One week after the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce endorsed Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro for a Democratic vice presidential choice, the organization named its pick for a Republican running mate Friday: New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez.
“Our endorsement of both Governor Martinez and Sec. Julian Castro is not an endorsement of a particular presidential candidate or party, but rather a firm recommendation to the future Presidential nominee of each party,” USHCC President Javier Palomarez said in a statement.
“On the heels of yesterday’s Republican debate, we urge all participating candidates to seriously consider Governor Martinez as their running mate,” he added.
The leading Hispanic business organization touted Martinez’s landmark education and economic reforms, job creation in New Mexico and appeal among minority voters.
“Gov. Martinez has been a standard bearer within the Republican Party in championing diversity and inclusion,” Palomarez said. “[She] is an admirable public servant. And like Secretary Castro, has an incontestable track record for supporting American business, diverse communities, and reaching across the aisle to advance the common good.”
“We are confident that she is ready to take on the Vice Presidency of the United States,” he said of the nation’s first Hispanic female governor.
Neither the USHCC nor Martinez has chosen to endorse a candidate for president in the primary election cycle.
