Claudia Sheinbaum Wins Mexico’s Presidency, Becoming the First Woman to Hold the Position

Claudia Sheinbaum made history by becoming Mexico's first elected woman president, winning in a landslide victory over her rival Xóchitl Gálvez.

Mexico has gone to the annals of history on Sunday, June 2nd, 2024 when the entire populace voted Claudia Sheinbaum as the first woman president in Mexico. Preliminary data from Mexico’s Federal Electoral Institute indicated that Sheinbaum had secured between 58% and 60% of the vote, which was a crushing victory of over 30 percentage points over the nearest challenger, Xóchitl Gálvez, a businesswoman.

Sheinbaum is a 61-year-old Mexico CCityex-mayor who took the position as a successor to her mentor, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on October 1st. In her victory speech, she told supporters: ”I won’t fail you. “ Crowds held up banners saying ‘Claudia Sheinbaum, president’ in Mexico City’s main Zócalo square.

Sheinbaum herself was born in Los Angeles as the daughter of scientists who emigrated from Eastern Europe, and before becoming a politician, she worked as an energy scientist. Before becoming the head of Mexico City’s government, she was part of López Obrador’s administration as the environment secretary for the capital.

Sheinbaum’s resounding victory over Gálvez, who led the coalition of opposition parties, marked a historic victory for women in Mexico's politics. The campaign was characterised by violence, especially against local candidates with more than 20 of them reported to have been killed as per government statistics.

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Support from the López Obrador government is also guaranteed for Sheinbaum to carry on the anti-poverty measures that have seen millions of Mexicans rise out of poverty within the past six years, according to the Morena party. She thus ended Mexico’s political glass ceiling for women at such a high level of leadership.