Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as its first female president

MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥� Mexico鈥檚 projected presidential winner will become the first female president in the country's 200-year history.

Sheinbaum, the favored successor of outgoing President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador, vowed to continue on the direction set by the populist leftist leader. But the cool-tempered scientist offers a sharp contrast in style 鈥� and a break with Mexico's male-dominated political culture.

鈥淚 promise that I am not going to let you down,鈥� Sheinbaum said, greeting supports in Mexico City鈥檚 colonial-era main plaza, the Zocalo.

The National Electoral Institute鈥檚 president said Sheinbaum had between 58.3% and 60.7% of the vote, while had between 26.6% and 28.6% and Jorge 脕lvarez M谩ynez had between 9.9% and 10.8% of the vote. Sheinbaum's Morena party was also projected to hold its majorities in both chambers of Congress.

The said that her two competitors had called her and conceded her victory.

The official preliminary count put Sheinbaum 28 points ahead of G谩lvez with nearly 50% of polling places reporting.

The fact that the two leading candidates were women had left little doubt that Mexico would make history Sunday.

"As I have said on other occasions, I do not arrive alone," Sheinbaum said shortly after her victory was confirmed. "We all arrived, with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our mothers, our daughters and our granddaughters.鈥�

Sheinbaum will also be the first person from a to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country.

She will start her six-year term Oct. 1. Mexico鈥檚 constitution does not allow reelection.

The leftist has said she and providing a sturdy social safety net, much like her political mentor.

L贸pez Obrador's anointed successor, the 61-year-old Sheinbaum consistntly led in polls despite a spirited challenge from G谩lvez. This was the first time in Mexico that the two main opponents were women.

鈥淥f course, I congratulate Claudia Sheinbaum with all my respect who ended up the winner by a wide margin," L贸pez Obrador said shortly after the electoral authorities' announcement. "She is going to be Mexico鈥檚 first (female) president in 200 years.鈥�

If the margin holds it would approach his landslide victory in 2018. L贸pez Obrador won the presidency after two unsuccessful tries with 53.2% of the votes, in a three-way race where National Action took 22.3% and the Institutional Revolutionary Party took 16.5%.

Still, Sheinbaum is unlikely to enjoy the kind of unquestioning devotion that L贸pez Obrador has enjoyed.

In the Zocalo, Sheinbaum鈥檚 win did not draw the kind of cheering, jubilant crowds that greeted L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 victory in 2018. Those present were enthusiastic, but comparatively few in number.

Sara R铆os, 76, a retired literature professor at Mexico's National Autonomous University, celebrated after hearing that G谩lvez had conceded.

鈥淭he only way that we move forward is by working together,鈥� R铆os said. "She is going to work to bring peace to the country, and is going to manage to advance, but it is a slow process.鈥�

Fernando Fern谩ndez, a chef, 28, said he voted for Sheinbaum because of her ties to L贸pez Obrador, using the president's intials, AMLO. But his highest hope is that Sheinbaum can 鈥渋mprove what AMLO couldn't do, the price of gasoline, crime and drug trafficking, which he didn't combat even though he had the power.鈥�

The main opposition candidate, G谩lvez, a tech entrepreneur and former senator, had promised a more aggressive approach toward organized crime.

In her concession speech, she said 鈥淚 want to stress that my recognition (of Sheinbaum's victory) comes with a firm demand for results and solutions to the country's serious problems.鈥�

L贸pez Obrador claims to have reduced historically high homicide levels by 20% since he took office in December 2018. But that鈥檚 largely a claim based on a questionable reading of statistics. The real homicide rate appears to have declined by only about 4% in six years.

Julio Garc铆a, a Mexico City office worker, said he voted for the opposition because of crime. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e robbed me twice at gunpoint. You have to change direction, change leadership,鈥� the 34-year-old said. 鈥淐ontinuing the same way, we鈥檙e going to become Venezuela.鈥�

On the fringes of Mexico City in the neighborhood of San Andres Totoltepec, 34-year-old homemaker Stephania Navarrete said she planned to vote for Sheinbaum despite her own doubts about L贸pez Obrador and his party.

鈥淗aving a woman president, for me as a Mexican woman, it鈥檚 going to be like before when for the simple fact that you say you are a woman you鈥檙e limited to certain professions. Not anymore.鈥�

She said the social programs of Sheinbaum鈥檚 mentor were crucial, but added that deterioration of cartel violence in the past few years was her primary concern in this election.

Nearly 100 million people were registered to vote and turnout appeared to be about 60%, similar to earlier elections.

Voters were also electing governors in nine of the country鈥檚 32 states, and choosing candidates for both houses of Congress, thousands of mayorships and other local posts, in the biggest elections the nation has seen and ones that have been marked by violence.

The elections were widely seen as a referendum on L贸pez Obrador, a populist who has but largely in Mexico. His Morena party currently holds 23 of the 32 governorships and a simple majority of seats in both houses of Congress.

Sheinbaum promised to continue all of L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 policies, including a universal pension for the elderly and a program that pays youths to apprentice.

Just as the upcoming November rematch between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump has underscored deep divisions in the U.S., Sunday's election revealed how is in Mexico over the direction of the country, including its security strategy and how to grow the economy.

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A previous version of this story mistranslated a quote from Claudia Sheinbaum to read 鈥淚 didn't make it alone. We all made it.鈥� It has been corrected to read 鈥淚 do not arrive alone. We all arrived.鈥�

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