MEXICO CITY (CN) — President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum gave her victory speech early Monday morning in front of the presidential palace in the Zócalo, Mexico City's main public square, to an adoring crowd chanting "Presidenta!" — the feminine version of the noun. Mexico elected a female president for the first time in the country's history.
"Today the people of Mexico made the continuation of advancing the fourth transformation of Mexico possible," Sheinbaum said in a subdued speech, referring to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's political vision that she has vowed to continue.
"And for the first time in 200 years, a woman has arrived to the presidency of the republic," she said.
Sheinbaum won about 58% of the vote, with her nearest rival, opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, earning about 26%, according to Mexico's National Electoral Institute.
The crowd was joyous to witness the historic moment, chanting "yes we did!" in front of the presidential palace in one of the world's largest public squares.
"I am so proud to be here for this, to be here as a woman to witness the first female Mexican president," said Adriana Fernández.
Though still excited, some saw the historic triumph through a less personal, more pragmatic lens.
"I think this is a good opportunity to show the world that we are able to elect a female president. It is good for our country because other countries will see that we are able to do something like this," said Mauricio Reyes.
"And I think Claudia will help with the current water situation, which is in dire need of fixing. She's an environmental scientist," he added.
Reyes referred to the lack of stable water supply that has left people without water in some parts of the country. Some experts say the supply could completely run out within months.
In 2000, Sheinbaum served as secretary of the environment for Mexico City under López Obrador, then-mayor of the capital.
She joined López Obrador's presidential campaign team in 2006. After his unsuccessful candidacy in that election, she pivoted back to academia, serving as a member of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
In 2014, she joined López Obrador's newly created Morena party, which describes itself as a leftist anti-neoliberal party. She was mayor of the large southern Tlalpan borough of Mexico City between 2015 and 2017, then mayor of Mexico City in 2018 after she won nearly 50% of the vote.
During her speech, Sheinbaum introduced the newly elected mayor of Mexico City, Morena candidate Clara Brugada, who also won on Sunday in a close race against Santiago Taboada of the National Action Party.
"I commit to bringing Mexico toward the path of peace, security, democracy, freedom, equality and justice. To govern with humility and with a deep responsibility. This triumph from the people of Mexico is a triumph of understanding," she said.
This year's election campaign was the most violent in the country's history, with 37 political candidates murdered, the majority of whom were candidates on the local level.
This was also Mexico's largest election, with over 20,000 seats up for grabs.
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