. Investigations produced no indictments but helped force his withdrawal as Commerce secretary nominee for President Barack Obama — which would have moved Denish into the governor's job.
Martinez capitalized on Richardson's sagging approval numbers — 33 percent in a Journal Poll in August — by using rhetoric, advertising and, at times, Denish's own words to tie her to Richardson. Denish has spent the last eight years as Richardson's lieutenant governor.
The Martinez campaign started using the phrase "Richardson/Denish administration" early and often, and never referred to problems in the state without invoking it.
The campaign never tied Denish to criminal activity or any of the scandals that have plagued the state, but attacked her integrity for not speaking out against the current administration and criticized the role of her husband, a land use consultant.
Denish spent weeks hammering Martinez for statements she made in support of school voucher programs during the primary campaign.
Late in the campaign season, Denish switched strategies and began to criticize Martinez for taking money from Texas interests, as her campaign unleashed its "Tejana" attack.
Denish alleged Martinez would be beholden to corporate interests rather than what was best for New Mexicans. She said Martinez would deregulate New Mexico to boost profits for polluters.
Both candidates were more willing to tackle each other's integrity and social views than the fiscal problems facing the state.
Budget struggles
Martinez has said she would consider as much as $500 million in cuts to the state budget, but has only committed to one specific cut: reducing the number of political hires.
While neither candidate has fully addressed the projected budget shortfall, both promised they would not raise taxes, cut public education or cut Medicaid.
Martinez said she would work to reverse the 2009 repeal of the death penalty in New Mexico, would sign legislation to end the medical marijuana program, describes herself as pro-life and would not sign legislation to establish civil unions in the state that would give same-sex couples some of the same rights as married couples.
Martinez, like Denish, would fight to repeal a 2003 law that allows the state to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants — but Martinez said she would also seek to repeal the 50,000-plus such licenses already issued.
While Martinez is the first elected Hispanic female governor in the nation, she is not the first one to serve.
Soledad Chávez Chacón, who was elected New Mexico's secretary of state in 1922, acted as governor for two weeks when the state's lieutenant governor died and the governor was out of state.
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