Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as first woman president

 

Claudia Sheinbaum will be Mexico's first ever female president

Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as Mexico's first woman president in an historic landslide win.

Mexico's official electoral authority said preliminary results showed the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City winning between 58% and 60% of the vote in Sunday's election.

That gives her a lead of about 30 percentage points over her main rival, businesswoman Xóchitl Gálvez.

Ms Sheinbaum will replace her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on 1 October. 

The election of a woman to the highest office was an emotional moment for some

null

Ms Sheinbaum, a former energy scientist, has promised continuity, saying that she will continue to build on the "advances" made by Mr López Obrador, further building on the welfare programmes which have made the outgoing president very popular.

But in her victory speech she also highlighted what has set this Mexican election apart from previous ones. She told cheering voters: "For the first time in the 200 years of the [Mexican] Republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico."

She said it was an achievement not just for her but for all women.

"I've said it from the start, this is not just about me getting [to the top office], it's about all of us getting here."

She added: "I won't fail you."

Ms Sheinbaum also thanked her rival, Xóchitl Gálvez, who has conceded victory.

Share on Google Plus

About somrat

Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis.