Claudia Sheinbaum poised to become Mexico’s first woman President – exit polls

Claudia Sheinbaum, the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City, is on track to become Mexico’s first woman president, according to exit polls predicting she won 56 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election.

Her Morena party has already declared victory, but her main rival, businesswoman Xóchitl Gálvez, has urged supporters to wait for the official results, which are expected on Monday.

Sheinbaum’s anticipated victory is seen as a continuation of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s policies, who has supported her candidacy. López Obrador, limited to a single six-year term by Mexico’s constitution, has enjoyed high approval rates, and his backing likely widened Sheinbaum’s voter base, though questions about her independence from him remain.

The election, which also involved voting for members of Congress and governors in eight states, was marred by violence, with over 20 local candidates reportedly killed.

Sheinbaum’s main opponent, Gálvez, criticised the current administration’s approach to crime and promised a tougher stance on security, though details were sparse. Gálvez also campaigned on strengthening democratic institutions she accused López Obrador of undermining.