Claudia Sheinbaum, A Climate Scientist Turned Politician To Become Mexico’s First Female President

Since her election four months ago, Sheinbaum has consistently aligned herself with López Obrador on both major and minor issues. However, she is distinct in her leadership style—more data-driven and less personal in her approach compared to López Obrador. As Mexico transitions under her leadership, many await to see if Sheinbaum will step out from under his shadow.

What’s Sheinbaum’s Background?

Sheinbaum has a strong scientific background, holding a Ph.D. in energy engineering. Her brother is also a physicist. In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, Sheinbaum emphasized, “I believe in science.” Observers note that her scientific mindset was reflected in her actions as mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Mexico City, under her leadership, adopted policies that diverged from the national stance advocated by López Obrador.

Sheinbaum comes from an older, more solidly leftist tradition that predates López Obrador’s populist movement. Her parents were prominent activists in Mexico’s 1968 student movement, which ended tragically in a government-led massacre of hundreds of student protesters just before the Summer Olympics opened in Mexico City that year. Sheinbaum is also Mexico’s first president of Jewish heritage in a predominantly Catholic country.

What Did Her Victory Look Like?

Sheinbaum secured a decisive victory in the June election, winning nearly 60% of the vote—double that of her closest rival, Xóchitl Gálvez. As López Obrador’s chosen successor, she benefited from his enduring popularity, which bolstered support for her campaign. The opposition coalition led by Gálvez struggled to gain momentum, while voters also carried their support to Congress, where Morena and its allies gained significant influence to pass key constitutional reforms before López Obrador’s term ended.

Where Does Sheinbaum Stand on Recent Contentious Issues?

Sheinbaum has firmly supported López Obrador’s policies, including a controversial constitutional overhaul of Mexico’s judiciary, which will require judges to stand for election. Defending the reform, Sheinbaum stated that it would enhance the rule of law and democracy without negatively impacting investments. She also backed López Obrador’s proposal to place the National Guard under military command, assuring critics that it would not lead to militarization and that human rights would be respected.

In the days leading up to her inauguration, Sheinbaum stood with López Obrador in his diplomatic dispute with Spain. She defended the decision to not invite Spain’s King Felipe VI to her inauguration, citing the king’s failure to apologize for Spain’s conquest of Mexico, a long-standing demand from López Obrador.

How Important is Her Election for Mexican Women?

Sheinbaum’s victory comes 70 years after women won the right to vote in Mexico. The presidential race came down to two women—Sheinbaum and Gálvez—but both had to contend with the lingering effects of Mexico’s deeply rooted machismo. Despite gender quotas that have resulted in a 50-50 split in Congress since 2018, Sheinbaum faces significant challenges as she takes office in a country grappling with rising violence against women.

Many rural and Indigenous regions still see men holding most of the power, and around 2.5 million women work in domestic roles, often facing low wages, abuse, long hours, and unstable working conditions. Although Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that laws prohibiting abortion are unconstitutional, further legal work is needed at the state level to ensure full implementation of these rights.

Feminist activists caution that simply electing a woman as president doesn’t guarantee a focus on women’s issues. Both Sheinbaum and López Obrador have faced criticism for their lack of empathy toward women protesting against gender violence.

(This story has been slightly reworked from an auto-generated PTI feed.)