| Credit: AP Images/ Fernando Llano |
Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as Mexico's first woman president in a historic landslide win, with preliminary results showing her winning between 58% and 60% of the vote. Sheinbaum will replace her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on 1 October. Sheinbaum, a former energy scientist, has promised continuity and will continue to build on the "advancements" made by López Obrador.
Sheinbaum, whose Jewish maternal grandparents immigrated to Mexico from Bulgaria fleeing the Nazis, had an illustrious career as a scientist before delving into politics. Her paternal grandparents hailed from Lithuania. Both of her parents were scientists, and Ms Sheinbaum studied physics before receiving a doctorate in energy engineering. She spent years at a renowned research lab in California studying Mexican energy consumption patterns and became an expert on climate change. In 2018 she became the first female mayor of Mexico City, a post she held until 2023, when she stepped down to run for president.
The election, which pitted Ms Sheinbaum against Ms Gálvez, has been described as a sea change for women in Mexico. Edelmira Montiel, 87, said that she was grateful to be alive to see a woman elected to the top office. The campaign was marred by violent attacks, with the government saying more than 20 were killed across Mexico.
Xóchitl Gálvez, Ms Sheinbaum's rival, harshly criticised the government and her rival in the presidential race for the violence that blights large parts of Mexico. She promised to be "the bravest president, a president who does confront crime" if elected, but failed to provide many details about how she would tackle the powerful criminal cartels behind much of the violence.
Mr. López Obrador, who has been in power since 2018, was barred from running for a second term under Mexico's constitution, which limits presidents to a single six-year-term. He threw his weight behind Ms Sheinbaum instead. With the backing of the popular president, who has an approval rate of close to 60%, giving Ms Sheinbaum's campaign a huge boost. Many of those voting for her said they backed Morena's program to alleviate poverty and wanted to see it continued.
