Ex-First Lady Quits Mexico’s Conservative Party, Prepares for Presidential Bid

Ex-First Lady Quits Mexico’s Conservative Party, Prepares for Presidential Bid

Oct. 6, 2017 6:01 p.m. ET

Mexico’s former first lady, Margarita Zavala, has resigned from the National Action Party (PAN) and hopes to run as an independent in the Mexico’s July 1^st Presidential Election. Analysts predict that with her great popularity, she will easily obtain the 867,000 signatures in at least 17 states that she needs to be able to run. Ms. Zavala has been part of the PAN party since 1984, worked as a local Mexico City lawmaker in 1994, and was a federal lawmaker from 2003 to 2006. In 2006, her husband, Fidel Calderon, took the presidency but she remained a discreet first lady. However, she promises to uphold her political duties. Ms. Zavala wanted to represent the PAN party, but after internal disputes, she separated and made the decision of running as independent. Many polls place her as the leading candidate, but some analysts emphasize the fact that the division in party will only benefit the less popular Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Despite the PRI’s decreasing popularity because of increasing corruption and crime under the current administration of Enrique Peña Nieto, the division could put them in the lead as anti-PRI citizens will divide their votes between the PAN and Ms. Zavala. Nonetheless, the former first lady vows to make fighting corruption and strengthening the rule of law her two main priorities.

Presidential campaigns are a form of marketing as the candidates brand and market themselves to appeal to their “customers”. Mexico has had some rough years under the power of the PRI and is hoping for better days under a better leader, so the candidates must bring their best cards to the table. The current president has brought the country a rising amount of corruption and crime. An advantage of Ms. Zavala is that she is a woman and will be seen by many as more trustworthy. She is described to be a hard-working politician, “devout Catholic and mother of three” which puts a nurturing light to her (Montes).

With the upcoming presidential election and the tension between the United States and Mexico, citizens of both countries must be aware of how relationships between the countries could change and affect them. Also, with the increasing corruption and unethical leaders rising to power worldwide, people must be alert of what is happening in the world.

Wall Street Journal