For the first time in Mexico’s history, two women will compete for the presidency in next year’s election, a milestone of female representation in a country with high rates of violence toward women.
On Wednesday, the ruling Morena party of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obredor said that Claudia Sheinbaum, a former Mexico City mayor and staunch loyalist of the nationalist president, won in a set of internal polls to become the party’s candidate in the June election.
Sheinbaum defeated former foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard with average support of 39.5% in five polls versus 26% for Ebrard, the party said. Many Morena supporters say they see Sheinbaum as a natural heir to López Obrador, whose approval ratings hover around 60%. Mexican law doesn’t allow for presidential re-election.
Ahead of Wednesday’s vote count, Ebrard said his team detected “significant irregularities” in the polling and called for the selection process to be repeated. Ebrard said he would make known his next steps on Monday. Top party officials denied any decisive irregularity.
Sheinbaum will face off against Xóchitl Gálvez, who was formally named Sunday as the candidate of a coalition of opposition parties led by the conservative National Action Party, or PAN.
A recent poll by Mexico’s Reforma newspaper showed Sheinbaum leads the race for the presidency with 44% support, while Gálvez would get 27%. The small center-left Citizen Movement is considering fielding a separate candidate. The Reforma poll gave Citizen Movement 12% support.
Critics of Sheinbaum say that a lack of connection with independent voters, serious demeanor and alignment with López Obrador’s policies could work against her. Gálvez, however, is a senator with humble origins and a folksy manner. She emerged in June as a national political figure, energizing the opposition, and challenged López Obrador with a message of change and unity.
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