Polls suggest that Mexico, the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, will soon have its first female president.
Mexico is set to elect a female president for the first time in its history, with polls indicating a decisive victory for Claudia Sheinbaum of the Morena party.
The television station Nmas and the newspaper El Financiero reported Sheinbaum's victory shortly after the polls closed in Mexico.
A Landmark Victory
This outcome seemed almost certain in advance, as Sheinbaum consistently led opinion polls with more than half of the votes, while her nearest challenger, Xóchitl Gálvez, garnered just over a third.
Sheinbaum, a member of the Morena party, is closely associated with the current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. She previously served as the head of government for Mexico City.
Sheinbaum is expected to be sworn in as president on October 1 and begin her six-year term. One of her primary tasks will be to address the ongoing violence in the country.
Mexico is home to some of the world's largest and most violent drug cartels. Although the number of homicides has been decreasing, the statistics during the current president's term have been alarming.
This year's election campaign was particularly violent, with at least 25 candidates killed.
In several Mexican municipalities, it was impossible to establish polling stations due to violence.
In Coyomeapan, electoral activities were paused after at least one person was killed at a polling station. In Chicomuselo, 11 bodies were found a few weeks ago amidst the municipality's violent cartel war. In Pantelho, the constant presence of armed cartel members disrupted the training of election officials.
U.S.-Mexico Relations
A major issue for the new Mexican president will be managing the relationship with the United States.
Whether Democrat Joe Biden or Republican Donald Trump is in the White House a year from now, the Mexican president plays a pivotal role in controlling the number of migrants crossing into the United States.
Therefore, the new Mexican president will have substantial influence over the migration situation in the neighboring country to the north.
As of Monday morning, the exact size of Sheinbaum's lead is still unclear. However, according to Mario Delgado, the leader of Morena, the lead is significant.
However, Morena did not secure a qualified majority in the parliament, meaning Mexico's ruling party will continue to govern with a simple majority.
Sunday's election was for the presidency as well as for the country's lower house and senate, which together make up the Congress. Voters elected 500 members of the lower house and 128 senators.
