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4d ago

Morena Poised to Dominate Mexico’s Supreme Court as Hugo Aguilar Tops Chief Justice Race

Only about 13% of eligible voters cast ballots, prompting critics to warn that a single-party judiciary could undermine Mexico’s system of checks and balances.

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 woman casts a vote during the judicial and magistrate elections in San Bartolome Quialana in Mexico's Oaxaca state on Sunday.
A man walks past a newspaper stand the day after judicial elections in Mexico

Overview

  • The June 1 vote marked Mexico’s first-ever popular election for judges and magistrates, including all nine Supreme Court seats.
  • Preliminary tallies show most justices likely to be sworn in have strong ties to President Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party, securing influence across all branches of government.
  • Hugo Aguilar, a Mixtec Indigenous rights lawyer and National Institute of Indigenous Peoples coordinator, is leading the bid to become chief justice and could be the first Indigenous court head since Benito Juárez.
  • Low turnout reflected voter confusion over the lengthy ballot and opposition boycotts, with roughly 13% participation among an estimated 100 million eligible citizens.
  • Opposition leaders and legal experts argue the revamped judiciary risks political interference and could erode the courts’ traditional role as a check on executive power.