Susana Martinez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susana Martinez
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 31st Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2019 |
|
| Lieutenant | John Sanchez |
| Preceded by | Bill Richardson |
| Succeeded by | Michelle Lujan Grisham |
| District Attorney for the 3rd Judicial District of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 1997 – January 1, 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Greg Valdez |
| Succeeded by | Amy Orlando |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 14, 1959 El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1995–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (before 1995) |
| Spouse |
Chuck Franco
(m. 1991; div. 2019) |
| Children | 1 stepson |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
Susana Martinez (born July 14, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer. She served as the 31st Governor of New Mexico from 2011 to 2019. As a member of the Republican Party, she was also a leader for a group of Republican governors from 2015 to 2016.
Susana Martinez made history in New Mexico. She was the first female Governor of New Mexico. She was also the first Hispanic female governor in the United States.
Martinez was born in El Paso, Texas. She studied law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. After becoming a lawyer, she started her career in 1986. She worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Las Cruces. She became Deputy District Attorney in 1992.
She joined the Republican Party in 1995. In 1996, she ran for District Attorney and won. She served three terms in this role, from 1997 to 2011.
In 2010, Martinez decided to run for governor. The current governor, Bill Richardson, could not run again. Martinez won the Republican primary election. She then defeated Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish in the main election. She won with 53% of the votes.
Four years later, she was re-elected as governor. She won with 57% of the votes against New Mexico Attorney General Gary King. In 2013, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Susana Martinez was born on July 14, 1959, in El Paso, Texas. She grew up in a middle-class family. Her family had Mexican roots. Her father, Jacobo "Jake" Martinez, was a boxer for the U.S. Marines. He also worked as a deputy sheriff in El Paso County, Texas. Her mother, Paula Aguirre, worked in different offices.
Susana has two siblings. She was the legal guardian for her older sister, Letitia "Lettie" Martinez. Lettie had cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities.
Martinez went to Riverside High School in El Paso. She was very active in school clubs. In her senior year, she became student body president. She was an excellent student and graduated as the valedictorian in 1977.
She earned her first degree in criminal justice in 1981. This was from the University of Texas at El Paso. Then she moved to Oklahoma. She got her law degree (J.D.) from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1986.
Becoming a District Attorney
Starting as a Prosecutor
From 1986 to 1992, Martinez worked as an Assistant District Attorney. She served the 3rd Judicial District in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. Her boss, Doug Driggers, later made her Deputy District Attorney.
After some changes in the office, Martinez ran for District Attorney herself. She won the election in 1996. She won with almost 60% of the votes. She was re-elected three more times after that.
As a prosecutor, Martinez focused on important cases. She worked on cases involving public corruption. She also worked on cases dealing with child abuse.
Governor of New Mexico (2011–2019)
Winning the Governor's Race in 2010
On June 1, 2010, Susana Martinez won the Republican nomination for governor. She received 51% of the votes in a five-person race. During her campaign, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin supported her.
On November 2, 2010, Martinez won the general election. She defeated Diane Denish, who was the lieutenant governor at the time. Martinez received 53% of the votes. One of her main goals was to make the Mexico–United States border safer.
Re-election in 2014
On October 15, 2013, Martinez announced she would run for re-election. She had already raised a lot of money for her campaign. She faced no other Republican candidates in the primary election.
On November 4, 2013, State Attorney General Gary King became the Democratic candidate. Martinez won re-election on November 4, 2014. She defeated King with 57% of the votes.
Key Actions as Governor
When Martinez became governor, she quickly started making changes. She proposed a new budget for the state. She also stopped state agencies from buying new vehicles until 2012. She banned state agencies from hiring former lobbyists.
On January 31, 2011, Martinez signed an order. This order removed special protection for immigrants who committed crimes in New Mexico.
She achieved several legislative successes. These included limiting film tax credits. She also expanded Katie's Law. This law requires DNA samples from people charged with serious crimes. Martinez also supported a bill to grade schools from A to F. This was based on student success and graduation rates. In April 2011, she signed a bill banning corporal punishment in public schools. New Mexico became the 31st state to do this.
In 2011, Martinez attended her first "Tribal-State Summit." This is an annual meeting between the governor and New Mexico's 22 recognized tribes. They discussed topics like economic development, healthcare, and education.
Martinez worked to get more private money for the Spaceport America project. This project cost $212 million. She appointed a new board to manage the Spaceport Authority. In 2012, she sold the state's luxury jet. She called it a "symbol of waste."
The 2012 Las Conchas Fire was a very large wildfire. Martinez declared a state of emergency. She also made removing radioactive waste a top concern. After the fire, she asked for federal money to help with flooding risks.
.jpg)
Many people wondered if Martinez would be a vice presidential candidate in 2012 or 2016. However, she stated many times that she would not run.
In May 2012, Martinez declared the entire state of New Mexico was in a drought. This helped farmers and ranchers get federal funding. She also encouraged small businesses to apply for loans.
In January 2013, Martinez announced that New Mexico would expand Medicaid. This was part of the Affordable Care Act. On March 29, 2013, she vetoed a bill to raise the state minimum wage. She said the proposed raise was too high compared to nearby states.
Her term as governor ended on January 1, 2019. Michelle Lujan Grisham became the next governor.
Public Opinion
In April 2012, The Washington Post named Martinez the 8th most popular governor in the U.S. A 2013 survey showed she had one of the highest approval ratings among U.S. governors. In May 2013, her approval rating was 66%. Even many Democrats in New Mexico approved of her.
However, her approval ratings dropped later in her term. By October 2016, her approval was 39%. In January 2018, it dropped to 37%. This made her one of the least popular governors in the country at that time.
Political Views
Martinez grew up as a Democrat. But she switched to the Republican Party in 1995. She explained her decision at the 2012 Republican National Convention. She said Republican friends convinced her to join their party.
In November 2015, Martinez said she did not support the plan to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. She wanted better background checks and resettlement plans first.
On August 17, 2016, Martinez announced she would try to bring back the death penalty in New Mexico. The New Mexico House of Representatives approved the bill in October 2016.
In 2018, Martinez supported President Donald Trump's immigration policy.
Personal Life
Martinez met her first husband in Norman, Oklahoma, while they were both in law school. They later moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico. They divorced three years later. She met her second husband, Chuck Franco, in Las Cruces. They both worked in law enforcement. Martinez and Franco divorced in 2019.
On September 9, 2011, Martinez shared that her paternal grandparents came to the United States from Mexico. They came "without documents" but seemed to follow the rules of that time.
Other Roles
Martinez is a board member for American Edge. This group works to support the technology industry. She is also the vice chair of the board of directors at The Hunt Institute. This group helps states understand education policy.
Awards and Recognition
- 2010 – The State Bar of New Mexico named Martinez "Prosecutor of the Year."
- 2013 – Time magazine included Martinez in their 100 most influential people in the world list.
Images for kids
-
Susana Martinez as Governor of New Mexico
-
Signature of Susana Martinez
-
See also
In Spanish: Susana Martínez para niños
