In Mexico, history was made on Sunday as over 70,000 people vied for 20,000 local, state, and federal jobs. The highlight of the day was Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo becoming the first woman and Jew to be elected as the country’s president. She won over 58% of the votes against another woman, marking a groundbreaking contest in a country known for its macho culture and violence against women.
Sheinbaum is a 61-year-old physicist with a PhD in energy engineering who has served as Mexico City’s governor for the past six years. She comes from an upper-middle-class household with Jewish roots due to her grandparents fleeing anti-Semitic persecution in Europe. Although she rarely discusses her Judaism or personal life, she is known for her humble nature and tough demeanor.
Her political career began when Andrés Manuel López Obrador invited her to address pollution issues as his environment minister. Throughout her career, she has shown a strict and unwavering approach, earning nicknames like “the ice lady” from opponents. As mayor of Mexico City, she implemented policies that differed from López Obrador’s during the pandemic when she expanded testing and imposed restrictions while he was hesitant to do so.
Despite serving as López Obrador’s protegee, Sheinbaum has hinted that she will lead based on her principles rather than following his every move. Her goal is to follow an independent path while maintaining ties to her mentor’s messages that focus on empowering the poor and controlling the energy industry. It will be fascinating to see how Sheinbaum’s leadership unfolds as she takes office on October 1st.
Overall, Mexico celebrated its largest elections ever with more than 70,000 people vying for 20,000 local, state and federal jobs. The historic achievement was Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo becoming the first woman and Jew to be elected president of Mexico who won over more than half of the votes against another woman marking a groundbreaking contest in a country known for its macho culture and violence against women
