MEXICO CITY 鈥� Claudia Sheinbaum, an environmental scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, was overwhelmingly elected Mexico鈥檚 first female president on Sunday, a historic milestone in a country rife with gender-based violence and misogyny.
With nearly 40% of the votes counted, Mexico鈥檚 electoral agency estimates that Sheinbaum is on track to win the race with between 58% to over 60% of votes. Her nearest rival, X贸chitl G谩lvez is projected to get between 26% and 28% of the vote, with the other opposition candidate, Jorge 脕lvarez M谩ynez, between 9%-10% of the vote.
In her , Sheinbaum said both rivals had conceeded and had called to congratulate her on her victory. , she told the crowd.
The man widely seen as her political mentor, outgoing President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador, on X, formerly known as twitter.
Sheinbaum has been the leading candidate to win the presidency for more than a year. In a country with one of the highest rates of in the world, Sheinbaum鈥檚 victory underscores the advances women have made in the political sphere.
The 61-year old climate scientist was part of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change team that would go on to share a with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore in 2007. Now, Sheinbaum 鈥� whose has grandparents who escaped the Holocaust 鈥� will hold the most powerful office in the country.
, 92, one of Mexico's most distinguished writers, has chronicled decades of women鈥檚 history in the country. 鈥淚鈥檝e always believed in women,鈥� Poniatowska told NPR, days before the election. 鈥淚 think it's not a dream. I think it's a battle that has been won.鈥�
Despite the historic nature of Sheinbaum鈥檚 victory, many voters in Mexico see it less as a reflection of gender equality and more as a referendum on the last six years of L贸pez Obrador, colloquially known by his initials as AMLO.
He is one of the most divisive 鈥� and popular 鈥� figures in Mexican history: a folksy populist who has implemented but who critics say has undermined democratic institutions while
Ignacio Morales cast his vote on Sunday for Sheinbaum because she has L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 backing, who Morales considers 鈥減erfect.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a lot of life left to live, but I will support him to the death,鈥� said Morales, 77, who is retired. Morales rattled off a list of reasons: L贸pez Obrador has started 鈥渕arvelous projects鈥� like new train lines and oil refineries; he gives a monthly pension to elderly Mexicans and, most importantly, he takes care of the poor.
Under Mexico鈥檚 constitution, presidents can only serve one six-year term.
She is L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 political protege. She started her political career as his environmental minister after he was elected mayor of Mexico City in 2000. She has been unwaveringly loyal ever since, even supporting his pro-oil energy agenda despite her environmental background.
While Sheinbaum lacks L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 charisma and popular appeal, she has a reputation for being analytical, disciplined and exacting. Most importantly, she has promised to support L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 policies and popular social programs, including a universal pension benefit for seniors as well as providing cash payments to low-income residents.
鈥淐laudia represents the continuation of AMLO,鈥� said Norma Bautista Herrera, who sells vegetables at a market in Mexico City. After L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 election in 2018, Bautista Herrera began receiving monthly payments of $660 pesos, roughly $38, to help her support her 11-year-old daughter. With that money, she buys household goods like soap, eggs, sugar and Clorox.
G谩lvez, Sheinbaum鈥檚 nearest competitor for the presidency, is an Indigenous, pro-business tech entrepreneur who represented several establishment opposition parties. Despite her compelling life story, G谩lvez could never distance herself from the corruption and disenchantment that voters associated with those parties.
Many who cast their vote for G谩lvez were more motivated by her promised break from L贸pez Obrador and the electoral power of his Morena party than G谩lvez鈥檚 campaign promises. In a country that saw one-party rule for 70 years until 2000, they worry about Lopez Obrador鈥檚 moves to undermine judicial independence and his security policy that has resulted in record high homicides.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a dictator, and Sheinbaum is his puppet,鈥� said Almarosa Anaya, standing outside a polling center in Mexico City鈥檚 upscale Roma Norte neighborhood with her two adult daughters. She said L贸pez Obrador wants to turn Mexico into a communist country, 鈥渓ike Venezuela and Cuba.鈥�
These elections have also been historic for another grim reason: They have been one of the most violent. In the run up to these elections, more than 30 candidates were assassinated.
In the small town of San Nicol谩s Tolentino in Puebla state, voting went on as normal. But in the church nearby, family and friends gathered for
Huerta was running for the city council as a candidate for the Green party but he was gunned down on Friday. As people voted, Huerta鈥檚 casket was carried through the town. Church bells tolled and fireworks exploded in the midday sun.
鈥淣o one knows who is next," Huerta鈥檚 father, Jos茅 Huerta Moctezuma, said.
His son, he said, always told him he was born for politics. 鈥淗e was hardheaded,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e did what he wanted.鈥�
In the end, he said, it was a rival party member who shot him to death.
鈥淲e need a reform that changes the social fabric, that brings peace and justice, because it鈥檚 not fair that we are forced to live this way.鈥�
Sheinbaum will have to tackle this growing violence and a host of other pressing issues when she takes office on October 1st.
She has a significant mandate, but faces significant challenges.
She has to tackle the largest budget deficit since the 1980鈥檚, growing power of the cartels, and the perennially complicated relationship with the U.S.
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