Susana Martinez President 2016: Is The First Female Hispanic Governor Running For President?

Gov. Susana Martinez, R-N.M., has been making waves since she arrived in Santa Fe in 2011. In two short years, she has drastically reduced the size of government in the Land of Enchantment. The El Paso, Texas native has done everything from eliminating state vehicle purchases for a time to rescinding all sanctuary status ordinances statewide, spelling likely deportation for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes in New Mexico.

The former district attorney has caught the eye of conservatives both in the southwest and nationwide. She was a heavily applauded guest to the annual CPAC 2013 conference in Oxon Hill, Md., last week. She is America's first Hispanic governor, part of an ethnicity many politicos consider somewhat of waning devotion to federal Republican candidates.

But, Martinez, got the CPAC 2012 crowd going last year when she revisited her realization of where she stands on the political spectrum.

"I was a Democrat for many years," she told the crowd in Washington, D.C. She recounted how she and her husband, Chuck Franco, were invited to lunch with prominent republicans during her run for district attorney.

Expecting an appeal to switch her party allegiance she told the crowd she was prepared to be cordial and politely say no.

By the end of the meal, after delving deeply into each party's ideologies however, she turned to her husband and said, "I'll be damned, we're Republicans." She finished her speech that year with a message of unity, saying as Americans, "we must offer up real solutions and have an honest debate" about the important issues of our time.

This mindset has served Martinez well in Santa Fe. She has sought to work with both sides of the aisle in an increasing private sector investment in New Mexican facilities, including the unique spaceport, just outside Truth or Consequences, N.M.

While she offers a message of bipartisanship, she stands fast to her conservative social values, opposing abortion and same sex-marriage.

So, will these factors combine to produce a successful White House run anytime soon? On her blog, Gretawire, FOX's Greta van Susteren says it's entirely possible: "I may be the only one who thinks it, but I think New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez is a possible candidate for her party's nomination," she writes, noting a recent AP story regarding her decision not to veto the state budget, but instead concentrate on business tax cuts, calling the deal an "important victory for all of New Mexico."

Her stringent fiscal policies have been criticized recently when she vetoed a bill offering further expanded tax subsidies for film companies operating within the state. Already offering nearly a 25 percent tax rebate, Martinez decided not to "sweeten" the tax benefits for those in the film industry, allegedly causing a drop in filming of the "Breaking Bad" series starring Bryan Cranston.

Citing the need for "genuine reform" statewide and throughout all industries, Martinez continued her fiscally conservative agenda, which some say may lead to a primary candidacy in three years.