By Patrick Keese

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is a Mexican politician, scientist, and academic, and she recently made history by becoming Mexico’s first woman to be elected as president. 

Following in line with her parents, Sheinbaum too is a scientist and studied physics. She later earned her Ph.D. in energy engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and has authored over 100 articles and two books on energy, the environment, and sustainable development. Aside from her contributions in Mexico, Sheinbaum also served on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In that role, she was part of a team that won the 2007 Nobel Prize for peace, highlighting her commitment to environmental issues. She also entered politics in 2000 when she served as the Secretary of the Environment in Mexico City until 2006 under future president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024).

Then in 2015, she became the mayor of the Tlalpan borough of Mexico City, and in 2018 Sheinbaum ran for the position of head of government of Mexico City. She campaigned on crime reduction and zoning law enforcement, which resonated with voters and led to her victory. In June 2023, Sheinbaum resigned from her position to seek the Morena party’s presidential nomination in the 2024 election.

Sheinbaum secured the Morena party nomination and defeated her closest opponent, former foreign secretary Marcelo Ebrard. On June 2, she won the Mexican general election in a landslide, winning close to 60% of the votes. When she takes office in October, Sheinbaum will not only be Mexico’s first female president but also the first president from a predominantly Jewish background.

Buschschlüter, V. (2024, June 3). Mexico Elects Sheinbaum as First Woman President. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp4475gwny1o 

Martin, R. (2024, June 12). Claudia Sheinbaum. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claudia-Sheinbaum