Republican governors elected in 2010 delivering to their states what Congress hasn’t

Susana Martinez and Brian Sandoval were swept into office as part of the 2010 GOP wave — two Hispanic governors in Western states who each had the potential for political stardom.

Ms. Martinez has struggled in New Mexico, fulfilling her campaign promise of fighting against tax hikes but failing to get the state’s economy moving again. The unemployment rate has fallen just 1 percent since she took office in 2011 and is among the bottom third of the country.

Mr. Sandoval, meanwhile, is riding high in Nevada, politically speaking, despite — or perhaps because — he broke his no-new-taxes promise. His state’s unemployment rate, which topped out at nearly 14 percent in 2011, is now under 5 percent, and he’s managed to score some conservative victories on social policies like school choice.

Seventeen new Republican governors were elected in 2010 as part of the national GOP wave, and like their congressional counterparts, they promised to usher in a new era of booming economies, slimmer government and a bulwark against President Barack Obama.

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