Eye on 2010

Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish is widely considered a strong early front-runner in a state that, while usually a partisan battleground, swung sharply to the Democrats in 2008. Barack Obama carried the state for president by a 15 percentage-point margin over Republican John McCain, and takeovers of the Republican-held Senate seat and two GOP House seats gave the Democrats a clean sweep of the state's five-member congressional delegation.

Denish could face Democratic primary competition from state Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, who posted an announcement in May on the social networking site Facebook that he had formed an exploratory committee, but has not yet made a decision on whether he'll definitely run.

But the Republican primary field that Martinez just joined looks much more densely populated.

Albuquerque financial adviser Greg Zanetti, state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones and former state GOP Chairman Allen Weh have initiated exploratory committees. Doug Turner, CEO of an Albuquerque-based public relations firm, says he's seriously considering the race.

And the outlook for the primary is on hold pending former Rep. Heather A. Wilson's decision on whether she'll seek a political comeback by running for governor. Wilson held the House seat in the politically competitive, Albuquerque-based 1st District from 1998 through 2008, when she lost to fellow Rep. Steve Pearce in the GOP primary for the Senate seat that Republican Pete V. Domenici left open to retire.

Pearce, who lost the Senate general election to Democrat Tom Udall, also pondered a bid for governor in 2010, but instead is running to try to reclaim the 2nd District House seat that he left open in 2008 to run statewide.

CQ Politics currently rates the 2010 general election contest as Democrat Favored.

-- Leah Carliner

To follow all the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.