Mexican general election, 2012
Encyclopedia
A general election is to be held in Mexico
on Sunday, July 1, 2012. Voters will go to the polls to elect, on the federal level:
for a possible presidential run in 2012.
Never publicly announced intentions to run but was considered a likely contender.
Party of the Democratic Revolution
Institutional Revolutionary Party
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 Sunday, July 1, 2012. Voters will go to the polls to elect, on the federal level:
- A new President of the RepublicPresident of MexicoThe President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
to serve a six-year term, replacing PresidentPresident of MexicoThe President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Felipe CalderónFelipe CalderónFelipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
(ineligible for re-election under the 1917 ConstitutionConstitution of MexicoThe Political Constitution of the United Mexican States is the current constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, by a constitutional convention, during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constitutional Congress on February 5, 1917...
). - 128 members (three per stateStates of MexicoThe United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
by first-past-the-post and 32 by proportional representation from national party lists) to serve six-year terms in the SenateSenate of MexicoThe Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...
. In each state, two first-past-the-post seats are allocated to the party with the largest share of the vote, and the remaining seat is given to the first runner-up. - 500 members (300 by the first-past-the-postFirst-past-the-postFirst-past-the-post voting refers to an election won by the candidate with the most votes. The winning potato candidate does not necessarily receive an absolute majority of all votes cast.-Overview:...
system and 200 by proportional representationProportional representationProportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
) to serve for a three-year term in the Chamber of DeputiesChamber of Deputies of MexicoThe Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature. The structure and responsibilities of both chambers of Congress are defined in Articles 50 to 70 of the current constitution.-Composition:The Chamber of Deputies is composed of one federal...
.
Electoral Reform
In December 2009, president Felipe Calderón sent a bill to Congress aimed at reducing the number of legislators in both chambers and another mechanism for the presidential election which have not yet been passed. If approved, the following reforms will be implemented:- Second round voting in case no presidential candidate receives an absolute majority of the votes. In this case, the second round would take place between the two candidates who obtained most of the votes in the first round, for a six year term with no possibility of reelection.
- 96 Senators of the Republic, 3 for each state, elected by plurality for a period of six years, renewable once.
- 400 Federal Deputies (240 by first-past-the-post and 160 by proportional representation) elected for a period of three years with possibility of reelection.
Presidential Candidates
The following are individuals who have either formally announced that they are running for president in 2012, or have formed an exploratory committeeExploratory Committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...
for a possible presidential run in 2012.
National Action Party
Formally declared candidates:- Ernesto Cordero, former Secretary of Finance and Public CreditSecretariat of Finance and Public CreditThe Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit is Mexico's finance ministry. The Secretary of Finance and Public Credit is a member of the federal executive cabinet and is appointed by the President of the Republic.In Mexico the Secretary of Finance is the head of the Secretariat of Finance and...
from Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... - Santiago CreelSantiago CreelSantiago Creel Miranda is a Mexican senator representing the right-of-center National Action Party who served as Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of President Vicente Fox....
, Senator from Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... - Josefina Vázquez MotaJosefina Vázquez MotaJosefina Eugenia Vázquez Mota . Mexican economist, businesswoman and politician, member of the National Action Party .-Family:...
, Representative from Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Withdrawn candidates
- Javier Lozano AlarcónJavier Lozano AlarcónJavier Lozano Alarcón is a Mexican politician who serves as Secretary of Labor in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón.He was telecoms consultant....
, withdrew July 21, 2011 - Alonso Lujambio, withdrew August 29, 2011
- Emilio González MárquezEmilio González MárquezEmilio González Márquez is a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party . He is the current Governor of Jalisco.-Political career:...
, withdrew September 22, 2011
Party of the Democratic Revolution
Formally declared candidates:- Andrés Manuel López ObradorAndrés Manuel López ObradorAndrés Manuel López Obrador , also known as AMLO or El Peje, is a Mexican politician who held the position of Head of Government of the Federal District from 2000 to 2005, before resigning in July 2005 to contend the 2006 presidential election, representing the unsuccessful Coalition for the Good...
, former Head of Government of the Federal DistrictHead of Government of the Federal DistrictThe Head of Government wields executive power in the Mexican Federal District.The Head of Government serves a six-year term, running concurrently with that of the President of the Republic....
from TabascoTabascoTabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
.
Other candidates
Never publicly announced intentions to run but was considered a likely contender.
- Cuauhtémoc CárdenasCuauhtémoc CárdenasCuauhtémoc 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:...
, former Governor of MichoacánGovernor of MichoacánAccording to the Political Constitution of the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, the exercise of the Ejectivo Power of this Mexican organization, it is deposited in a single individual, that denominates Constitutional Governor of the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo...
and perennial candidate
Institutional Revolutionary Party
Formally declared candidates:- Enrique Peña NietoEnrique Peña NietoEnrique Peña Nieto is a Mexican politician. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party , he served as governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to 2011. On September 19, 2011, he announced his candidacy in the 2012 Mexican presidential election to succeed Felipe Calderón...
, former Governor of the State of MexicoGovernor of the State of MexicoThe Governor of the State of Mexico wields executive power in the State of Mexico ....
Official candidate websites
National Action PartyParty of the Democratic Revolution
Institutional Revolutionary Party