Mexico elects first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum declared winner in historic election

Mexicans have elected their first woman president.

Claudia Sheinbaum obtained between 58.3% and 60.7% of the vote on a historic election day, according to preliminary results announced by Mexico’s National Electoral Institute Monday in an election that saw voters bear long lines to cast ballots from Mexico City to New York, Montreal and Madrid.

On Oct. 1, she’ll take the reins of a country that is the United States’ top trading partner and the second-largest economy in Latin America. She’ll also be leading a country that has been convulsed by violence tied to organized crime.

With Sheinbaum’s win, Mexico beat the United States to electing a female head of state.

Millions of Mexicans headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and thousands of other leaders, from local mayors to state governors and federal representatives.