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2w ago

Morena Poised to Control Mexico’s Supreme Court as Indigenous Lawyer Leads Chief Justice Race

Critics warn the low 13% turnout risks eroding the judiciary’s independence.

Indigenous lawyer and Human Rights defender, Hugo Aguilar, delivers a speech during a rally in support of his candidacy as Justice of Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN), ahead of the judicial and magistrate election, in San Agustin Tlacotepec, Oaxaca state, Mexico May 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Luis Plata
A member of the National Electoral Institute arranges votes after polling stations closed in Mexico City on Sunday.
A voter casts their ballot in Mexico's first judicial elections, in Mexico City, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
A woman casts a vote during the judicial and magistrate elections in San Bartolome Quialana in Mexico's Oaxaca state on Sunday.

Overview

  • Preliminary results show Hugo Aguilar, a Mixtec lawyer and Indigenous rights defender, leading the vote to become the Supreme Court’s president.
  • Candidates backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party are projected to fill most of the nine seats on the reconfigured high court.
  • Mexico’s first-ever popular election for judges saw about 13% voter participation amid reports that its complexity discouraged turnout.
  • Evidence of illegal distribution of voting “cheat sheets” naming Morena-aligned candidates has prompted calls for an investigation.
  • Opposition leaders have demanded annulment of the results, warning that single-party dominance could weaken separation of powers.