Dana Perino — who, under George W. Bush, served as the first female White House press secretary to a Republican president — predicted that Democrats would try to make an issue of the absence of a Republican woman in the presidential mix.

But Perino also singled out Martinez, Haley and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin as leaders who have the potential to reach the national stage.

“I think it’s not entirely a bad thing for some of the women who could have great futures in higher office to continue to focus and do a really good job in their states,” she said. “So I don’t think any woman is going to magically appear in 2016 on the Republican ticket, but I do think they’re being smart in setting up some ways to have a platform to run on.”

As the 2008 campaign demonstrated, the placement of a woman on the Republican ticket does not necessarily mean that more female votes will follow.