Claudia Sheinbaum Becomes Mexico's First Female President in Historic Landslide Victory
In a historic landslide victory, Claudia Sheinbaum has become Mexico's first female president, succeeding her mentor and outgoing leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Her triumph, driven by Lopez Obrador's popularity among the poor, marks a significant milestone for Mexico, a country with a traditionally macho culture and a large Roman Catholic population.
Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, won the presidency with 58.3% to 60.7% of the vote, according to a rapid sample count by Mexico's electoral authority. This is poised to be the highest vote percentage in Mexico's democratic history.
The ruling coalition is also projected to achieve a potential two-thirds supermajority in both houses of Congress, enabling them to pass constitutional reforms without opposition support. Opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez received between 26.6% and 28.6% of the vote, and Sheinbaum announced that Galvez had called to concede.
"For the first time in the 200 years of the republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico," Sheinbaum told her supporters, who responded with loud cheers of "president, president."
Sheinbaum's victory is a major step for Mexico, challenging long-standing gender norms. She is the first woman to win a general election in the United States, Mexico, or Canada. "I never imagined that one day I would vote for a woman," said 87-year-old Edelmira Montiel, a Sheinbaum supporter in Tlaxcala.
Despite her victory, Sheinbaum faces significant challenges. She must balance promises to increase welfare policies with a hefty budget deficit and low economic growth. After the preliminary results, she assured supporters that her government would be fiscally responsible and respect the autonomy of the central bank.
Security remains a pressing issue, highlighted by the violent election campaign and the murder of 38 candidates. Sheinbaum has vowed to improve security but has provided few details. The election was marred by the killing of two people at polling stations in Puebla state, underscoring the ongoing security problems exacerbated during Lopez Obrador's term.
Among the new president's challenges will be negotiations with the United States over U.S.-bound migrants crossing Mexico and security cooperation on drug trafficking. These talks may become more difficult if Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidency in November, given his aggressive stance on tariffs and cartel-related violence.
Domestically, Sheinbaum will address issues like electricity and water shortages and attracting manufacturers as part of the nearshoring trend. She also faces the daunting task of reforming Pemex, the debt-ridden state oil giant.
Lopez Obrador's tenure saw successes like doubling the minimum wage, reducing poverty, and a strengthening peso, making him incredibly popular. Sheinbaum has promised to expand welfare programs but must navigate a large deficit and sluggish GDP growth projected at just 1.5% by 2025.
In her victory speech, Sheinbaum thanked Lopez Obrador, calling him "a unique person who has transformed our country for the better." Political analyst Viri Rios suggested that sexism underlies criticisms that Sheinbaum would be a puppet of Lopez Obrador. "It's unbelievable that people cannot believe she's going to be making her own decisions, and I think that's got a lot to do with the fact that she's female," Rios said.
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