Susana Martinez: First Latina Governor

Let’s get to know Susana Martinez , the next governor of New Mexico, a Republican/Tea Partier who will likely be tough on border security, reports Slate:

“Martinez, who grew up both Texan and Democratic (she officially became a Republican in 1996 when she ran against her former boss in a D.A. race), defeated another woman, Democrat Diane Denish, in an attack-ad-filled race that both parties poured plenty of money into.  Much of Denish’s out-of-state money came from unions, while Martinez got lots of cash from a few notable out-of-state sources: Koch Industries (famous for their deep pockets and far-right views) and The CEO Group of Florida, which oversees private prisons in New Mexico.

The latter is particularly interesting, since private prison money helped bankroll the push for Arizona’s draconian immigration laws.  Martinez, a border-county prosecutor, made a tough stance on immigration one of the most visible parts of her platform. Denish might ultimately have been undone by her ties to now-unpopular Gov. Bill Richardson (who is caught up in a corruption scandal, to boot), but it could also have been her much softer stance on immigration.

And Martinez’s swelling support among Hispanics in a state where they make up 45 percent of the population could have put her over the edge, too. A Latina governor in New Mexico who’s tough on immigration—whether she actually has the record she’s touting or not—seems like a dream come true for Republicans looking for a potent symbol that their stance on immigration has nothing to do with race.”