Claudia Sheinbaum becomes first woman president of Mexico in landslide win

Mexico elected the first woman to be president after winning Sunday’s vote in a landslide. Claudia Sheinbaum, 61, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, she received close to 58 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results from the Mexican electoral office.

Sheinbaum is the “first Jewish person to lead one of the world’s largest predominantly Catholic countries,” Politico reported.

“For the first time in 200 years of the Republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico,” Sheinbaum told supporters. “We have achieved a plural, diverse and democratic Mexico. Although many Mexicans do not fully agree with our project, we will have to walk in peace and harmony to continue building a fair and more prosperous Mexico.”

Sheinbaum’s political party, Morena, will hold the majority in the legislature, according to the electoral agency, which will allow her to sign off on constitutional changes that her predecessor, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, fell short of doing.

The presidential election was the biggest election day in the history of Mexico and it’s 130 million residents. To maintain a peaceful voting day, thousands of soldiers were deployed across the country, Politico reported.

Congratulatory messages came from many EU leaders vowing to “continue to work to strengthen [their] relations” with Mexico under its new leadership.

“Mexico and the EU share deep historical, economic and cultural ties,” Ursula von der Leyen, commission president, said. “I look forward to strengthening our bilateral relations under your leadership.”