Former Mexico City mayors Morena party also on track for possible two thirds super majority in Congress. Claudia Sheinbaum has won landslide victory to become Mexico’s first female president inheriting project of her mentor and outgoing leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador whose popularity among poor helped drive her triumph.
Sheinbaum leftwing climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City won presidency with between 58.3% and 60.7% of vote according to rapid sample count by Mexicos electoral authority.
The ruling coalition led by Sheinbaums Morena party was also on track for possible two thirds super majority in both houses of Congress which would allow coalition to pass constitutional reforms without opposition support. big win for Sheinbaum was consistent with polls throughout campaign.
The opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez conceded defeat after preliminary results showed her taking between 26.6% and 28.6% of vote. Jorge Álvarez Máynez candidate of centrist Movimiento Ciudadano came in third with at least 9.9%.
“For first time in last 200 years of republic.. I become first woman president in Mexico” Sheinbaum told supporters to loud cheers of “president .. president… president..”. “We imagine plural diverse and democratic Mexico. Our duty is always be to look after each & every Mexican with out distinction.”
- Official quick count from INE has projected Claudia Sheinbaum as winner of Sundays presidential election with between 58.3 and 60.7 percent of vote. It put her nearest rival Xochitl Galvez who leads coalition of largely conservative parties on 26.6 28.8 percent.
- Official result will be released on 8th June.
- Sheinbaums projected victory marks historic result for Mexico giving country its first female president.
- Addressing her 1000’s of supporters.. who gathered to celebrate her victory.. Sheinbaum promised freedom of press and continuation of social programmes.. Of her mentor & outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
- Sundays election was also historic for its sheer size.. more than 20,700 seats were up for grabs.. from municipal to federal level.
- INE also projected ruling coalition was set for supermajority in Congress.
Supporters of Claudia Sheinbaum cheer.. after first results showed her leading by large margin.
Victory for Sheinbaum is major step for Mexico country known for its macho culture and home to worlds second biggest Roman Catholic population which for years pushed more traditional values and roles for women. She will also be first person from Jewish background to lead country.
Sheinbaum is also first woman to win general election in US Mexico or Canada.
Her victory exceeds 54.71% achieved by her populist mentor López Obrador in 2018. He wrote on X: “I congratulate Claudia Sheinbaum who triumphed by wide margin. Shell be first female president of Mexico in 200 years … And she may also be president with most votes in all history of our country.”
The rapid sample count was delayed several times with no explanation by electoral commission leading Gálvez to sow doubt about its veracity despite huge gap in exit polls. “The votes are there. We must not let them hide them” Gálvez wrote on X on Sunday evening.
Aside from presidency more than 20000 posts were up for grabs in Mexicos biggest election. poll also been very most violent in modern history.. with more than 30 candidates killed.. hundreds more candidates dropping out.. as criminal groups vied to install friendly leaders.
On Sunday two people were killed at polling stations in state of Puebla.
Sheinbaum capitalised on support for López Obrador who founded Morena in 2014 and first broke traditional parties grip on power to become president with his landslide win in 2018.
She vowed to continue his policies including cash transfers to elderly people and single mothers and flagship infrastructure projects in historically poor regions but also massively expanded role for military in areas.. most typically reserved for civil society like domestic security.
About 100 million people were registered to vote on Sunday and huge lines formed at polling stations in sweltering heat.
At polling station in Mexico City between wealthy neighbourhood of Roma and working class Doctores voters were split on virtues of Morena leaning out of queue to answer discreetly.
Patricia Castro from state of Sinaloa shrugged at mention of Sheinbaum and Gálvez but not of López Obrador. “Hes worst” she said. “The worst.”
Castro was voting for conservative PAN party part of opposition coalition saying: “The PAN did more [when it was in power].”
Further back in line Caro Guzmán middle aged cleaner emphasised importance of Morenas social programmes. “With Morena my sister got money every month to look after our mother” said Guzmán. “It really helped us when she was sick.”
Long lines of people waiting to vote outside polling stations in Guadalajara Jalisco state Mexico.
Guzmán added that she trusted Sheinbaum to keep Morenas social programmes.
Sam Castillo 25 year old dancer said he hoped Sheinbaum could be stronger on foreign relations than López Obrador had been.
How to tackle Mexicos violent cartels is going to be one of many challenges facing Ms Sheinbaum when she takes up office.
She has said that it is important to tackle what she says are roots of violence and has promised to invest in welfare programmes to prevent poor young Mexicans from being recruited by criminal groups.
On relations with Mexicos northern neighbour United States which at times have been testy under her predecessor in office she said she would ensure there would be “a relationship of friendship mutual respect and equality”.
But in reference to many Mexicans living and working in US she promised to “always defend Mexicans who are on other side of border”.
Relations between US and Mexico suffered under Mr López Obrador who has been in power since 2018.
The outspoken leader was barred from running for second term under Mexicos constitution which limits presidents to single six year term.
Having backing of popular president who has an approval rate of close to 60% gave Ms Sheinbaums campaign huge boost.
As he waited to vote at polling station in Florida district in south of Mexico City he said he felt better with leftist Morena in power as part of LGBTQ+ community.
The new president will face tense negotiations with White House over huge flows of US bound migrants crossing Mexico and security cooperation over drug trafficking at time when US fentanyl epidemic rages.
Mexican officials expect these negotiations to be more difficult if US presidency is won by Donald Trump in November. Trump first US president to be convicted of crime has vowed to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese cars made in Mexico and said he would mobilise special forces to fight cartels.