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Mexico Governor’s Race Offers a Rare Chance to Defeat the Ruling Party Mexico Governor’s Race Offers a Rare Chance to Defeat the Ruling Party
(about 1 hour later)
OCOYOACAC, Mexico — In city schools and village squares, in mountain towns and urban slums, voters throughout Mexico’s most populous state cast their ballots Sunday in a closely fought regional election with far-reaching implications.OCOYOACAC, Mexico — In city schools and village squares, in mountain towns and urban slums, voters throughout Mexico’s most populous state cast their ballots Sunday in a closely fought regional election with far-reaching implications.
The contest for the governorship of the State of Mexico could be a harbinger of the presidential election.The contest for the governorship of the State of Mexico could be a harbinger of the presidential election.
The campaign this year boiled down to a battle between two national political forces, one old and one new: the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party, led by President Enrique Peña Nieto, and the National Regeneration Movement, or Morena, the upstart left-wing party led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, an anti-establishment populist and a former mayor of Mexico City.The campaign this year boiled down to a battle between two national political forces, one old and one new: the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party, led by President Enrique Peña Nieto, and the National Regeneration Movement, or Morena, the upstart left-wing party led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, an anti-establishment populist and a former mayor of Mexico City.
The latest polls showed the two parties’ candidates in the State of Mexico locked in a statistical dead heat, despite the fact that Mr. Peña Nieto’s party, known as the P.R.I., has controlled the governor’s office since 1929, often winning elections by wide margins.The latest polls showed the two parties’ candidates in the State of Mexico locked in a statistical dead heat, despite the fact that Mr. Peña Nieto’s party, known as the P.R.I., has controlled the governor’s office since 1929, often winning elections by wide margins.
In the last election, in 2011, the party prevailed with more than 61 percent of the vote.In the last election, in 2011, the party prevailed with more than 61 percent of the vote.
But the P.R.I.’s current candidate, Alfredo del Mazo Maza, acknowledged during a campaign rally last week that his party “is facing a challenge like never before.”But the P.R.I.’s current candidate, Alfredo del Mazo Maza, acknowledged during a campaign rally last week that his party “is facing a challenge like never before.”
“The future of the P.R.I., the future of this country, depends on our victory,” he said.“The future of the P.R.I., the future of this country, depends on our victory,” he said.
The bitterly fought race has been featured accusations of fraud and malfeasance, levied against the P.R.I. and other parties, that include vote-buying, intimidation and the confiscation of voting cards. The agency that monitors electoral crime has opened more than 230 cases regarding irregularities, more than double the number in the last election six years ago. In the time-honored tradition of Mexican politics, all of the political parties declared victory on behalf of their candidates soon after the polls closed at 6 p.m., even though the official vote tally was not expected for hours. Party officials cited secret exit polling as proof of their claims, laying the groundwork for at least a long night of conflicting assertions, if not future allegations of electoral fraud.
“I think the people want another party,” said Juan Hernández, 48, an airport employee, who was sitting in a square in the town of Ocoyoacac after voting for one of the opposition candidates. “But the P.R.I. has all the power and the money and is putting all that money in the campaign. The bitterly fought race has featured accusations of fraud and malfeasance against the P.R.I. and other parties, including claims of vote-buying, intimidation and the confiscation of voting cards. The agency that monitors electoral crime has opened more than 230 cases regarding irregularities, more than double the number in the last election six years ago.
He added: “It’s difficult to see how another party can win.” “I think the people want another party,” said Juan Hernández, 48, an airport employee, who was sitting in a square in the town of Ocoyoacac after voting for one of the opposition candidates. “But the P.R.I. has all the power and the money and is putting all that money in the campaign.”
He added, “It’s difficult to see how another party can win.”
Regardless of the outcome Sunday, Mr. López Obrador, who has declared his intention to run for president next year and has fashioned himself as the candidate best equipped to battle with President Trump, stands to benefit greatly.Regardless of the outcome Sunday, Mr. López Obrador, who has declared his intention to run for president next year and has fashioned himself as the candidate best equipped to battle with President Trump, stands to benefit greatly.
A victory by his party’s candidate, Delfina Gómez Álvarez, a former director of an elementary school who entered politics in 2012, would help establish Mr. López Obrador’s young party as a legitimate national force.A victory by his party’s candidate, Delfina Gómez Álvarez, a former director of an elementary school who entered politics in 2012, would help establish Mr. López Obrador’s young party as a legitimate national force.
Even if Ms. Gómez is defeated, Mr. López Obrador will probably point to the closely fought contest as a clear indication of the P.R.I.’s vulnerabilities and use his party’s strong showing as a springboard for the 2018 presidential race.Even if Ms. Gómez is defeated, Mr. López Obrador will probably point to the closely fought contest as a clear indication of the P.R.I.’s vulnerabilities and use his party’s strong showing as a springboard for the 2018 presidential race.
For the P.R.I., a win for Mr. del Mazo, a former congressman and mayor, is essential for the party’s hopes of maintaining control of the presidency and sustaining its national dominance.For the P.R.I., a win for Mr. del Mazo, a former congressman and mayor, is essential for the party’s hopes of maintaining control of the presidency and sustaining its national dominance.
Mr. del Mazo is a product of the party’s machinery in the State of Mexico, and a scion of P.R.I. royalty: His father and grandfather had been governors of the state, and Mr. Peña Nieto, who previously served as the state’s governor, is his cousin. Mr. del Mazo is a product of the party’s machinery in the State of Mexico, and a scion of P.R.I. royalty: His father and grandfather were governors of the state, and Mr. Peña Nieto, who previously served as the state’s governor, is his cousin.
If the P.R.I. was to be defeated in its traditional stronghold, it would be a deep embarrassment for Mr. Peña Nieto and a crisis for the party. If the P.R.I. were defeated in its traditional stronghold, it would be a deep embarrassment for Mr. Peña Nieto and a crisis for the party.
Voters were also casting ballots on Sunday in governors’ races in the states of Coahuila and Nayarit, though national and international attention was focused on the State of Mexico where the potential implications were greater. Voters were also casting ballots on Sunday in governors’ races in the states of Coahuila and Nayarit, though national and international attention was focused on the State of Mexico, where the potential implications were greater.
For P.R.I. supporters in the State of Mexico, it was a day of unusual tension.For P.R.I. supporters in the State of Mexico, it was a day of unusual tension.
“I’m afraid,” said Dolores Alvarado, 67, a school cafeteria worker in the municipality of Ecatepec, who was planning to vote for Mr. del Mazo. “It’s better to stick with the devil you know than an unfamiliar one.”“I’m afraid,” said Dolores Alvarado, 67, a school cafeteria worker in the municipality of Ecatepec, who was planning to vote for Mr. del Mazo. “It’s better to stick with the devil you know than an unfamiliar one.”
For voters leaning toward other candidates, their best chance ever of unseating the P.R.I. was palpable. For voters leaning toward other candidates, their best chance ever of unseating the P.R.I. felt palpable.
“Today there is hope; I think there really is a chance, because people are fed up,” said Salvador Albino, 47, a chauffeur for an affluent family who was planning to vote in the municipality of Naucalpan. “We need something different, we need something new.” “Today there is hope. I think there really is a chance, because people are fed up,” said Salvador Albino, 47, a chauffeur for an affluent family who was planning to vote in the municipality of Naucalpan. “We need something different. We need something new.”
The state wraps around Mexico City and, with more than 16 million inhabitants, it has absorbed most of the region’s population growth in recent decades. In some ways it is a microcosm of the country, embodying its extreme socioeconomic inequality, soaring corruption and rampant crime. The state wraps around Mexico City and, with more than 16 million inhabitants, has absorbed most of the region’s population growth in recent decades. In some ways it is a microcosm of the country, embodying its extreme socioeconomic inequality, soaring corruption and rampant crime.
These problems have been a drag on Mr. del Mazo’s campaign, which has also been burdened by the unpopular performance of Mr. Peña Nieto.These problems have been a drag on Mr. del Mazo’s campaign, which has also been burdened by the unpopular performance of Mr. Peña Nieto.
During the campaign, Ms. Gómez and the other opposition candidates have repeatedly sought to cast the race for governor of the State of Mexico as a referendum on the P.R.I.’s overall leadership.During the campaign, Ms. Gómez and the other opposition candidates have repeatedly sought to cast the race for governor of the State of Mexico as a referendum on the P.R.I.’s overall leadership.
They urged voters to break the party’s dynastic control as the best way of ridding the state — and by extension, the nation — of corruption and finally curbing rampant violence.They urged voters to break the party’s dynastic control as the best way of ridding the state — and by extension, the nation — of corruption and finally curbing rampant violence.
In a poll published last week in the Reforma newspaper, a majority of respondents said it was time for another party to run the state, and nearly half said they would “never” vote for Mr. del Mazo.In a poll published last week in the Reforma newspaper, a majority of respondents said it was time for another party to run the state, and nearly half said they would “never” vote for Mr. del Mazo.
But Mr. del Mazo stands to gain from the fractured opposition: In addition to Ms. Gómez, there are several other challengers on the ballot, including Josefina Vázquez Mota, of the conservative National Action Party, and Juan Zepeda, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, though both polled well behind the front-runners. But Mr. del Mazo stands to gain from the fractured opposition. In addition to Ms. Gómez, there are several other challengers on the ballot, including Josefina Vázquez Mota, of the conservative National Action Party, and Juan Zepeda, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, though both polled well behind the front-runners.