In a year with more elections around the world than any in memory, one of the most important contests, especially for the United States, will be right next door. In Mexico’s general election this June, nearly 100 million voters will choose a new president and a new Congress, along with tens of thousands of officials at all levels of government.
The next president of Mexico is certain to be a woman, a historic first. And she will have to navigate not only the daunting challenges of dealing with the country’s internal problems, but the growing, often negative attention the country receives north of the border.
Whether the winner is former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum—a close ally of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the current front-runner—or opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez, managing ties with the U.S. will be a significant part of her portfolio.