Mexicans are heading to the polls on Sunday in an election that is poised to elect the country’s first female president. The two leading candidates are Claudia Sheinbaum, a 61-year-old scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, and Xóchitl Gálvez, both of whom are far ahead in the polls compared to the only male candidate, Jorge Álvarez Máynez.
In addition to the presidential race, voters will elect all members of Mexico’s Congress, governors in eight states, and the head of Mexico City’s government. The campaign has been marred by violence, with more than 20 local candidates being killed across the country.
Claudia Sheinbaum, who served as mayor of Mexico City from 2018 to 2023, is backed by the outgoing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).
Due to Mexico’s constitution limiting presidents to a single six-year term, AMLO cannot seek re-election. However, his popularity, with recent approval ratings close to 60%, has benefited Sheinbaum, who is a member of his Morena party.
While AMLO’s tenure has seen mixed results, with many of his promises remaining unfulfilled, his initiatives to reduce poverty and support elderly Mexicans have garnered significant support among beneficiaries.
Sheinbaum has pledged to continue building on AMLO’s policies, highlighting the accomplishments of the Morena party, such as lifting millions out of poverty and significantly raising the minimum wage.
Despite her alignment with AMLO, Sheinbaum has emphasized her independence, asserting that she is her own person while committing to advance what she considers AMLO’s numerous achievements. Morena champions its success in reducing the poverty rate through its social policies over the past six years.
Economists have highlighted additional factors influencing Mexico’s economic landscape, such as the increase in remittances sent by Mexicans living abroad to their families back home.
Competing against Claudia Sheinbaum is Xóchitl Gálvez, a 61-year-old senator and businesswoman, who was selected by a broad coalition of parties united in their desire to end Morena’s rule.
Gálvez and her Strength and Heart for Mexico coalition have been vocal critics of the rising violence experienced during the election campaign. At her closing rally, Gálvez promised Mexicans that a vote for her would result in “the bravest president, a president who does confront crime.”
She has consistently criticized President López Obrador’s “hugs not bullets” strategy, which he introduced to tackle crime at the beginning of his presidency. However, Gálvez has not provided comprehensive details on how she plans to address the powerful criminal organizations responsible for much of the violence in Mexico. She has proposed better pay for police and increased investment in security.
Gálvez’s popularity among voters critical of the outgoing president is also bolstered by her pledge to reinforce institutions that she claims López Obrador has tried to weaken, such as the constitutional court and the National Electoral Institute.
She has accused López Obrador of being authoritarian and undermining Mexico’s democratic institutions, describing his government as “arrogant and overbearing.”
The winner of the election will take office at the end of September, marking a significant shift in Mexico’s political landscape.
