1. Diane Daniels Denish is an American politician, who was the 28th lieutenant governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011 under Governor Bill Richardson.
14 Facts About Diane Denish
1. 2.
Diane Denish ran for governor in 2010 and was defeated by Republican nominee Susana Martinez on November 2,2010.
3.
Diane Denish was born March 7,1949, in Hobbs, New Mexico.
4.
Diane Denish's father, Jack Daniels, was a prominent New Mexico politician and the brother of Bill Daniels.
5.
Diane Denish earned her BA from the University of New Mexico in 1971.
6.
Diane Denish has served as Chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party, as well as Chair of New Mexico First and Chair of the New Mexico Community Foundation.
7.
Diane Denish has been appointed by three New Mexico Governors to serve in numerous capacities, including as a member of the Board of Regents at New Mexico Tech University, as Chair of the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women, and as a member of the National Advisory Board of the Small Business Administration under President Bill Clinton.
8.
Diane Denish supported legislation to establish voluntary pre-kindergarten enrollment for all New Mexico four-year-olds and legislation to combat methamphetamine manufacturers and dealers who target children.
9.
Diane Denish began preparing for her gubernatorial bid early and in 2007 had already amassed a war chest of over $1 million.
10.
Diane Denish ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Mexico.
11.
Diane Denish was defeated in the general election on November 2,2010 by Dona Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez, who became New Mexico's first elected female governor, and as well as the first elected Hispanic woman to become governor in US history.
12.
Diane Denish has received the PNM Entrepreneur Advocate of the Year Award, the Leadership New Mexico Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
13.
In March of 2024, Diane Denish faced allegations of unfairly using her political connections to undermine efforts by her neighborhood to create a childhood playground in a park close to Diane Denish's house.
14.
Reasons Diane Denish cited for having requested the veto included her desire for unobstructed views and the belief that children "don't necessarily need a slide or swing" because they can play creatively without them.