O.K., that's an exaggeration. But CNN is reporting that a bunch of big-time Republican honchos are gathering in Washington D.C. next Tuesday for a fundraiser for Gov. Susana Martinez's re-election campaign.The invitation lists GOP luminaries including House Speaker John Boehner, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; Sens. Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and John McCain; Rep. Paul Ryan; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell; Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus; and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (a Taos resident).
Mindful of the state's campaign finance limits, the invite says, "Contributions to Susana Martinez for Governor are limited to $10,400 per election cycle per legal entity."
CNN asks and answers:
So why are Republicans focusing on helping Martinez, who is expected to win re-election in 2014? Simply, she is an important public figure for the GOP, who lost the Hispanic vote to President Barack Obama by an overwhelming margin in 2012. And there is an acknowledgment by Priebus and other GOP leaders that future electoral successes will depend, in part, on convincing Hispanic voters to support Republicans. Who better to help deliver that message than Martinez – the first Hispanic woman ever elected governor.
The CNN story also has a little tweak for state Dems:
As of now, it appears Martinez has a path to re-election as Democrats have failed to identify a strong challenger. "For being in such a competitive state, Martinez is in surprising good shape for second term," said Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report.
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