Gary King, the Democratic candidate for governor in New Mexico, tells the Associated Press he won’t apologize or back down from recent remarks he made about his Republican opponent, sitting governor Susana Martinez. King, the current attorney general, told a group of supporters last week that Martinez, the first female Hispanic governor in the country, “does not have a Latino heart.” King’s statement, which was caught on video, was first reported by THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Here’s more from the AP on King’s reaction to the publication of the video:
Martinez said in a statement she and King differ on the issues “but I know what’s in my heart and I won’t question what’s in his.”
Martinez was born in El Paso, Texas, and later moved to New Mexico, working as a prosecutor in Las Cruces before being elected district attorney for Doña Ana County. She was elected governor in 2010, winning 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in New Mexico.
Polls show Martinez leading King by a little more than 5 points.
