Claudia Sheinbaum: The First Woman and Jew Elected President of Mexico in Over 200 Years

On Sunday, Mexico held its largest elections in history, with over 20,000 local, state, and federal jobs contested by 70,000 candidates. The historic achievement of the day was Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo becoming the first woman and the first Jew to be elected to the top position in Mexico in over 200 years of independence.

At 61 years old, Sheinbaum is a physicist with a PhD in energy engineering who ran as a candidate for the left-wing Movement for National Renewal party. She won at least 58% of the votes, facing off against another woman in a country known for its macho culture and violence against women. She previously served as the mayor of Mexico City, the largest city in Mexico with 15 million inhabitants.

Born and raised in a left-wing, upper-middle-class household in Mexico City, Sheinbaum’s grandparents were Jewish immigrants who fled anti-Semitic persecution in Europe. She seldom discusses her Jewish heritage or personal life but has hinted at leading an independent path from her former political mentor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Throughout her career, Sheinbaum has displayed a conservative and disciplined approach. As mayor of Mexico City, she took strict measures during the coronavirus pandemic and faced criticism for being an obedient protégé of Lopez Obrador’s policies. Despite some reservations about her leadership style, observers anticipate that she will continue to take a tough stance on issues like corruption and organized crime while expanding government control over energy production under López Obrador’s policies.