Mexico's ruling party narrowly fends off leftist in major state election

Record ID: 878255

  • Title: Mexico's ruling party narrowly fends off leftist in major state election
  • Date: 5th June 2017
  • Summary: TOLUCA, STATE OF MEXICO, MEXICO (JUNE 4, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PRI GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ALFREDO DEL MAZO SURROUNDED BY SUPPORTERS AND ARRIVING AT RALLY DEL MAZO WALKING ON STAGE DEL MAZO HOLDING UP ARMS OF TEAM MEMBERS IN SIGN OF VICTORY VARIOUS OF DEL MAZO SUPPORTERS CHEERING WHILE HE IS ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALFREDO DEL MAZO, PRI GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "My government, the government that I will head, will be a government of unity, a government where everyone fits and where our primary objective is to construct a better state of Mexico for the families of Mexico state." VARIOUS OF DEL MAZO SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALFREDO DEL MAZO, PRI GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "We have full confidence and respect in our institutions, that this journey and this result in which the people of Mexico state have elected will be respected and work for the good of the state of Mexico." SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING DEL MAZO HOLDING THUMB UP CONFETTI FALLING ON STAGE WITH DEL MAZO AND SUPPORTERS AT RALLY MORENA CANDIDATE DELFINA GOMEZ ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE GOMEZ WALKING ON STAGE AS SUPPORTERS APPLAUD PHOTOGRAPHER WORKING VARIOUS OF DELFINA ON STAGE WITH TEAM DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DELFINA GOMEZ, MORENA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "We have always been ahead by two or three points, as my ratified and as the national president of my party has said. We won the election of the state of Mexico. Of course, we have won!" SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING WIDE OF DELFINA AND TEAM HOLDING ARMS UP IN VICTORY NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2017 14:00
  • Keywords: Mexico State Delfina Alfredo del Mazo elections PRI
  • Location: TOLUCA, STATE OF MEXICO, MEXICO
  • City: TOLUCA, STATE OF MEXICO, MEXICO
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016K045DV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) limped to victory in a key state election on Sunday (June 4), according to preliminary projections of results that were quickly challenged by the leftist party beaten into second place.
    The putative win in the State of Mexico was a close call for President Enrique Pena Nieto's PRI, which has governed it for nearly nine decades. It will not end the aspirations of leftists led by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, an early favourite for next year's presidential race.
    With 83 percent of returns in from polling booths, PRI candidate Alfredo del Mazo had 33.0 percent of the vote compared with 31.2 percent for Delfina Gomez, the candidate of Lopez Obrador's National Regeneration Movement (MORENA).
    An official early count projection from the state's electoral institute said del Mazo would end up winning between 32.75 percent and 33.59 percent of the vote. Gomez was seen taking no more than 31.53 percent.
    Lopez Obrador called the quick count "a farce" and said he did not accept it, while Gomez insisted she had won the election. Lopez Obrador has alleged fraud in past elections, and he vowed to scrutinize the results from every voting booth.
    Encompassing many populous neighbourhoods on the edge of Mexico City, the State of Mexico is home to one in eight Mexican voters and it has long been a source of strength and financing for the PRI.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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