Mexican Elections: A Transformation

The surprise of the Mexican election was not Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) majority victory (53%), but the sweep of his party, MORENA, in legislative seats and state governorships.

The build-up demand for change corresponded to the largest election day in the country’s electoral history, with nine governorships, both houses of Congress, and several thousand state and local elections. Corruption, crime, and slow and unequal growth were the primary issues debated, with a desire for dramatic change, which AMLO represented.

In a blog on May 9, 2018, I suggested that AMLO would win in a landslide in Mexico’s presidential election, which are often won with a plurality, but not control of the legislature. The MORENA party and allies won a majority in both legislative houses and could reached two-third majorities that could approve constitutional changes, such as changing presidential term limits (one six-year term).

AMLO has dramatically raised expectations. Will his vague populist platform and diverse coalition sufficiently address the corruption, crime and growth issues? If not, will he become what many fear – authoritarian?

Andrés Manuel López Obrador | CNN