Gov. Susana Martinez

New Mexico’s Susana Martinez – the first female Hispanic ever elected governor of any US state — is among seven major speakers selected to speak at the Republican National Convention late this month in Tampa.

Martinez will join such high-profile members of the GOP as Condoleeza Rice, John McCain, Mike Huckabee and John Kasich to speak at the convention where Mitt Romney will be officially nominated as the Republican pick to run against President Obama in November.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Rick Scott have also been selected to speak, although it’s not clear exactly when each of the speakers will address the convention, which is scheduled for Aug. 27-30.

The Tampa Bay Times quoted Gov. Martinez saying:

“Americans want to work,” said Martinez, the first woman to serve as New Mexico’s governor. “They want to build their businesses, compete and succeed in order to create more jobs and a secure future for their families. Mitt Romney knows that is the formula for our economic growth — not more government roadblocks.”

The roles of Martinez, Haley and Rice may be crucial for Romney, who trails Obama in polling among the nation’s women and the three female speakers are expected to make a strong play for the women’s vote.

Absent from the seven headline speakers are the officials considered to be Romney’s top vice-presidential contenders: Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. That seems to indicate that the Romney campaign wants to keep the political media buzzing about his selection in the run-up to the convention.