Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, has made history by becoming the first woman to be elected President of Mexico, securing a landslide victory in Sunday’s election.
Sheinbaum, aged 61, garnered nearly 58 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results from the Mexican electoral office.
In another significant milestone, Sheinbaum is also the first Jewish individual to lead one of the world’s largest predominantly Catholic nations.
Expressing gratitude to the electorate for their support, Sheinbaum highlighted the historic nature of her victory. “For the first time in 200 years of the Republic, I will become the first woman President of Mexico,” she told her supporters.
“We have achieved a plural, diverse and democratic Mexico,” Sheinbaum remarked. “Although many Mexicans may not fully agree with our project, we must strive for peace and harmony to continue building a fairer and more prosperous Mexico.”
Projections by the electoral agency indicate that her party, Morena, is expected to hold a majority in the legislature. This majority would enable her to enact constitutional changes that have previously eluded the current President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Sheinbaum is a close confidante of the left-wing populist López Obrador, who was ineligible to run for office again after his six-year term.
This election marked the largest voting day in the history of Latin America’s second-largest economy, with a population of approximately 130 million. Alongside the presidency, more than 20,000 political positions were contested, including all seats in the lower house and the senate, as well as regional and municipal offices.
