LAS CRUCES - Some 1,200 of Gov.-elect Susana Martinez's southern New Mexico supporters have been invited to a farewell bash that's slated for the end of the month in Las Cruces.

Political supporters began receiving invitations last week to the Dec. 30, semi-formal event.

Martinez, a Republican, will speak at the a dinner, which will be followed by a music from two disc jockeys and a dance, according to event organizers.

The invitation-only event, dubbed the Las Cruces Inaugural Send-Off Gala, was scheduled alongside a Jan. 1 swearing-in ceremony in Santa Fe, so Las Crucens are able to participate without having to travel to the capital, the transition team said.

"Gov.-elect Martinez is extremely proud of her hometown and believes it is important to share the historic inaugural with family, friends and community members who have been closely associated with her public service career," said Martinez spokesman Danny Diaz in a statement.

Las Crucen Isaac E. Chavez, a former Republican candidate for state representative, said he received his invitation last week and plans to attend. He said he was at Martinez's victory party election night and believes the Dec. 30 event will be even more energetic.

Chavez pointed out that the last governor from Las Cruces, Garrey Carruthers, was elected more than two decades ago, and he doesn't recall any inaugural events that were held in the southern part of the state then.

"It's a wonderful gesture on Susana's part to include her

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hometown because this is where she's from, and we've had a lot to do with her victory," he said. "It's also a courtesy for those people down here that just can't make that trip to Santa Fe for the inauguration."

The send-off event will take place at the new Las Cruces Convention Center, which opened for business last week. Convention center executive director David Hicks said already a nonprofit fundraiser, a few holiday parties and a wedding have been booked for December. And the Martinez send-off, which has reserved the entire center the evening of Dec. 30, will cap off the month.

"It will be the first political event, so we're pretty excited to be able to do that," he said.

Diaz said the response so far to invitations for the Las Cruces event has been "enthusiastic."

Organizers said both the Las Cruces and Santa Fe events will be paid for from donations that were collected for Martinez's inauguration activities. The committee said it will disclose donors, and leftover proceeds will be donated to New Mexico safehouses that have had their budgets cut because of the poor economy.

A public swearing-in ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Jan. 1 on the Santa Fe Plaza. That will be followed by a public, noon to 3 p.m. reception at the Fine Arts Museum and an invitation-only inaugural ball at 8 p.m.

Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443.

On the Web

Susana Martinez: www.martineztransition.com