June 11, 2019
The Chamber’s Cross-Border Business Forum provided a look into Baja California’s elections. Political journalists and pollsters discussed candidates’ proposals in relation to cross-border priorities such as infrastructure and growing our binational economy. The top three priorities for citizens during the election were:
- Security
- Transportation, and
- Economic Development
Panelists were in agreement that all parties faced one major challenge: over 60 percent of voters had not participated in the previous five elections.
On June 2, Baja California citizens elected a new governor, five local mayors and twenty-five state representatives. It was estimated that nearly 30 percent of the population voted, and Mexico’s National Institute of Elections shared the following results:
Baja’s Governor: Jaime Bonilla Valdez, 50.38 percent of votes.
Mayors:
- Marina del Pilar, City of Mexicali;
- Arturo González, City of Tijuana;
- Armando Ayala, City of Ensenada;
- Zulema Adams, City of Tecate; and
- Araceli Brown, City of Playas de Rosarito
All of the newly elected officials are affiliated with the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), the same political party as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. These elections ended thirty years of political leadership by Mexico’s National Action Party (PAN). Baja California was also the first state to overturn the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 1989.
The Chamber looks forward to continued collaboration with the State of Baja and its mayors to facilitate trade and grow our binational region’s economic development, as well as continue strengthening the bilateral relationship with our top commercial partner.