Mexico’s July 4th Elections: Defined by Mixed Results

On Sunday, July 4th, voters in twelve of Mexico’s thirty-one states headed to the polls for gubernatorial and other local elections. Many analysts had predicted a sweeping victory for the PRI, which had gained momentum due to the ruling PAN’s failure to significantly improve Mexico’s economy or put a stop to drug violence. A big win for the PRI in these elections would indicate that the party was poised to take the presidency in 2012, regaining power after more than seventy years of continuous PRI rule ended with the election of Vicente Fox in 2000.

The results of Sunday’s elections, however, proved to be less clear-cut than some had predicted. The PRI did win the majority of the states up for grabs, taking the governorships of nine out of twelve states, including three where they had been out of power for more than ten years. However, they also lost three key states where they have been historically strong: Oaxaca, Sinaloa, and Puebla.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Katherine Haas