Preliminary Results Show Sheinbaum Winning Presidential Election, Marking Historic Victory
Mexico City — Claudia Sheinbaum, the former mayor of Mexico City, is poised to become Mexico’s first female president, according to preliminary results from an official quick count released early Monday. The head of the National Election Institute reported that Sheinbaum, representing the ruling Morena Party, garnered between 58.3% and 60.7% of the vote.
Her main opponent, Xóchitl Gálvez, an opposition senator and businesswoman with Indigenous roots, received between 26.6% and 28.6% of the vote, while centrist candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez had between 9.9% and 10.8%.
The rapid count also indicated a strong performance by Morena, which is projected to secure large majorities in both chambers of Mexico’s Congress. Speaking to supporters, Sheinbaum expressed gratitude for the historic milestone of electing the country’s first female president and emphasized the democratic nature of the voting process.
Sheinbaum pledged to build a just and more prosperous nation, focusing on fiscal responsibility, eliminating corruption, and ensuring energy sovereignty and renewable energy development. She also assured that Mexico would maintain friendly relations with the United States.
Gálvez, in her concession speech, acknowledged the historic significance of the election and highlighted the urgent need to address the country’s issues of violence and corruption. She expressed hope that Sheinbaum would effectively tackle these challenges.
Sheinbaum’s ascent to the presidency marks another first for Mexico, as she is also the first president of Jewish heritage, though she is not religiously observant. Nearly 100 million people were registered to vote in this election, making it a significant event in the world’s most populous Spanish-speaking country.
The election period was marred by violence, with at least 25 political hopefuls killed during the campaign, including a local candidate murdered hours before the polls opened on Sunday. These incidents underscore the entanglement of politics, crime, and corruption in Mexico, as ultra-violent drug cartels exert influence over electoral outcomes.
Outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a mentor to Sheinbaum, has left a lasting legacy with his controversial “hugs not bullets” strategy for tackling crime, which Sheinbaum has pledged to continue. In contrast, Gálvez had advocated for a tougher stance on cartel-related violence.
The new president will also need to navigate complex relations with the United States, particularly concerning cross-border drug smuggling and migration issues, which are critical topics for U.S. voters as well.
