Fiorina, a former HP executive, clearly intends to run an economic-focused race. She was critical of Democrats in Washington for enacting "a grab bag of big spending programs" rather than focusing on job creation.

"I would have focused on job creation as a number one priority, and the only way you create jobs is, A, to create more credit for small businesses and consumers. And B, make sure that you make it easier for small business owners," she said. "None of those things has the Obama administration focused on."

While acknowledging the challenge of running as a Republican in the dark blue Golden State, she argued that the state's severe fiscal challenge has "focused" voters.

"California is a test case of what not to do," she said. "California is a state that has had ever-increasing size of government, and ever-higher taxes. And the results have been ever-poorer services delivered by government and more jobs leaving the state than are coming to the state. In other words, people can see right in the state of California what happens if you tax and spend."

Fiorina expects the race to be expensive, but says she is "not a self-funder," and that her campaign will be "financed by the voters and by interested participants." Though much has been made of Republican challenges nationwide, including her own, Fiorina downplayed the DeVore challenge.

"Time will tell how tough a primary it is," she said. "I think, frankly, the challenge is the same whether we're talking about the primary or the general. I am a fiscally conservative person who shares the values of Republican primary voters, and we also will talk to Californians of all political varieties about what it actually takes to create jobs, which is their number one concern, and what it actually takes to get federal spending under control, which is their second concern."

Asked who she saw as the leader of her party, Fiorina said there are many, listing, in order, John Thune, Sarah Palin, Mitch McConnell, John McCain and Lamar Alexander. Asked if there was one in that group she'd seek out above the rest to campaign with her, Fiorina said she'd rather make her own case to voters.

"I welcome the help of and will welcome the help of lots of people as this campaign goes forward. But frankly I think what's most important right now is that people actually get to know me," she said. "There's a lot of misrepresentation about who I am and what my views are. And so I think the most important thing is over the next several months is not for others to be campaigning for me, but for me to be campaigning for myself, getting to know the voters of California and making sure they get to know me."