In 1991 she began working for the San Sebastián city council, representing the conservative Partido Popular.

On January 23, 1995, she witnessed the assassination of her colleague Gregorio Ordóñez by the Basque separatist group ETA, and thereafter decided that she would spend her political career fighting terrorism.

[1][2] Rising steadily in prominence, in 2003 she became the leader of the Partido Popular's regional representation in the Basque Country.

On April 18, 2007, she announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had already been operated on once.

On May 21, 2008, after a meeting with Mariano Rajoy she informed him of her intention to resign from the leadership position in the regional representation of the Partido Popular.