Mexico Elects: Tracking the 2024 Presidential Debates

Topics: The three themes consisted of education and health; corruption and transparency; and violence against women and discrimination against vulnerable groups.

Format: During a two-hour debate, moderators ask 30 out of 108 questions drawn from 24,000 submitted via social media between February 20 and March 21 from across Mexico and broken down by region (north, central, and south). Each candidate delivers one-minute closing remarks. Via a March 22 lottery, the order of participation of the candidates was determined as follows: Sheinbaum, Álvarez Máynez, and Gálvez. 

Location: The first debate took place at the headquarters of the INE electoral agency in the capital.

Summary: As the kickoff debate between the candidates, this round was arguably the most anticipated, and it marked an effort by all three to differentiate themselves from establishment politics. Sheinbaum repeatedly referred to Gálvez as the candidate of the “PRIAN,” a term used to lump together the two main opposition parties in a negative light. Gálvez, most recently a senator representing the PAN, introduced herself by asserting that she is not an official member of any political party. Álvarez Máynez argued that he offered something new and suggested the two other candidates represent “old politics,” although he concentrated his attacks against Gálvez. She hit back, noting that he had previously been a member of the same parties he now assailed. 

There was no lack of barbs throughout the debate; Gálvez repeatedly sought to label the frontrunner as “cold and heartless,” arguing that, despite Sheinbaum’s goal of continuing AMLO’s legacy, she lacked his charisma. She raised questions in connection to controversies marking the incumbent party and Sheinbaum’s time as mayor, ranging from the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic to the collapse of a Mexico City subway line to medicine shortages. Sheinbaum shot back with her own labels, calling Gálvez “corrupt” and a “liar,” and, amid technical difficulties with the debate clock, charged that the opposition candidate even wanted to steal time.

The format consisted of a large number of questions on varying topics and with limited time for substantive proposals. On education, Sheinbaum promised an expansion of scholarships to bring more youth into the classroom, while Gálvez pledged to restore daycare programs and other educational programs ended by the AMLO government. While Sheinbaum defended the Morena government’s health system changes, Gálvez promised to restore Seguro Popular, a national health program ended during the AMLO government. Sheinbaum highlighted Morena’s social programs—arguably one of the AMLO governments most popular measures. Gálvez pledged to keep them in place and expand them. An exchange of accusations of corruption dominated the portion of the debate dedicated to transparency proposals.

In closing remarks, Sheinbaum argued that voters want continuation, Álvarez Máynez made a call for a “new Mexico,” and Gálvez said she would be the country’s first president with indigenous roots. All three candidates claimed they won the debate, though experts differ on who—if anyone—came out on top.

All three candidates claimed they won the debate, though experts differed on who—if anyone—came out on top. However, polling shows the public gave the debate win to Sheinbaum. In the following days, Gálvez expressed that she regretted not wearing a traditional huipil garment during the debate and that she felt uncomfortable in a suit,. Going forward, Xóchitl said, “I will be myself, and if you want me as I am, join in.”

Format: Video-recorded questions from citizens across the country and abroad. In this debate, the order of participation of candidates will be: Sheinbaum, Gálvez, and Álvarez Máynez. 

Topics: Economic growth, jobs and inflation, infrastructure and development, poverty and inequality, climate change, and sustainable development.

Location: Churubusco Studios, Mexico City

Summary: Mudslinging—primarily between the two frontrunners—once again marked the debate,  with Gálvez repeatedly calling Sheinbaum a “narco-candidate” and at one point holding up a sign showing a silhouette of her rival with a long, Pinocchio-style nose. Sheinbaum, for her part, labeled Gálvez “the corrupt one” and linked her to a “priandilla inmobilaria”—a play on words referring to an alleged property development cartel in the capital. With the other candidates targeting each other, third-place Máynez made his own proposals from the margins of the debate. He closed the forum by reading a wish list from his five-year-old son, Luciano, which included not just “rock and roll and fútbol” but also clean water. 

Luciano is far from the only Mexican worried about water. With droughts affecting 80 percent of the country, contamination of the water supply in the capital, and much of the population receiving water through a rationing system, water access become a major political issue and was a focus area in the second debate. Sheinbaum argued for a national water plan and reforms to a National Water Law. Gálvez proposed ideas such as water treatment, storage, and reuse. Máynez called for federal funding for water infrastructure. 

 The debate around water was marked by a focus on sustainability while climate change and renewable energy were also major issues discussed in this round. Sheinbaum highlighted initiatives during her time as Mexico City mayor that promoted solar power and electric buses. She also pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as president while simultaneously praising an oil refinery constructed by the AMLO government. 

Gálvez promised to involve the private sector in Mexico’s transition to greater use of renewable energy. She also argued that Mexico is missing out on nearshoring opportunities due to the lack of a reliable energy supply. Máynez called for a focus on wind and solar energy and said that, if Lázaro Cárdenas, the president who nationalized the country’s oil sector in 1938, were alive today, he would understand that Mexico is no longer an oil power. 

Both Gálvez and Sheinbaum pledged to maintain the popular social programs implemented by the AMLO government. Sheinbaum also took a page out of AMLO’s book and repeatedly used the word “neoliberal” to negatively refer to the governments that preceded his own.  

Who won the second debate? Again, all three candidates claimed they won the debate, but many analysts say Gálvez improved her performance compared with the first round. In a post-debate roundup, analyst Gisela Rubach said Gálvez did better and made the best use of her time, but noted that none of the candidates went deep enough with proposals and all avoided the key topic of fiscal reform. Journalist Raymundo Riva Palacio gave the win to Gálvez but said “nobody delivered a knockout.”  Per Bloomberg, analysts from financial services firm Bradesco say this debate has a bigger chance of moving the needle than did the first, but “we continue to see a challenging road ahead for opposition candidate Gálvez.”

Format: Face-to-face debate between the candidates and without citizens’ participation. 

Topics: Security and organized crime, migration and foreign relations, democracy, and power divisions. 

Location: Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco, Mexico City