Mexico president’s ruling party rolls to win in country’s most populous state

Mexico’s most densely populated state put an end to its longstanding single-party governance, opting instead to side with the current President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Morena party. This decision ousted the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) which had been the leading party for many years.

Late Sunday evening, preliminary results from the election officials suggested a win for Delfina Gómez in the State of Mexico. This was later affirmed by Alejandra del Moral’s concession speech. The official ballot counting proceeded throughout the night.

This outcome represents a new low for the PRI, which governed Mexico continuously for 71 years until 2000 and maintained an even longer rule in the State of Mexico until its Sunday defeat.

Post-poll survey data from various polling stations suggested that Gómez was expected to secure between 52.1% and 54.2% of votes, while del Moral was projected to receive between 43% to 45.2% of votes, according to the National Electoral Institute. The survey claimed a confidence level of at least 95%.

Past midnight, with over half of the ballots tallied, the advantage remained consistent.

“There will be a change in governance,” Gómez declared to her exuberant supporters in Toluca, the state capital, late Sunday night. As the anticipated first female governor of the state, she pledged her dedication to the mothers of missing individuals and femicide victims, and urged citizens to expose corruption.

While the PRI-led coalition managed to retain the governorship in the thinly populated northern border state of Coahuila, losing the State of Mexico was a significant setback.

The election has been closely scrutinized due to its potential implications for the presidential elections next year. Morena, even without a chosen nominee, is viewed as the likely winner in the national elections. This probability will only increase with the party now governing the State of Mexico.

The State of Mexico, which borders Mexico City on three sides, has been the stronghold of the Institutional Revolutionary Party for many years. It’s characterized by a mix of urban expanses and rural farms, along with rampant inequality, violence, and corruption.

Political scientist Georgina de la Fuente of the Tecnologico de Monterrey university stated that the election results revealed a few key points: the defeat of the PRI, albeit not as decisive as anticipated; Morena’s vulnerability; and the necessity for political parties to reassess their alliances. She also lauded the smooth electoral process, validating the efficiency of Mexico’s electoral system, which had faced criticism from López Obrador.

The defeat in the State of Mexico could herald the demise of the PRI’s national political significance, a striking downfall for a party that had uninterrupted rule for over seven decades.

Voter turnout in the State of Mexico was only around half of eligible voters.

Miguel Agustín López Moreno, a political scientist and social worker in Ecatepec, one of the largest municipalities in the state, voiced his skepticism about substantial changes for residents, attributing the party’s victory largely to the resources they invested in the state.

Adair Ortiz Herrera, a 21-year-old information systems student from Coyotepec, a rural area in the northern part of the state, confidently predicted a shift in direction before the Sunday results were declared. He stated, “My vote is to end the current government’s hegemony.”

Romero reported from Naucalpan, Mexico. Additional reporting was provided by Emilio Lugo in Huehuetoca, Mexico.

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