A dozen politicians crouch through Mexico City waiting for the race to begin. Both the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) and the opposition decided to first decide on their presidential candidates for 2024 and leave the capital for a second phase. Just a few hours after Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s party named its representative for the presidential elections and nominated the city government. The capital’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, was one of the latest to spark speculation when he assured in an interview on Sunday in La Jornada that he was ready to face any challenge. Faced with the choice of the capital, which is already beginning to measure sympathies for each other, the hands have not stopped being raised.
The few current polls on the elections in Mexico City overwhelmingly see García Harfuch as the favorite. In Morena, some voices expressed distrust of a possible candidacy of the secretary, believing that it did not generate enthusiasm from the president. But for months, the president’s tone has shifted slightly in favor of the capital city official, whom he praises for work to reduce crime in the metropolis. The president’s subtlety strengthened the enthusiasm of García Harfuch’s team, which recognized the real possibilities of his candidacy. Other names are already gathering under the same flag, such as that of the national party leader Mario Delgado, who has shown his interest in participating in this internal race, or that of the mayor of Iztapalapa, Clara Brugada, who was revealed months ago as a contender. in the race.
Another name that is becoming increasingly popular for this intern is that of Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, son of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas and grandson of General Lázaro Cárdenas del Río. The name of López Obrador’s former chief adviser appeared in some polls that showed him in second place behind García Harfuch. Speculation also reached Ricardo Monreal, who is currently taking part in the fight for the presidential candidacy, albeit with low numbers. Some voices are positioning him in the race for the city once the big race is ruled out. Many other names were also considered in Morena, such as that of the Minister of Security, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, or the Minister of Social Affairs, Ariadna Montiel. but they have already been thrown away.
Lázaro Cárdenas Batel (right), with Alfonso Durazo in March 2020. Galo Cañas Rodríguez (Cuartoscuro)
The rules for selecting the city’s candidate are still unclear. The candidates hope that the party will decide on the presidential candidacy next Wednesday and can then begin negotiations for the capital. However, speculation by some candidates who spoke to this newspaper suggests that the selection could follow the steps of the first definition and be done through a poll. For now, these conversations remain paralyzed, at least officially and publicly.
Some names have already become known on the opposition side. The one who was considered the clear Broad Front candidate for Mexico was Xóchitl Gálvez until he began running for president. She was also the opposition’s favorite in the polls. With her recent nomination as a presidential candidate, the front has been put in a somewhat bad light. All of the names he is currently considering are measuring lower in the polls than what Gálvez was measuring back then. Now the mayor of Benito Juárez, Santiago Taboada, is the leader of this future internal process, supported by his deputy Jorge Romero, a strong figure within the National Action Party.
Santiago Taboada before the event where Xóchitl Gálvez received the certificate as presidential candidate of the Frente Amplio por México coalition. Inaki Malvido
Others who have raised their hands in Va por México include the mayor of Cuauhtémoc, Sandra Cuevas, who has indicated on her social networks that she would like to run for city government; PRI member Adrián Rubalcava, mayor of Cuajimalpa, who entered the race last May; or PAN Senator Kenya López Rabadán. Last month, Mariana Moguel, the daughter of Rosario Robles, the former government secretary under Enrique Peña Nieto, who was jailed at the start of this six-year term and released a year ago for lack of evidence, was added to those names.
The type of objection selection is also not specified. However, with the appointment of Gálvez, the doors to negotiations have already been opened for the city. The rules of the process are supposedly set by the National Action Party, according to an agreement signed by the Front’s members. Mexico City punished Morena in the 2021 election, making the race considered one of the most contentious races for 2024. Days before the starting signal, the candidates prepare for the election campaigns that will take around ten months to come.
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