New Mexico governor Susana Martinez’s Democratic opponent has just lost his third campaign manager and a top-level aide, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Democratic state attorney general Gary King’s first campaign manager, Jim Farrell, resigned in June, reportedly to spend more time with his family, and his replacement, Steve Verzwyvelt, left in less than a week after his controversial tweets became a distraction. Verzwyvelt allegedly referred to Mitt Romney as an “elitist a**hat” on Twitter, and called Louisiana senator David Vitter and Governor Bobby Jindal “d*****bags,” according to the Washington Free Beacon.

King’s third campaign manager, Keith Breitbach, joined the team at the end of June and left less than three months later. Breitbach cited his mother’s heart problems in explaining his departure on September 10. Soon after Breitbach jumped ship, the Albuquerque Journal released a poll showing King down 18 points in the governor’s race. Martinez’s lead in the polls is only eclipsed by her campaign war chest: At the start of September, Martinez had $3.8 million cash on hand compared with King’s $157,730, according to the Albuquerque Journal. With absentee and early voting beginning next month, King has not yet decided if he will hire a fourth campaign manager.

A big win in November would only help Martinez’s chances of appearing on the Republican’s national ticket in 2016. Martinez doesn’t have a huge national profile, but the Washington Post’s Fix handicapped her as the top Republican vice-presidential possibility in 2016.

Martinez has said she doesn’t have any interest in running for president in 2016, but a landslide victory in a blue state for a Republican who is also the nation’s first female Hispanic governor could thrust her into the national spotlight.