Election 2024: How Claudia Sheinbaum’s Victory Redefines Mexican Politics

The official quick count from the INE has declared Claudia Sheinbaum the winner of Election 2024 Sunday’s presidential election, with 58.3 to 60.7 percent of the vote. Her closest competitor, Xóchitl Gálvez, who leads a coalition of largely conservative parties, received 26.6 to 28.8 percent.

Morena’s Candidate to Become Mexico City’s Next Mayor

Preliminary results also show Clara Brugada winning the race for Mexico City mayor.

Brugada’s victory means that a significant position in Mexican politics will remain firmly in the hands of the ruling Morena party.

Both President-elect Sheinbaum and outgoing President López Obrador previously served as mayors of Mexico City, a role seen as a springboard to the presidency.

Brugada formerly served as mayor of Iztapalapa, a subdivision of Mexico City, and joined Morena in 2014.

Political Landscape in Mexico Post-2024 Election

The election 2024 results will reshape the political landscape in Mexico, with potential developments including:

• Strengthening of Morena: The victory of Claudia Sheinbaum solidifies Morena’s position as the dominant political force in Mexico, potentially leading to continued reforms in governance and policy.
• Opposition Realignment: Opposition parties, particularly those aligned with Xóchitl Gálvez,
• may need to reassess and realign their strategies to effectively challenge Morena in future

Challenges and Opportunities in Mexican-US Relations Under Sheinbaum Election 2024

Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency will shape the future of Mexican-US relations. Key areas to watch include:

• Trade and NAFTA: Ensuring smooth trade relations under the USMCA (formerly NAFTA) and addressing any new trade challenges or disputes that arise.
• Immigration Policy: Collaborating with the US on immigration issues, which could involve negotiating policies that address border security and the treatment of migrants.
• Climate Cooperation: Potential for increased cooperation on climate change initiatives, given Sheinbaum’s background in environmental science and her likely focus on sustainability.

About

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (born June 24, 1962) is a Mexican politician, scientist, and academic, currently elected as Mexico’s president. She served as head of government for Mexico City from 2018 to 2023, a position equivalent to a state governor.

In the 2024 Mexican general election, Sheinbaum ran for president, becoming the country’s first female and Jewish president upon her election.

From 2000 to 2006, Sheinbaum served as Secretary of Environment under future President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during his tenure as head of government.

She led Tlalpan borough as its representative chief from 2015 to 2017 and was elected head of government in 2018, running a campaign focused on curbing crime and enforcing zoning laws.

A scientist by profession, Sheinbaum holds a Ph.D. in energy engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). As an academic,

she has authored over 100 articles and two books on energy, environment, and sustainable development. She contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and was listed among the BBC’s 100 Women in 2018.

On June 12, 2023, Sheinbaum resigned as head of government to seek Morena’s nomination for the 2024 presidential election. If elected, she would become Mexico’s first female president.

On September 6, Sheinbaum secured her party’s nomination over her closest rival, former Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard. Polling in 2023 indicated strong support for Sheinbaum in the 2024 election.

As of June 2, 2024, early results indicate Sheinbaum’s resounding victory, positioning her to become Mexico’s first female and Jewish president, though this is yet to be officially confirmed.

Personal Life

In 1986, Sheinbaum met Carlos Imaz while at Stanford University, who later became a prominent political figure in the PRD. They married in 1987 and separated in 2016.

They have a daughter, born in 1988. Through marriage, Sheinbaum became the stepmother to Imaz’s son from a previous marriage.

In 2016, she began dating Jesús María Tarriba Unger, a financial risk analyst at the Bank of Mexico,

whom she knew from university. In November 2023,

Sheinbaum announced their marriage via social media.

Crime and Policing

Sheinbaum addressed insecurity through four main strategies: addressing root causes, integrating it with her education policy,

including initiatives like the Rosario Castellanos Institute of Higher Studies and PILARES community centers; increasing the quality and quantity of police forces;

expanding intelligence and investigative capabilities; and improving coordination between the Attorney General’s office, mayors, and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection.

During her first 52 months in office, Sheinbaum oversaw 5,078 homicides,

more than those recorded under the administrations of Andrés Manuel López Obrador,

Marcelo Ebrard, and Miguel Ángel Mancera. Despite this, she successfully reduced the homicide rate from 17.9 per 100,000 people in 2018 to 8.6 in 2022.