North American Women Mayors News

Women Mayors reporting from North America

> African American mayors contradict President Trump

> New Orleans Mayor faces corruption charges

> Trump vows to evict homeless

> Detroit Council President trounces her rivals

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, Savannah Mayor Van R Johnson and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee accuse US President Trump of fearmongering

USA / AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYORS

African American mayors stand together against Donald Trump

A report by Terry Tang

August 2025: After the US President deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, members of the African American Mayors Association accused Donald Trump of pursuing a vendetta against cities governed by Black Democratic mayors. Trump has described Los Angeles and the US capital as crime-ridden and in need of federal intervention. He threatened similar action in Baltimore, Chicago and Oakland.

Now, members of the African American Mayors Association are determined to stop Trump from burying accomplishments that they felt were overlooked. And they’re using the administration’s unprecedented law enforcement takeover in the nation’s capital as an opportunity to disprove his narrative about some of the country’s greatest urban enclaves.

The mayors point out that after a spike in crime during the COVID pandemic, violent crime has dropped. “In some cases, the declines were monumental, due in large part to more youth engagement, gun buyback programs and community partnerships.”

“It allows us to say we need to amplify our voices to confront the rhetoric that crime is just running rampant around major US cities. It’s just not true,” said Van Johnson, mayor of Savannah, Georgia, and president of the African American Mayors Association. “It’s not supported by any evidence or statistics whatsoever.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson scoffed at Trump’s remarks, hailing the city’s “historic progress driving down homicides by more than 30% and shootings by almost 40% in the last year alone.”

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, where homicides fell 14% between 2023 and 2024, called the federal takeover nothing but a performative “power grab.”

In Baltimore, officials say they have seen historic decreases in homicides and nonfatal shootings this year, and those have been on the decline since 2022, according to the city’s public safety data dashboard. Carjackings were down 20% in 2023, and other major crimes fell in 2024. Only burglaries have climbed slightly.

The lower crime rates are attributed to tackling violence with a “public health” approach, city officials say. In 2021, under Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore created a Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan that called for more investment in community violence intervention, more services for crime victims and other initiatives.

Just last week Oakland officials touted significant decreases in crime in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024, including a 21% drop in homicides and a 29% decrease in all violent crime, according to the midyear report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Officials credited collaborations with community organizations and crisis response services through the city’s Department of Violence Prevention, established in 2017.

USA / NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans Mayor and her bodyguard face federal corruption charges

By Women Mayors’ US correspondent

August 2025: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell faces federal corruption charges after being indicted by a grand jury for allegedly using taxpayer money to fund romantic trips with her bodyguard. The first female mayor in the city's 300-year history was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements to a grand jury.

Cantrell conducted a romantic relationship with New Orleans Police Officer Jeffrey Paul Vappie II between 2021 and 2024, according to prosecutors. Vappie served on the department's executive protection unit and was assigned as her bodyguard during this period.

Cantrell and Vappie travelled together on 14 trips over eight months, with the city spending $70,000 to send the bodyguard on what prosecutors described as romantic vacations disguised as work trips. Some journeys included visits to wine tastings funded by New Orleans taxpayers.

The indictment of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell marks a sobering moment in the city’s history. As the first sitting mayor to face federal criminal charges, Cantrell now stands accused of wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and making false statements—allegations that, if proven, reveal not just personal misconduct but a profound breach of public trust.

For a city long defined by resilience—through hurricanes, systemic inequality, and political upheaval—this scandal cuts deep. Prosecutors allege that Cantrell and her former bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, orchestrated a multi-year scheme that siphoned over $70,000 in taxpayer funds for personal travel and private rendezvous. The indictment paints a picture of encrypted messages, deleted records, and intimidation tactics—all in service of concealing a relationship that blurred the line between public duty and private indulgence.

But this is not just about one mayor. It’s about the systems that allowed such behaviour to go unchecked. It’s about the staffers who feared retaliation, the citizens who documented misconduct only to face harassment, and the institutions that failed to act until federal investigators stepped in. The scandal exposes a governance culture in desperate need of reform—one that must prioritise transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership.

Cantrell’s defenders argue that she has been unfairly targeted as a Black woman in power. That claim deserves reflection, especially in a country where racial and gender bias often shape public perception. But accountability and equity are not mutually exclusive. If anything, true justice demands both: the fair treatment of leaders and the unwavering protection of the public interest.

USA / WASHINGTON DC

President Trump intends to drive homeless people out of Washington DC

August 2025: We want our capital back, US President Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform on Sunday (10 August 2025). He demanded that homeless people be banned from Washington, DC. He cited a rise in crime in the city despite figures showing the opposite.

“The homeless must move away IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday. “We will give you shelter, but FAR away from the capital. Criminals don't have to move away. We will put you in jail, where you belong.” There is no more “MR: NICE GUY,” he continued. “We want our capital BACK.”

According to a US representative, the government is preparing to deploy hundreds of National Guard members to implement the plans. However, a final decision has not yet been made, the government representative told Reuters news agency.

The mayor of Washington, Democrat Muriel Bowser, rejected the president's account. “We are not seeing an increase in crime in the capital,” Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday.

Data from the city police also shows the opposite. According to this data, violent crime fell by 26 per cent in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the previous year. Overall, crime fell by seven per cent. There was indeed a serious rise in crime in 2023, Bowser said. ‘But it's not 2023 anymore.’ The US president's account is incorrect.

Full details in: The Immigrant Times

USA / DETROIT

Detroit’s council president Mary Sheffield is the favourite to take over from three-term mayor Mike Duggan

August 2025: Nine men and women vied to be elected mayor of Detroit in November’s mayoral contest. After this week’s (5 August) primaries, the number of hopefuls has been reduced to two. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch will advance to the race to replace the three-term Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who has announced that he will run for Governor of Michigan in November 2026.

After this week’s primaries, City Council President Mary Sheffield is the favourite to take over from Mike Duggan. She received slightly under 51 per cent of the vote, while Solomon Kinloch was only supported by 17.4 per cent of voters. However, voter turnout was a paltry 16.7 per cent.

Mary Sheffield was first elected to the City Council in 2013 at age 26. She has been the council president since 2022. If elected, she would be the first woman and the first Black woman to hold the role of Detroit mayor.

Kinloch has been a senior pastor at Triumph Church for about 27 years. The Detroit-based church has more than 40,000 members across a number of campuses. Kinloch was also an autoworker and member of the United Auto Workers union.

The next mayor will inherit a city on much firmer financial footing than the one Mike Duggan was elected to lead in 2013 when an emergency manager installed by the state to oversee the city's flailing finances filed for bankruptcy on its behalf.

MEXICO / CUAUTHÉMOC

Mexico City district mayor defends her decision to remove a statue depicting Fidel Castro and Che Guevara

July 2025: In 1955, Fidel Castro and the Argentine guerrilla leader Che Guevara met in Mexico City to plan a leftist movement that would confront US influence in Latin America. Four years after their meeting, Castro’s fighters removed the American-backed Batista regime from Cuba and formed a Communist government. Guevara, who played a leading role in the guerrilla war against Batista and in the early years of Cuba’s new government, left the Island in 1965 to coordinate the opposition to right-wing authoritarian regimes in South America. In 1967, he was captured in Bolivia by CIA-assisted Bolivian forces and summarily executed.

Many decades later, in 2017, Mexico commemorated the meeting of the two men with statues. While both Castro and Guevara remain controversial figures, many on the left of Mexico’s politics revere their anti-poverty social policies.

However, a statue of Castro and Guevara, sitting together on a bench, has now been removed by one of Mexico City’s district mayors. The mayor of Cuauhtémoc, Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, said the statues had been installed inappropriately and that these men, whom she described as ‘murderers’ who ‘continue to represent a great deal of pain,’ should not be honoured. She pointed to the people who were silenced, imprisoned and killed during Castro's nearly half-century rule, and denounced how Cuba continues to struggle with food shortages and power cuts.

The mayor’s action has sparked protests and condemnation, even from the highest levels of Mexican government. President Claudia Sheinbaum, who leads the left-wing Morena party, denounced the removal, calling it ‘total intolerance’ and ‘illegal.’ She said Rojo de la Vega's argument was ‘hypocritical’ because the local mayor had spent a holiday in Cuba.

Rojo de la Vega, who is a member of Mexico’s Green Party, claimed that her actions were legal and stated that her trip to Cuba was 10 years ago, before she ran for office, and that since then, she has learned more.

The mayor also drew attention to previous decisions by Sheinbaum, who was the mayor of Mexico City before becoming president. In 2020, Sheinbaum ordered the removal of a plaque commemorating Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, a former Mexican president known for his right-wing authoritarianism, because it “alluded to a period of repression and ignominy in the country's history.”

“I understand that there are people who see Fidel and Che as revolutionary heroes, but governing is not about choosing which victims to sympathise with and which not,” Rojo de la Vega said in an interview.

USA / NEW YORK CITY

An African immigrant will represent New York City on the international stage

July 2025: For the first time, an African woman has been appointed New York City’s international ambassador. NYC Mayor Eric Adams appointed Aissata M.B. Camara as the new Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs and described her as a dedicated public servant with extensive global connections. As the new Commissioner, she will serve as the primary liaison between New York City and the diplomatic community, foreign consulates and the United Nations.

Originally from the Republic of Guinea, Camara is currently deputy commissioner for policy and strategic initiatives and chief of staff at the Office, where she advises the city on international policy while managing diplomatic incidents and emergencies involving foreign-born New Yorkers. In this role, she has ensured that New York has continued to be a reliable and trusted global partner.

The media platform ‘Face2Face’ wrote that Aissata Camara, as an African and a Muslim woman, survived gender-based violence during her journey from Guinea, West Africa. To be appointed to one of the most important roles in NYC local government is a testament to the power of determination.

Camara holds a Bachelor of Arts in international affairs and social policy from Baruch College and a Master of Public Administration in international public and non-profit management and policy from New York University. As a Fulbright specialist and a frequent speaker and moderator at international forums, including the United Nations, Camara speaks on subnational diplomacy, gender equity, and inclusive economic growth. She has also written for The New York Times, The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, and other media outlets.

Emilia Saiz, secretary general of the Barcelona-based organisation ‘United Cities and Local Governments’, said of Camara’s appointment, “I warmly celebrate the appointment of Aissata M.B. Camara, whose leadership reflects passion, purpose, and determination to build a more just, sustainable, and equitable world — a future where women and girls are empowered, and cities work together to drive global progress.”

USA / LOS ANGELES

LA Mayor Karen Bass accuses the Trump administration of fearmongering

July 2025: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused the Donald Trump administration of having singled out her city in its pursuit of anti-immigrant policies. In an interview with ABC News, the mayor said that the US government’s recent crackdown has sparked fear among residents.

“Los Angeles is a city of immigrants. About half of its population of 3.8 million people is Latino. And so, when the raids started, fear spread,” Bass said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids started in Los Angeles early June, prompting demonstrations that at times turned violent. While Trump’s deportation push was initially said to be centred around undocumented immigrants with criminal records, an ABC News analysis of new data shows that in recent weeks, the Trump administration has arrested an increasing number of migrants with no criminal convictions.

Since then, farmers, business owners and immigrant advocacy groups have, like the mayor, said that many residents have been afraid to leave their homes for fear of deportation, affecting the workforce, food supply and the culture of the city.

“It's not just the deportation. It's the fear that sets in when raids occur, when people are snatched off the street,” Bass said. "Even people who are here legally, even people who are U.S. Citizens, have been detained. Immigrants who have their papers and were showing up for their annual immigration appointment were detained when they showed up doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing."

Mayor Bass also criticised ICE agents for executing enforcement operations without their affiliation being prominently displayed. “Masked men in unmarked cars, no license plate, no real uniforms, jumping out of cars with rifles, and snatching people off the street, leading a lot of people to think maybe kidnappings were taking place," Bass said. "How do you have masked men who then say, 'Well, we are federal officials,' with no identification?”

Source: ABC News

Further reading: American sanctuary cities and states

USA / LOS ANGELES

In LA’s MacArthur Park armed immigration officers encountered kids playing soccer instead of migrants

July 2025: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confronted armed immigration officers as they descended on a park in an immigrant area of the city. The federal agent, some on horseback, others in Humvees, arrived at LA’s MacArthur Park on a sunny, quiet Monday morning (7 July) on what seemed to be a mission to round up undocumented immigrants. However, instead of foreign aliens, the border patrol agents were confronted by children attending a summer party in the park. As soon as Mayor Bass heard of the raid, she rushed to the park.

According to a LA City Hall spokesperson, the operation, which included 90 armed troops and 17 military Humvees, displaced a summer day camp. “The only point of the operations appeared to be a political agenda of provoking fear and terror.”

"To me, this is another example of the administration ratcheting up chaos by deploying what looked like a military operation in an American city," Mayor Bass said. The mayor added she didn't believe anyone was detained, "but then again, I don't think the goal is to detain. I think the goal is to spread fear. I think that's what it is. It's to terrorise Angelenos. It's to say to immigrants that are in our city of immigrants that they need to stay home, they shouldn't go to work, they shouldn't go to school, because we're coming after you."

California Governor. Gavin Newsom, speaking at a news conference to discuss recovery from the wildfires that devastated the city earlier this year, called the operation "theatre." “What a disgrace, what's happening in MacArthur Park. What theatre. On the six-month anniversary, after all, of these fires -- that's the message from the polluted heart of the President of the United States, the polluted heart of [White House Deputy Chief of Staff] Stephen Miller,” Newsom said.

The Los Angeles Times describes MacArthur Park as a centre of immigrant life. “The park is in an area home to many Mexican, Central American and other immigrant populations that has been dubbed by local officials as the “Ellis Island of the West Coast.”

Further reading: American sanctuary cities and states

USA / LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles will not be intimidated by the Trump administration lawsuit, says Mayor Karen Bass

July 2025: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused the administration of President Trump of an “all-out assault against Los Angeles" after the US Department of Justice (DoJ) had filed a lawsuit claiming that the city's sanctuary policies were illegal and interfered with and discriminated against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law.

The DoJ lawsuit calls LA’s sanctuary policies a driving force of violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles. US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said: “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritising illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it will end under President Trump.”

Mayor Bass angrily retorted that on 5 June 2025, the city was calm with families preparing to celebrate school graduations. The next day, there was mayhem when federal agents decided to disrupt the city. "The lawsuit is an attempt to overturn the will of the city, calling for a halt to the longstanding policy to protect immigrant Angelenos," Bass said.

The lawsuit accuses city officials of working to "thwart the will of the American people" by codifying sanctuary policies into law shortly after President Trump's victory in the November 2024 election. The US attorney for the Central District of California said the "lawsuit holds the City of Los Angeles accountable for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law."

LA Mayor Bass explained that the city has had immigration policies in place for decades, and her office is committed to defending the ordinance and the rights of residents. She added that attorneys are reviewing the lawsuit and will determine how to proceed. "Let me be clear, I personally won't be intimidated by these tactics, we will not be intimidated by these tactics," she said.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Attorney's Office said the city's ordinance was “carefully drafted” and complies with federal law and constitutional principles separating state and federal powers. “Our city remains committed to standing up for our constitutional rights and the rights of our residents,” he emphasised.

Further reading: American sanctuary cities and states

USA / NEW YORK CITY

A Muslim democratic socialist took on New York’s Democratic Party establishment and won

June 2025: Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who was virtually unknown nine months ago, won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. He convincingly defeated a number of well-connected New Yorkers, including former state governor Andrew Cuomo, city controller Brad Lander and city council speaker Adrienne Adams.

Cuomo, who was backed by billionaire and former mayor Michael Bloomberg and endorsed by The New York Times, was ahead throughout most of the campaign, but his 20-point lead at the beginning of the year shrank to a small single-digit advantage on polling day. The former governor enjoyed the backing of a $25m super PAC (political action committee). In contrast, Zohran Mamdani relied on small-sum donations from his supporters.

In his victory speech, Mamdani quoted Nelson Mandela: “Tonight, we made history. In the words of Nelson Mandela, 'It always seems impossible until it is done.' My friends, we have done it. I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City."

The war in the Middle East featured prominently during the election campaign, with Cuomo accusing Mamdani of anti-Semitism. New York City has more Jews than anywhere outside Israel, but is also home to some one million Muslims who make up more than 12 per cent of the city’s electorate. Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim, took his political message to mosques and Muslim community centres while Cuomo intensively courted the Orthodox Jewish community.

“I will not abandon my beliefs or my commitments,” Zohran Mamdani said in his victory speech. During the campaign, Mamdani did not moderate his positions on Israel and the war in Gaza even after coming under attack from his opponents and the million-dollar super PACs.

US Congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, one of Mamdani’s biggest supporters, congratulated him in a post on social media. “Billionaires and lobbyists poured millions against you and our public finance system,” she wrote. “And you won.”

Wajahat Ali, a liberal commentator, was quoted by The New York Times: “Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim son of immigrants, might become mayor of NYC in part because he cross-endorsed and supported a Jewish candidate (Brad Lander) and a Black candidate, and vice versa. It’s a beautiful American story for the rest of us.”

New York City’s general election will be held on 4 November 2025. Zohran Mamdani’s likely opponents will be the city’s incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, who will run as an independent and the founder of the ‘Guardian Angels’ Curtis Sliwa, will represent the Republican party.

MEXICO / ASSASSINATION

Gunmen kill Mexican mayor in her office

June 2025: Masked gunmen have shot dead the mayor of the Mexican municipality of San Mateo Piñas, a small town of 2,600 people in the southern state of Oaxaca. The killing of Lilia Gema García Soto is the latest deadly attack on elected officials in Mexico, and García Soto is the second mayor to be killed in the state this year.

Witnesses told local media that armed men arrived on motorcycles and burst into the city hall, shooting at the mayor and a local official, Eli García Ramírez, who was meeting with her.

Violence against local politicians and those running for office in Mexico has been on the rise in recent years, spiking in the run-up to last year's general election. The BBC reported that most of the attacks happened in small towns where organised crime groups are particularly strong, but last month, two top aides of the mayor of Mexico City were shot dead in the capital in an escalation of violence which shocked the country.

Last year, Mexico saw a record number of victims from political-criminal violence, with Data Cívica, a human rights organisation, reporting 661 attacks on people and facilities. Most of the victims were either holding or running for municipal-level positions. For years, local government officials have requested stronger police protection. “We deserve the same level of protection offered to state and federal officeholders and candidates.”

USA / SAN ANTONIO

A progressive, openly gay woman wins the San Antonio mayoral race

June 2025: With the election of Gina Ortiz Jones as San Antonio’s (Population: 1.5 million) new mayor, the city has maintained its reputation as a progressive Democrat stronghold in Texas, a conservative Republican state. The mayor-elect, who served as undersecretary of the Air Force in the Joe Biden administration, is a Filipino-American and belongs to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. She was raised by a single mother and is openly gay. “I was raised by a single mom, and I went on to serve our country. And I think that is very much a San Antonio story," she said.

Ortiz Jones beat Rolando Pablos, a Mexican immigrant and former Texas secretary of state who was backed by Governor Greg Abbott, a conservative Republican. “San Antonio showed up and showed out,” said the newly elected mayor. “We reminded our opponent that our city is about compassion and it’s about leading with everybody in mind.”

During the election campaign, Ortiz Jones said that her focus will be on tackling poverty in San Antonio, where approximately 20 per cent of the population has lived below the poverty line for the last four decades. She campaigned on her plans to expand early-childhood education to more children and increase affordable housing, and work programmes for unskilled workers.

Jones received an Air Force scholarship to study at Boston University in 1999. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies and economics and a master’s degree in economics in 2003. In the subsequent years, she earned postgraduate degrees from the University of Kansas and the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies. With an extensive career in national security and financial services, Jones has served as an intelligence officer, senior strategic planner, senior advisor, and director of investment in several federal agencies.

USA / LOS ANGELES PROTESTS

US President and California’s Governor at loggerheads over deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles

June 2025: The administration of Donald Trump has been accused of declaring war on California after the US President ordered the National Guard to quell the protests in Los Angeles. The deployment of California National Guard troops came as authorities sought to contain escalating protests in Los Angeles over President Trump's immigration crackdown. The third day of demonstrations saw federal agents clash with protesters across the city, as tensions flared over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and detentions of undocumented immigrants.

California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticised President Trump, accusing him of fuelling unrest by deploying federal troops without local consent. "Let's be clear: Local law enforcement did not require assistance. Yet, Trump sent troops anyway, with the intent to create chaos and violence. He succeeded. Now, the situation is destabilised, and additional law enforcement is needed to clean up the mess he caused," Newsom wrote.

The governor’s criticism comes amid a growing debate over the role of federal authorities in state-level law enforcement, with Newsom blaming Trump for worsening tensions instead of restoring order.

Earlier, the US President called on California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to apologise to the people of Los Angeles for what he described as their "absolutely horrible job" in a post on X (Twitter).

Donald Trump wrote, "Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass should apologise to the people of Los Angeles for the horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists.

Members of the Trump cabinet threatened to arrest the California governor and the city’s mayor if they interfered with immigration agents on the ground.

According to the news agency Reuters, the Trump government-ordered deployment has sparked sharp backlash from California officials, who described the move as unlawful and politically motivated. President Donald J. Trump has called for immediate federal action in Los Angeles, alleging that the city has been "invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals," and is currently facing violent unrest. Departments and agencies to "take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots.

California Governor Newsom said yesterday, 8 June, that he is suing the Trump administration over its deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, something that is usually up to the governor. Newsom said the suit would be filed very early tomorrow (9 June).

Trump's order required the Defence Department to coordinate with California before he sent in the National Guard, Newsom said, adding that the administration failed to do so. "There's a protocol; there's a process. He didn't care about that. And the worst part? He completely lied," Newsom said, noting that Trump had said on social media that everything was safe because he had sent in the guard, even though the guard had not yet been deployed at the time. Newsom also called Trump's actions "unconstitutional" and "illegal."

Sources: Los Angeles Times, Reuters, ANI News, Tagesschau, BBC

MEXICO / LOCAL ELECTIONS

More than a quarter of newly elected Mexican mayors are women

By Adriana Maciel

June 2025: On 1 June 2025, some 251 of the 2,469 Mexican municipalities in two states (Durango and Veracruz) elected mayors for the 2025-2028 term.

Voters in the state of Durango elected 39 mayors, 17 of whom are women. The PAN-PRI Party coalition won the election by 38 per cent, followed by the three-party coalition formed by Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM), Labour Party (PT), and MORENA with 36 per cent. The old-ruling and most influential party in the past Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was left behind with 13 per cent, while the Citizens’ Movement (MC) party obtained eight per cent. Finally, MORENA, the current ruling party, obtained a five per cent accounting for only two municipalities.

Of the 17 newly elected women mayors in Durango, the PAN-PRI coalition obtained 53 per cent of the votes. The PVEM-PT-MORENA coalition is in second place with a 29 per cent. Last, the PRI party obtained 18 per cent of the votes.

Two out of the 39 municipalities in Durango have over 200,000 inhabitants – Durango’s capital city and Gómez Palacio city. The latter will be ruled by a woman, Betzabe Martínez Arango, representing the PVEM-PT-MORENA coalition.

Voters in the State of Veracruz elected 212 mayors, 51 of whom are women. The PVEM-MORENA coalition obtained 28 per cent of the votes, followed by the MC party with 19 per cent. The other parties who will be ruling the remaining 52 per cent are National Action Party (PAN) (16%), PT (13%), PRI (11%), PVEM (6%), MORENA (6%). An independent candidate won the election in the municipality of Zaragoza with some 10,000 inhabitants.

In the municipality of Tuxtilla, with some 2,000 inhabitants, the voting ballot boxes were burnt due to disputes between supporters of different political groups, who gathered in front of the municipal building demanding transparency in the vote count, and also burnt the municipal building itself.

Four out of the 212 municipalities in Veracruz have over 200,000 inhabitants, and two of them will be ruled by women: Veracruz City, and the state’s capital Xalapa. The mayor elected in Veracruz city is Rosa Hernández Espejo, representing the PVEM-MORENA coalition, while Xalapa city will be ruled by Daniela Guadalupe Griego Ceballos, representing also the PVEM-MORENA coalition.

Mexico’s main political parties

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

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

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

MORENA Founded in 2011: Politics: Left-wing

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

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

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