Susana Martinez Bio
Susana Martinez (born July 14, 1959) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 31st governor of New Mexico from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she chaired the Republican Governors Association from 2015 to 2016. Martinez was the first woman to serve as governor of New Mexico and the first Hispanic female governor in United States history. Before entering state politics, she built a long career as a prosecutor in southern New Mexico, focusing on child abuse and public corruption cases.
Early Life and Background
Susana Martinez was born on July 14, 1959, in El Paso, Texas, and raised in a middle-class family of Mexican descent. Her father, Jacobo “Jake” Martinez, was a Golden Gloves boxing champion in the U.S. Marines during the Korean War and later served as a deputy sheriff for El Paso County. Her mother, Paula Aguirre, worked in various offices. Martinez grew up with a sister and a brother, and she served as the legal guardian and caretaker of her older sister, Letitia “Lettie” Martinez, who had cerebral palsy and was developmentally disabled.
Martinez attended Riverside High School in El Paso, Texas, where she served as student body president in her senior year. She graduated as the valedictorian of the class of 1977. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1981. She is also a great-granddaughter of Mexican Revolutionary General Toribio Ortega.
Path to US Politics
After college, Martinez moved to Oklahoma and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1986. That same year, she was admitted to the State Bar of New Mexico and began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the 3rd Judicial District, based in Las Cruces. She developed a specialty in cases involving sexually abused children and built multidisciplinary teams to support victims.
Martinez was promoted to Deputy District Attorney in 1992, but was later dismissed after a change in administration. She filed a wrongful termination lawsuit and was awarded an out-of-court settlement. Martinez joined the Republican Party in 1995 after growing up as a Democrat. She ran for district attorney in 1996, won with nearly 60 percent of the vote, and served three terms while concentrating on public corruption and child abuse prosecutions.
Susana Martinez Career
Early Career (1986–2010)
Susana Martinez spent more than two decades as a prosecutor in southern New Mexico before running for statewide office. As an assistant and later deputy district attorney, she handled cases involving domestic violence, sexual offenses, and crimes against women and children. Her early legal work shaped her reputation as a tough-on-crime attorney and a champion for victims.
After her first election as district attorney in 1996, Martinez won re-election three times, twice defeating the same opponent who had previously fired her. She used her position to push for legislation such as the expansion of Katie’s Law, requiring DNA samples from suspects booked on felony charges. Her success in local races positioned her as a leading Republican figure in a traditionally Democratic state.
Governor of New Mexico Era (2011–2019)
When Susana Martinez took office in January 2011, she became the first female governor of New Mexico and the first Hispanic female governor in the United States. Early in her tenure, she signed an executive order rescinding sanctuary status for immigrants who commit crimes in the state, imposed a moratorium on state vehicle purchases, and barred agencies from hiring former lobbyists. She also signed an education reform bill that assigned schools letter grades based on student achievement and banned corporal punishment in public schools.
Martinez won re-election in 2014 with 57 percent of the vote against Attorney General Gary King, a race that featured one of the lowest voter turnouts of the year. During her two terms, she worked to expand private investment in Spaceport America, sold the state’s luxury jet, and managed emergencies including the 2012 Las Conchas Fire and the Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire. She announced that New Mexico would participate in the Obamacare Medicaid expansion in 2013 and supported Common Core education standards. In 2013, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.
Notable Events and Milestones
Martinez’s most historic milestone was becoming the first female and first Hispanic woman governor of New Mexico, taking office in 2011. She was also only the third woman elected governor in New Mexico’s history. Her 2013 appearance on the Time 100 Most Influential People list highlighted her national profile, while her 2015 selection as chair of the Republican Governors Association marked her as a leading voice in the national party.
Susana Martinez Career Wins
Susana Martinez compiled a strong record of electoral victories across her career, winning multiple district attorney races, two gubernatorial elections, and rising to leadership of the Republican Governors Association.
Gubernatorial Election Highlights
Martinez first won the governorship in 2010, capturing 51 percent of the vote in a five-way Republican primary and earning an endorsement from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. In the general election, she defeated Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish with 53 percent of the vote, winning by more than 40,000 ballots. In 2014, she secured a second term with 57 percent of the vote against Attorney General Gary King.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond the governorship, Martinez served as chair of the Republican Governors Association from 2015 to 2016 and was included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2013. She also maintained a strong tenure as district attorney, winning four elections and earning the support of major party leaders throughout her career.
Susana Martinez Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Susana Martinez was raised in a Mexican-American family in El Paso, Texas. Her father, Jacobo “Jake” Martinez, was a Korean War veteran, Golden Gloves boxer, and El Paso County deputy sheriff. Her mother, Paula Aguirre, worked in various offices. Martinez is a great-granddaughter of Mexican Revolutionary General Toribio Ortega, a connection that has shaped her sense of heritage and identity in public life.
Personal Life
Martinez met her first husband while attending law school in Norman, Oklahoma, and the couple later moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, before divorcing. She later married Chuck Franco, a law enforcement colleague in Las Cruces, in 1991. Martinez and Franco divorced in 2019. She has long resided in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she built her legal and political career.