After Claudia Sheinbaum Is Elected As First Female President of Mexico, What Does Victory Mean For The Country?

On Monday, Claudia Sheinbaum was declared the winner in the race for president of Mexico, with nearly 59% of the vote, according to the National Electoral Institute.

Sheinbaum’s victory is historic, as she is the first female and first Jewish president of Mexico. Sheinbaum gathered between 58.3% and 60.7% of the vote.

Sheinbaum is a climate scientist, former Mexico City mayor and Nobel Peace Prize winner for her work with the U.N. intergovernmental panel on climate change alongside former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Her win is thought to represent the advances made for women in the Mexican political sphere.

Her closest competitor, Xóchitl Gálvez, garnered between 26.6% and 28.6% of the vote, and Jorge Álvarez Máynez garnered between 9.9% and 10.8%. Her two competitors have conceded. 

Sheinbaum’s six-year team will begin Oct. 1. The leftist is expected to focus on economic equality and support government intervention policies that strengthen the social safety net.

Sheinbaum is a member of the Morena Party, which has held a majority in Congress, including their allies.

Her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López, posted his congratulations on X, formerly known as Twitter. His backing of her campaign is considered a significant contributor to her win. 

This election was a historically violent election, with more than 30 candidates being assassinated. Sheinbaum faces other issues as she steps into office, including the most significant budget deficit since the 80s, growing cartel power and complex relations with the United States.

Following her win, Sheinbaum celebrated the women who led her to office and spoke on peaceful elections.

“I don’t make it alone. We’ve all made it with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our mothers, our daughters and our granddaughters,” said Sheinbaum. “We have demonstrated that Mexico is a democratic country with peaceful elections.”