NM voters don’t want Gov. Martinez to run for president

Sixty-nine percent of New Mexico voters do not want their governor, Susana Martinez (R), to run for president in 2016. 

A poll released Thursday by the Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling firm found 17 percent of voters in the state want her to seek higher office. Another 14 percent are unsure. 

{mosads}On the Republican side, 22 percent of voters say she should seek higher office, while 59 think the opposite. 

Martinez, the first female Hispanic governor in the country, has previously said she would not seek higher office. When asked earlier this year if she would accept a nomination to run on the ticket for vice president, she said she was focused on New Mexico. 

However, her name has been floated as a potential candidate for higher office. During the 2012 election, there was speculation she was on a list of possible running mates for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). And Romney floated her name in February as a possible contender in 2016. 

During the last election, Martinez said serving as the guardian of her developmentally disabled sister would prevent her from living away from New Mexico. 

A potential presidential election matchup between Martinez and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) shows the New Mexico governor would not fare much better in the increasingly Democratic state than many other Republicans. Clinton garners 53 percent, while 39 percent would back Martinez. 

Martinez is up for reelection as governor this year. Her approval rating stands at 53 percent, while 47 percent disapprove. She leads her closest potential Democratic opponent by 5 percentage points. 

President Obama won New Mexico by 10 percent or more in the last two elections, as the share of the Hispanic voting population has grown there. However, the state had been competitive in past presidential elections.

The automated poll surveyed 674 registered voters in the state and has a 3.8-percent margin of error.