POLITICAL SPHERE
L.C.C. Maye Verduzco Chaires for JoinUs without Borders, reprinted from June 2021 issue with permission
In Sonora, the candidate of the “Juntos Haremos Historia” (“Together We’ll Make History”) coalition, Alfonso Durazo Montaño, prevailed in the gubernatorial election with an overwhelming advantage of over 50% of the votes. In Puerto Peñasco, the candidate of the “Va por Sonora” (“For Sonora”) coalition, Jorge Pivac Carrillo, was favored in the mayoral election with almost 36% of the votes cast.
After a dispirited electoral day on June 6th, in which more than half of eligible voters did not vote, data from the Preliminary Election Results Program (PREP) indicates Durazo Montaño of the MORENA Movement, allied with Verde Ecologista, Nueva Alianza and the Labor Party, obtained 419,662 votes, or rather 51.%. His closest opponent, Ernesto Gándara Camou of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in alliance with National Action (PAN) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), only received 290,753 votes, or rather 35.6% of the total.
Oscar Eduardo Castro Castro, another MORENA contender, was elected as local representative for District 2. Castro obtained more than 42% of the votes over his closest competitor, Heriberto Renteria of the PRI, PAN, PRD alliance, who received just over 28% of the vote.
As for Puerto Peñasco’s mayoral election, results were as follows
1.- Jorge Ivan Pivac Carrillo, from the PRI-PAN-PRD alliance: 7,737 votes (Winner)
2.- Miguel Angel Padilla Durán, from MORENA: 7,359 votes
3.- Lázaro Espinoza Mendívil, from PES (Partido Encuentro Solidario): 4,785 votes
4.- Roque Edel Celaya Pino, from FXM (Fuerza Por México): 637 votes
5.- Celia Lizeth Yeomans Reyes, from MC (Movimiento Ciudadano): 294 votes
6.- Socorro Nohemi Haros Velarde, from PV (Partido Verde): 193 votes
7.- Griselda Iveth Romero Núñez, from RSP (Redes Sociales Progresistas): 86 votes
8.- Ana Xochilt Uriarte Navarro, from PT (Partido del Trabajo): 76 votes
Non-registered candidates: 16 votes
Null votes: 492
Valid Votes: 21,660
The preliminary toll from the largest election in Mexico, which included 500 seats in the House of Representatives, 15 governorships, 30 local congresses, and 1,900 municipalities, allows us to make the following reflection:
MORENA suffers setback (The president’s party)
MORENA suffered a setback by losing the super-majority in the House of Representatives, from having 332 seats to 279. To achieve a simple majority (half plus one), this political current must foster agreements with both its allies and the opposition, in seeking constitutional reforms.
The “Va por México” alliance, along with Movimiento Ciudadano (Citizen Movement), obtained 221 representations, achieving a block to stop the Morenist steamroller and its satellite parties.
MORENA loses important bastion
Another blow for MORENA, perhaps the most substantial, lies in the upheaval suffered in Mexico City where the party lost more than half of the competing delegations. According to the popular vote, many of these delegations now pass into the hands of the opposing “Va por México” block.
MORENA prevails in Governorships
Undoubtedly, the absolute achievement of MORENA lies in preliminary results in terms of governorships, since from having only one in Baja California, they will now hold 11 states after the June 6th election.
PRI the absolute loser
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was the absolute loser on June 6th as it was unable to hold onto any of its governorships, passing control to MORENA in the states of Nayarit, Guerrero, Colima, Campeche and Zacatecas. Leadership in Sonora, Sinaloa, and Tlaxcala will pass to the “Together We’ll Make History” alliance (MORENA, PT and Verde Ecologista), while San Luis Potosí relinquishes governance to Verde Ecologista.
The National Action Party (PAN) undoubtedly showed more muscle by holding onto Querétaro and Chihuahua, losing Baja California Sur to MORENA, which is also retaining the state of Baja California.
From having an independent governor, Nuevo León will now have a governor from Movimiento Ciudadano, while the PRD will lead in Michoacán after defeating the PT.
Therefore, in a preliminary balance, MORENA advanced in states that had been governed by the PRI. PAN managed to hold onto its positions and gained ground. From one day to the next, Movimiento Ciudadano stood out as never before with its strategy of rescuing individuals from other parties. As a result, perhaps the Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico (Green Ecologist Party of Mexico) came out most benefited from the races and able to give its allegiance to the party in power at the highest price.