( CNN ) -- Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina finally made it official Wednesday : She 's running for Senate in California . The first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company made the announcement at an event in conservative Orange County , pledging that her focus will be on `` economic recovery and fiscal accountability '' `` The decisions made in Washington impact every family and every business , of any size , in America . Throughout my career , I 've brought people together and solved problems , and that is what I plan to do in government : Set aside ego and partisanship and work to develop solutions to our problems , '' she told supporters . `` I will not settle for a jobless recovery , and we must start the important work of getting our financial house back in order , '' Fiorina added . `` Washington must show discipline to cut spending and create policies that encourage and empower businesses and put people back to work . '' Fiorina , considered to be a moderate Republican with little history on social issues , will face off against conservative California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for the GOP nomination . In a friendly statement Wednesday , DeVore said he looks forward `` to engaging [ her ] on the issues Californians care about . '' A recent Field poll suggested that both Fiorina and DeVore polled at about 20 percent , with 60 percent of Republican voters undecided . The ex-Fortune 500 CEO , who left Hewlett-Packard in 2005 with a severance package estimated to be worth between $ 21.5 million and $ 40 million , is expected to enjoy a significant financial advantage over DeVore , who entered October with just $ 144,000 in the bank . The Fiorina-DeVore matchup has all the makings of another Republican battle between the conservative wing of the party and national leaders seeking the most electable candidate . Fiorina has claimed that the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee is backing her bid , though an NRSC spokesman said no official endorsement has been made . Still , NRSC Chairman John Cornyn pointed to Fiorina in September as an example of a `` strong female candidate '' running as a Republican in 2010 . A string of conservative bloggers have lined up behind DeVore , and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint said Tuesday that he was backing the assemblyman . The winner of that race will face three-term Sen. Barbara Boxer in November . Boxer 's favorable rating stood at 48 percent in a recent Field poll , a number that gives Republicans hope she is vulnerable against a well-funded opponent . Boxer is known to be a formidable political opponent , but Fiorina said Wednesday that she 's ready for the challenge . `` After chemothereapy , Barbara Boxer just really is n't that scary any more , especially when you know what to expect , '' said Fiorina , who battled breast cancer last spring . `` She has always taken the low road to high office . '' Though spending most of her life outside of politics , Fiorina is no stranger to the campaign trail , having served as one of then-Republican presidential candidate John McCain 's chief surrogates in 2008 . Fiorina was eventually sidelined from that campaign after telling an interviewer that she did n't think either member of the GOP presidential ticket was qualified to run a major company . In an election season in which the state 's economic condition is set to dominate the debate , Fiorina is now the second high-profile former CEO running for statewide office in California . Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman announced last month she is running for governor . National Democrats , meanwhile , appear eager to take on Fiorina , who left Hewlett-Packard five years ago amid controversy . `` The hallmark of Carly Fiorina 's résumé is her tenure at Hewlett-Packard , where she laid off 28,000 Americans while shipping jobs overseas , just before taking a $ 21 million golden parachute , '' National Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz said . `` Given that record , the United States Senate is the last place Carly Fiorina should go next . ''
Former state CEO was first woman to lead Fortune 500 company . She will face off with conservative assemblyman for state nomination . Recent poll found 60 percent of Hewlett-Packard 's Republicans voters undecided . Winner will face incumbent Barbara Boxer in Tuesday .