Claudia Sheinbaum: Profile of Mexico’s First Female President

Claudia Sheinbaum has made history by becoming the first woman to be elected as the President of Mexico as per initial projections from the official quick count.

According to the National Electoral Institute, Sheinbaum garnered between 58.3% and 60.7% of the total votes, an uncontestable lead based on a statistical sample of ballots from polling stations.

The results were announced early Monday, June 3 by Guadalupe Taddei Zavala of Mexico’s National Electoral Institute who affirmed that the tally is 95% reliable.

While addressing her supporters, Sheinbaum noted that the victory was as a result of everyone who believed in her and casted their votes as well as past heroines.

“For the first time in 200 years of our republic, I will become the first woman president…but as I’ve said in other occasions, I did not get here alone. We’ve all made it, with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our mothers, our daughters and our granddaughters,” Claudia said.

Claudia Sheinbaum Background

Claudia Sheinbaum was born on June 24, 1962, in Mexico City and grew up in a multiracial, multiethnic family in Cuernavaca in central Mexico.

She is the second daughter of Annie Pardo Cemo, a biologist and professor emeritus at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Carlos Sheinbaum, a chemical engineer.

Claudia’s Jewish roots hail from her maternal grandparents who immigrated to Mexico from Bulgaria fleeing the Nazis. Her paternal grandparents hailed from Lithuania.

Her academic quest led her to enroll at UNAM where she studied physics. 

She proceeded to study energy engineering at the same university and later conducted her doctoral research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, U.S.

She is also a former ballet dancer, something that has her describing herself as “obsessive” and “disciplined.”

Claudia made history by becoming the first woman to hold the position of mayor in Mexico City. Her election marked a significant milestone for gender equality and diversity in Mexican politics.

Notably, the president elect had an illustrious career as a scientist before delving into politics.

Also Read: Mexico Gets First Woman President

Sheinbaum’s Political Career

In 2000, Claudia Sheinbaum’s political journey began when the newly elected mayor of Mexico City, Lopez Obrador, appointed her as the head of the environmental department.

He chose her for her scientific background and progressive values to address the city’s pollution and transportation problems.

She later left her position in City Hall to become Lopez Obrador’s lead spokesperson during his first presidential campaign in 2006, which he narrowly lost.

In 2015, she was elected to lead Tlalpan, the largest borough in Mexico City, where she faced challenges including an earthquake that caused a school to collapse, resulting in the tragic death of 19 children due to poor construction practices.

Despite the aftermath of the earthquake, Sheinbaum become Mexico City’s first female mayor in 2018 a success which coincided with Lopez Obrador winning the presidency on his third attempt with a significant majority.

She served as the mayor of Mexico City from 2018 to 2023, during which she implemented various policies focusing on improving public transportation, reducing air pollution, and promoting green spaces in the city.

Adding onto her decorated career, Claudia now steps in as Mexico’s president and the first Jewish person to be elected to the post.

Also Read: South Africa Elections: When to Expect the Results and Why the President Will be Chosen Later

Accolades

Adding to her portfolio, Claudia Sheinbaum was honored as one of the recipients of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace for her contributions as a scientist and policymaker on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

She received acclaim for her work as mayor of Mexico City, including efforts to improve public transportation, reduce air pollution, and promote sustainability and green spaces in the city.

Due to her efforts, she gained recognition for her role in addressing climate change and advocating for energy efficiency and environmental protection, both in Mexico and on the global stage.

In addition, she has been acknowledged for her dedication to scientific research and policymaking in the fields of sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental conservation.

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