Claudia Sheinbaum has made history by becoming Mexico‘s first woman president in a historic landslide victory. According to preliminary results from Mexico’s official electoral authority, the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City secured between 58% and 60% of the vote in Sunday’s election. This gives her a lead of about 30 percentage points over her main rival, businesswoman Xóchitl Gálvez. Sheinbaum will succeed her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on October 1.
A Historic Victory for Women
In her victory speech, Sheinbaum highlighted the significance of her election, stating, “For the first time in the 200 years of the [Mexican] Republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico.” She emphasized that this achievement is not just for her but for all women, adding, “I’ve said it from the start, this is not just about me getting [to the top office], it’s about all of us getting here.” Sheinbaum also thanked her rival, Xóchitl Gálvez, who graciously conceded defeat.
From Scientist to Politician
Before running for president, Sheinbaum served as the mayor of Mexico City, a highly influential political position. She has an illustrious background as a scientist, with her maternal grandparents fleeing the Nazis in Bulgaria and her paternal grandparents hailing from Lithuania. Both of her parents were scientists, and Sheinbaum herself studied physics before earning a doctorate in energy engineering.
She spent years at a renowned research lab in California, studying Mexican energy consumption patterns and becoming an expert on climate change. Her activism and expertise led to her appointment as secretary of the environment for Mexico City when López Obrador was mayor. In 2018, she became the first female mayor of Mexico City, holding the position until 2023 when she stepped down to run for president.
An Election Marked by Violence
The election, which saw Sheinbaum pitted against Gálvez, represents a significant milestone for women in Mexico. Edelmira Montiel, 87, expressed her gratitude for witnessing a woman elected to the highest office, recalling a time when women couldn’t vote or had to vote as their husbands dictated. Despite the celebration of having two female front-runners, the campaign was marred by violent attacks.
Local candidates were particularly targeted, with more than 20 killed across Mexico, although some surveys put the total at 37. Gálvez criticized the government and Sheinbaum for the violence, promising to confront crime if elected, but failed to provide detailed plans for tackling the powerful criminal cartels behind much of the violence.
Challenges Ahead
Sheinbaum faces numerous challenges, including addressing the violent cartels. She has emphasized the importance of tackling the roots of violence and promised to invest in welfare programs to prevent poor young Mexicans from being recruited by criminal groups. She also pledged to maintain a relationship of friendship, mutual respect, and equality with the United States while defending Mexicans living and working there.
Sheinbaum’s campaign received a significant boost from the endorsement of outgoing President López Obrador, who, despite being constitutionally barred from running for a second term, enjoys an approval rating of close to 60%. Many voters supported Sheinbaum to continue Morena’s programs aimed at alleviating poverty, a central theme of López Obrador’s administration.
