Although liberal organizations decry Susana Martinez’ policies, her approval rating in the state of New Mexico has never fallen below 60%. Even 44% of state Democrats, the party she left to join the Republicans, give her a favorable rating.
Susana Martinez was the first female governor of New Mexico (a position she still holds) and the first Latina governor in United States history. In her youth she set her sights on leadership and academic achievement. She served as student body president in high school and graduated as an honors student.
In college she studied criminal justice, while working for her father. Martinez’ father had been a Golden Gloves boxer in the Marines and later a deputy sheriff. Her mother was an office assistant. With an investment of $400, her parents built a security firm, her mother doing the books at the kitchen table at night, and Susana patrolling the parking lot at Catholic Church bingos. After completing her law degree, she moved to New Mexico where she was elected District Attorney in Doña Ana County. She was re-elected three times, running unopposed the last time. Twice named New Mexico’s “Prosecutor of the Year” her primary focus was on cases in involving public corruption and child abuse.
As governor her priorities are: education, balancing the budget, transparency and ethics in government, and safety. She has received a number of honors:
Heart magazine named her Woman of the Year for her efforts on behalf of children (2008).
Hispanic Business Magazine named her Woman of the Year for her efforts to reduce taxes, create jobs, promote business and improve the state’s fiscal condition (2011)
Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world (2013)
The Governor also supports veteran’s causes and encourages movie and TV production companies to hire veterans for all productions in New Mexico. Her work for children and literacy continues.
LEARN MORE:
To see her speech at the Republican Convention in 2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjbtxupVo6I
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Which values learned from your parents guided your future choices?
