Claudia Sheinbaum Elected as Mexico’s First Female President
Claudia Sheinbaum has achieved a historic victory, becoming Mexico’s first female president. The 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City won between 58% and 60% of the vote in Sunday’s election, according to preliminary figures from the country’s official electoral office. This is a large margin of victory over her primary rival, entrepreneur Xóchitl Gálvez, who lost by about 30 percentage points.
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On October 1, Sheinbaum will take over as president from her mentor, departing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. In her victory speech, she assured the public of her commitment to maintaining the progress made under López Obrador’s administration, stating, “I won’t fail you.” Her supporters celebrated jubilantly at the Zócalo, Mexico City’s central plaza, waving banners proclaiming her victory.
The Journey Towards Mexico’s First Female President
Before entering politics, Sheinbaum had a distinguished career in science. Her grandparents fled to Mexico from Bulgaria and Lithuania to escape the Nazis. She became a specialist on climate change after studying physics and obtaining a doctorate in energy engineering. Her political career began as the environment secretary for Mexico City, eventually becoming the city’s first female mayor in 2018, a position she held until 2023.
With Gálvez and Sheinbaum as the front-runners, the election represents a critical turning point for Mexican women. The 87-year-old Edelmira Montiel reflected on the advancements made since women were granted the right to vote in 1953 and expressed her happiness at seeing a woman ascend to the presidency.
Despite the historic achievement, the campaign was overshadowed by violence, with over 20 candidates killed. Gálvez criticised both the government and Sheinbaum for the pervasive violence, promising to tackle crime if elected, although she provided few details on combating the powerful criminal cartels.
Barred from seeking a second term, President López Obrador endorsed Sheinbaum, significantly boosting her campaign with his nearly 60% approval rating. With millions of people lifted out of poverty thanks to Morena’s poverty alleviation measures, voters overwhelmingly backed her policies, even though economists pointed to other variables such as rising foreign remittances.
