Claudia Sheinbaum elected as Mexico's first woman president

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Wednesday, June 5, 2024

On Sunday June 2, Claudia Sheinbaum of the Morena party was elected president of Mexico with about 60% of the vote, defeating her rival Xóchitl Gálvez. Sheinbaum will be Mexico's first woman president and first Jewish president.

Sheinbaum will assume office on October 1 of this year, replacing the incumbent Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Obrador, commonly referred to by his initials "AMLO", is still popular with a majority of Mexican people - about 80% of Mexicans according to recent Gallup polls - but is not allowed to seek a second term because of a provision in the Mexican constitution.

Sheinbaum has served in several public service roles since 2000, including as Mexico City's Secretary of the Environment from 2000 to 2006; Mayor of the Tlalpan borough from 2015 to 2017; and the Head of Government in Mexico City from 2018 to 2023, when she resigned to run for president.

AMLO has been described as a mentor to Sheinbaum, although he has stressed that Sheinbaum will be "empowered to make all the decisions" when she takes office.

Sheinbaum has promised to broaden AMLO's popular anti-poverty and social welfare policies. Sheinbaum will soon face the task of decreasing Mexico's public deficit, which is currently at 5.9%.

Mexico is currently experiencing some of the highest homicide rates in the world, which has prompted Sheinbaum to cite the low murder rates under her mayorship in Mexico City and promise further action to curb violent crime and the spread of narcotics. Whether or not Sheinbaum will continue AMLO's "hugs, not bullets" approach remains to be seen. In her victory speech, Sheinbaum said her government will focus on "tackling the causes" of crime, and "eliminating impunity." On a related note, Sheinbaum has voiced her support for potentially putting the National Guard under the direct control of the Defense Ministry.

On the issue of border policy, Sheinbaum has advocated for "mutual respect" between Mexico and the United States, although Sheinbaum added that they will "always defend the Mexicans who are on the other side of the border."

Some have expressed their worry that Sheinbaum could pass controversial reforms to the constitution on behalf of her party, including 20 such reforms put forward by AMLO. In her victory speech, she promised to maintain a dialogue with the opposition and those who disagreed with her: "We know that dissent is part of democracy. And although the majority of the people support our project, our duty is and will always be to look after each and every one of the Mexicans without distinction."

Sheinbaum has a notable academic career. She studied physics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in the late 1980's, then went to Berkely, California, to study energy engineering, where she got her PhD in 1995. She became a member of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, and was part of the team behind a Nobel Prize-winning report published the same year. In April, Sheinbaum told an audience that "We have to speed up the promotion of renewable energies." This is in contrast with AMLO's policies on climate, which included large investments in fossil fuels.

US President Joe Biden reportedly called Sheinbaum on Monday to congratulate her on her victory. In a statement from the White House, Biden said: "I congratulate Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic election as the first woman President of Mexico. I look forward to working closely with President-elect Sheinbaum in the spirit of partnership and friendship that reflects the enduring bonds between our two countries." President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Lula da Silva of Brazil, and Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela gave their congratulations to Sheinbaum.

Xochitl Galvez, the leader of the opposition and Sheinbaum's rival, initially conceded defeat when results came in, but said on Monday that the "entire state apparatus" was fighting against them, and "This doesn't end here." On June 5, Galvez said she wanted a recount of 80% of the ballots.

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