Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as Mexico’s first female president in a resounding win

Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as Mexico’s first female president in a resounding win, achieving a historic victory.

According to Mexico’s official electoral authority, preliminary results indicate that the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City secured between 58% and 60% of the vote in Sunday’s election.

This gives her an almost 30-point lead over her closest competitor, businesswoman Xóchitl Gálvez. She is set to succeed her mentor, outgoing President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on 1 October. Sheinbaum, a former energy scientist, has pledged to maintain continuity, promising to further the “advances” made by López Obrador.

“I won’t fail you,” she said assuring the people in her victory speech. Her supporters are celebrating in the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square, waving banners that read “Claudia Sheinbaum, president.”

Before her presidential bid, Sheinbaum served as the mayor of Mexico City, one of the country’s most powerful political roles, often seen as a stepping stone to the presidency.