Claudia Sheinbaum has achieved a historic landslide victory to become Mexico’s first female president, succeeding her mentor and outgoing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. López Obrador’s popularity among the poor significantly contributed to Sheinbaum’s win.
Claudia Sheinbaum , a leftwing climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, secured the presidency with 58.3% to 60.7% of the vote, according to an early sample count by Mexico’s electoral authority. Additionally, the ruling coalition, led by Sheinbaum’s Morena party, is likely to achieve a two-thirds super-majority in both houses of Congress, allowing them to pass constitutional reforms without opposition.
The opposition candidate, Xóchitl Gálvez, conceded after preliminary results showed her with 26.6% to 28.6% of the vote. Jorge Álvarez Máynez of the centrist Movimiento Ciudadano finished third with at least 9.9%.
Sheinbaum celebrated with supporters, saying, “For the first time in the 200 years of the republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico.” She emphasized her vision of a diverse, democratic Mexico, committed to serving all citizens without distinction.
Her victory is significant in a country known for its macho culture and strong Roman Catholic values, which traditionally promoted conventional gender roles. Sheinbaum will also be the first person of Jewish descent to lead Mexico and the first woman to win a general election in the US, Mexico, or Canada.
Her electoral success surpasses the 54.71% achieved by López Obrador in 2018. He congratulated her on X, highlighting her wide margin of victory and noting that she may have garnered the most votes in Mexican history.
The electoral commission’s delays in the rapid sample count led Gálvez to question its accuracy despite the significant gap in exit polls. She expressed concerns on X, urging vigilance over the vote count.