Mexican general election, 1988
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Mexico
on July 6, 1988. The presidential elections were won by Carlos Salinas de Gortari, who received 50.7% of the vote, the lowest for a winning candidate since direct elections were introduced for the presidency in 1917. In the Chamber of Deputies election, the Institutional Revolutionary Party
won 260 of the 500 seats, as well as winning 60 of the 64 seats in the Senate election. Voter turnout was 51.6% in the presidential election, 49.7% for the Senate elections and 49.4% for the Chamber election.
Years later, former president Miguel de la Madrid
admitted to the New York Times and in an autobiography that the presidential elections had been rigged to make the Institutional Revolutionary Party
win, and that three years after the election, all ballots were burnt in order to remove all evidence of the fraud.
¹ Several parties were part of the National Democratic Front
alliance, with some candidates running separately under the name "Coalition".
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on July 6, 1988. The presidential elections were won by Carlos Salinas de Gortari, who received 50.7% of the vote, the lowest for a winning candidate since direct elections were introduced for the presidency in 1917. In the Chamber of Deputies election, the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
won 260 of the 500 seats, as well as winning 60 of the 64 seats in the Senate election. Voter turnout was 51.6% in the presidential election, 49.7% for the Senate elections and 49.4% for the Chamber election.
Years later, former president Miguel de la Madrid
Miguel de la Madrid
Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado is a Mexican politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1982 to 1988.-Biography:...
admitted to the New York Times and in an autobiography that the presidential elections had been rigged to make the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
win, and that three years after the election, all ballots were burnt in order to remove all evidence of the fraud.
President
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Salinas de Gortari | Institutional Revolutionary Party Institutional Revolutionary Party The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few... |
9,687,926 | 50.7 |
| Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano is a prominent Mexican politician. He was a former Head of Government of the Federal District and a founder of the Party of the Democratic Revolution .-Biography:... |
National Democratic Front National Democratic Front (Mexico) The National Democratic Front was a coalition of left-wing Mexican political parties created in 1988 presidential elections, and that is the immediate antecedent of the Party of the Democratic Revolution. It was result of an agglutination of small political left and center-left forces with a... |
5,929,585 | 31.1 |
| Manuel Clouthier Manuel Clouthier Manuel de Jesús Clouthier del Rincón, also known as Maquío was a Mexican businessman and politician affiliated to the conservative National Action Party... |
National Action Party National Action Party (Mexico) The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the... |
3,208,584 | 16.8 |
| Gumersindo Magaña Negrete | Mexican Democratic Party Mexican Democratic Party The Mexican Democratic Party was an ultra-Catholic social conservative political party in Mexico that existed between 1979 and 1997.-Origins:... |
190,891 | 1.0 |
| Rosario Ybarra Rosario Ybarra Rosario Ybarra de la Piedra is an activist and prominent figure in the politics of Mexico. She has been a presidential candidate and is currently the president of Comité Eureka.... |
Revolutionary Workers' Party | 416,448 | 1.9 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 548,879 | – | |
| Total | 19,640,722 | 100 | |
| Source: Nohlen | |||
Senate
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institutional Revolutionary Party Institutional Revolutionary Party The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few... |
9,263,810 | 50.8 | 60 | |
| National Action Party National Action Party (Mexico) The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the... |
3,293,460 | 18.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Party of the Cardenist Front of National Reconstruction Party of the Cardenist Front of National Reconstruction The Party of the Cardenist Front of National Reconstruction was a Mexican political party that existed from 1987 to 1997.Known in its infancy as the Socialist Workers' Party , The PFCRN arose in 1987 and followed the political and ideological thought of former Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas del... |
1,727,376 | 9.5 | 4 | +3 |
| Popular Socialist Party Popular Socialist Party (Mexico) The Popular Socialist Party is a communist party in Mexico. It was founded in 1948 as the Popular Party by Vicente Lombardo Toledano.... |
1,702,203 | 9.3 | ||
| Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution The Authentic Party of Mexican Revolution is a Mexican political party, that existed from 1955 to 2000. PARM was generally considered a satellite party of the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party .... |
1,154,811 | 6.3 | ||
| Mexican Socialist Party Mexican Socialist Party The Socialist Mexican Party was the former left-wing Mexican political party immediate antecedent of the present Party of the Democratic Revolution, it was the last effort of unification of the different Mexican parties of left and the last political party that the socialist word in its name was... |
770,659 | 4.2 | ||
| Mexican Democratic Party Mexican Democratic Party The Mexican Democratic Party was an ultra-Catholic social conservative political party in Mexico that existed between 1979 and 1997.-Origins:... |
223,631 | 1.2 | ||
| Revolutionary Workers' Party | 76,135 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-registered candidates | 13,222 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 689,542 | – | – | – |
| Total | 18,915,722 | 100 | 64 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen | ||||
Chamber of Deputies
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institutional Revolutionary Party Institutional Revolutionary Party The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few... |
9,276,934 | 51.0 | 260 | |
| National Action Party National Action Party (Mexico) The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the... |
3,276,824 | 18.0 | 101 | |
| Party of the Cardenist Front of National Reconstruction Party of the Cardenist Front of National Reconstruction The Party of the Cardenist Front of National Reconstruction was a Mexican political party that existed from 1987 to 1997.Known in its infancy as the Socialist Workers' Party , The PFCRN arose in 1987 and followed the political and ideological thought of former Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas del... ¹ |
1,704,532 | 9.4 | 38 | New |
| Popular Socialist Party Popular Socialist Party (Mexico) The Popular Socialist Party is a communist party in Mexico. It was founded in 1948 as the Popular Party by Vicente Lombardo Toledano.... ¹ |
1,673,863 | 9.2 | 37 | |
| Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution The Authentic Party of Mexican Revolution is a Mexican political party, that existed from 1955 to 2000. PARM was generally considered a satellite party of the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party .... ¹ |
1,124,575 | 6.2 | 30 | |
| Mexican Socialist Party Mexican Socialist Party The Socialist Mexican Party was the former left-wing Mexican political party immediate antecedent of the present Party of the Democratic Revolution, it was the last effort of unification of the different Mexican parties of left and the last political party that the socialist word in its name was... ¹ |
810,372 | 4.5 | 18 | 0 |
| Mexican Democratic Party Mexican Democratic Party The Mexican Democratic Party was an ultra-Catholic social conservative political party in Mexico that existed between 1979 and 1997.-Origins:... |
244,458 | 1.3 | 0 | |
| Revolutionary Workers' Party | 88,637 | 0.5 | 0 | |
| National Democratic Front National Democratic Front (Mexico) The National Democratic Front was a coalition of left-wing Mexican political parties created in 1988 presidential elections, and that is the immediate antecedent of the Party of the Democratic Revolution. It was result of an agglutination of small political left and center-left forces with a... |
– | – | 15 | New |
| Invalid/blank votes | 620,220 | – | – | – |
| Total | 18,820,415 | 100 | 500 | +100 |
| Source: Nohlen | ||||
¹ Several parties were part of the National Democratic Front
National Democratic Front (Mexico)
The National Democratic Front was a coalition of left-wing Mexican political parties created in 1988 presidential elections, and that is the immediate antecedent of the Party of the Democratic Revolution. It was result of an agglutination of small political left and center-left forces with a...
alliance, with some candidates running separately under the name "Coalition".