Mexican Women Mayors

131 million people in Mexico live in 2.469 cities and other municipalities. Some 534 (22%) of the communities have female mayors

Research by Adriana Maciel *

Women Mayors in Mexico (from Left): Angélica Moya Marín (Naucalpan de Juárez, Estado de México); Alejandra Gutiérrez Campos (León, Guanajuato); Montserrat Caballero Ramírez (Tijuana, Baja California)

January 2024: Aurora Meza Andraca was the first woman mayor in Mexico in as early as 1938. She ruled a state’s capital. She was then followed by María del Socorro Blanc Ruiz in 1955. Currently, of the 2,469 cities and municipalities in Mexico, nearly 22% are governed by women. Some 75 per cent are members of the three largest political parties. National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) 32%, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) 26%, National Action Party (PAN) 18%.

The population of the majority of Mexican cities and municipalities is below 200,000. The city of Colima, with a population of more than 150,000, the capital of the state of Colima, is governed by Elia Margarita Moreno González of the PAN party. The country’s capital, Mexico City (9.2 million inhabitants), is divided into 16 boroughs, and each of them is ruled by a local mayor, seven of whom are women.

Most mayors started their terms in office in 2021 and will conclude them in late 2024, as most mayors’ terms last three years. Mexicans will elect new mayors in 29 of the 31 states as well as in Mexico City, on 2 June 2024.

Mexico’s main political parties

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Founded 1929; Politics: centre-right, nationalist

National Action Party (PAN) Founded 1939; Politics: centre-right, right-wing

Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) Founded 1989; Politics: centre-left, left-wing

MORENA Founded 2011: Politics: Left-wing

Labour Party (PT) founded 1990; Politics: Left-wing

Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) Founded 1993; Politics: Green politics, centre-left

Citizens Movement (MC) Founded 1999; Politics centre-left

Female mayors in Mexico

Listed alphabetically by state

Mexicali (state capital), Estado de Baja California

Popl: 1,050,000

Norma Alicia Bustamante Martínez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Tijuana, Estado de Baja California

Popl: 1,922,000

Montserrat Caballero Ramírez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

La Paz, Estado de Baja California Sur

Popl: 292,000

Milena Paola Quiroga Romero, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Campeche (state capital), Estado de Campeche

Popl: 294,000

BiBy Karen Rabelo de la Torre, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: Movimiento Ciudadano

Tapachula, Estado de Chiapas

Popl: 353,000

Rosa Irene Urbina Castañeda, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Gómez Palacio, Estado de Durango

Popl: 372,000

Juana Leticia Herrera Ale, Mayor since 2022

Party / Politics: PRI

Chicoloapan, Estado de México

Popl: 200,000

Nancy Jazmín Gómez Vargas, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Chimalhuacan, Estado de México

Popl: 705,000

Xóchitl Flores Jiménez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Huixquilucan, Estado de México

Popl: 284,000

Romina Contreras Carrasco, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PAN

Naucalpan de Juárez, Estado de México

Popl: 834,000

Angélica Moya Marín, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PAN

La Paz, Estado de México

Popl: 304,000

Cristina González Cruz, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PRI

Tecámac, Estado de México

Popl: 547,000

Mariela Gutiérrez Escalante, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA)

Texcoco, Estado de México

Popl: 277,000

Sandra Luz Falcón Venegas, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Tultitlán, Estado de México

Popl: 516,000

Elena García Martínez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Cuautitlán Izcalli, Estado de México

Popl: 555,000

Karla Leticia Fiesco García, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PAN

Irapuato, Estado de Guanajuato

Popl: 593,000

Lorena del Carmen Alfaro García, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PAN

León, Estado de Guanajuato

Popl: 1,721,000

Alejandra Gutiérrez Campos, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PAN

Acapulco, Estado de Guerrero

Popl: 779,000

Abelina López Ridríguez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Chilpancingo (state capital), Estado de Guerrero

Popl: 283,000

Norma Otilia Hernández Martínez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

San Pedro Tlaquepaque, Estado de Jalisco

Popl: 687,000

Mirna Citlalli Amaya de Luna, Mayor since 2022

Party / Politics: Movimiento Ciudadano

Tepic (capital), Estado de Nayarit

Popl: 426,000

María Geraldine Ponce Méndez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Guadalupe, Estado de Nuevo León

Popl: 643,000

María Cristina Díaz Salazar, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PRI

Othón P. Blanco, Estado de Quintana Roo

Popl: 233,000

Yensunni Idalia Martínez Hernández, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MOREN)

Benito Juárez, Estado de Quintana Roo

Popl: 912,000

Ana Patricia Peralta de la Peña, Mayor since 2022

Party / Politics: MORENA

Solidaridad, Estado de Quintana Roo

Popl: 334,000

Roxana Lili Campos Miranda, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PAN

Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, Estado de San Luís Potosí

Popl: 332,000

Leonor Noyola Cervantes, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PVEM

Cárdenas, Estado de Tabasco

Popl: 243,000

María Esther Zapata Zapata, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Centro, Estado de Tabasco

Popl: 683,000

Yolanda del Carmen Osuna Huerta, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Nuevo Laredo, Estado de Tamaulipas

Popl: 425,000

Carmen Lilia Canturosas Villareal , Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: MORENA

Veracruz, Estado de Veracruz

Popl: 607,000

Patricia Lobeira Rodríguez, Mayor since 2021

Party / Politics: PAN

* Sources and methodology: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) and Demoscopía Digital. The research was carried out in January 2024