On her Watch

Martinez will exit as one of the nation’s least-popular governors, with even the Republican who seeks to succeed her saying “New Mexico is in a crisis moment.”

Ushered into office on a conservative wave that swept statehouses around the country, Martinez espoused classic Republican views on small government and fiscal conservatism. Eight years on, she can truthfully say she has kept state government lean.

Searchlight examined eight education-related claims and promises Martinez made during her two successful campaigns for governor, using publicly available data to learn whether New Mexico has managed to move the needle since then.