Mexico Elections: Claudia Sheinbaum Leads Race For Historic Win As Country's First Woman President

Several television outlets showed Claudia Sheinbaum from the Leftist MORENA party having an edge over her contender Xochitl Galvez.

Claudia Sheinbaum from the leftist MORENA party is expected to win Mexico's presidential election, as per media outlets. According to Reuters, the polls closed on Sunday, putting her on course to be the country's first woman president. Exit polls by television outlet NMAS and newspaper El Financiero showed Sheinbaum winning, however, they didn’t give figures.

Pollster Parametria also said that Sheinbaum was sweeping a 56 per cent of vote and four more exit polls predicted that she is set for a victory, according to Reuters. 

Mario Delgado, the head of the party, told supporters in Mexico City that Sheinbaum had won by a "very large" margin. Her main competitor was Xochitl Galvez, from the conservative PAN party, representing a coalition of opposition parties.

The third candidate is Jorge Alvarez Maynez who is representing the centre-left Citizens’ Movement and is the youngest in the race, according to CNN.

Whoever wins the election, will be tasked with confronting organised crime violence. As per Reuters, during the mandate of outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, more people have been killed under any other presidency in Mexico’s modern history. However, it is notable that the homicide rate has come down over his term.

Sheinbaum’s victory would be a major step for Mexico which is known for its macho culture, as per the Reuters report. The winner will begin the term from October 1.

‘Most Violent Election’

This was one of the "bloodiest" elections in Mexico’s history, 38 candidates were killed, according to the news outlet CNN. The deadly violence has raised concerns regarding the impact of warring drug cartels on the country’s democracy. On Sunday, two people were killed at polling stations in Puebla state.

"The country is flooded with blood as a result of so much corruption," Rosa Maria Baltazar, 69, a voter in Mexico City's upper-middle-class Del Valle neighbourhood was quoted by CBC. "I wish for a change of government for my country, something for a better life.", she added.