With Sheinbaum’s election, Mexico’s milestone amplifies Latina voices in Sonoma and Napa counties

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Claudia Sheinbaum’s election in June came weeks before the race for the White House solidified into a showdown between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, raising the possibility that the U.S. could follow Mexico’s lead by electing its first female president next month.

Mexico swore in its first female head of state this month, a milestone that renewed cross-border attention on her groundbreaking path and inspiration among local Latino leaders.

Claudia Sheinbaum, a former Mexico City mayor and climate scientist, became just the second female head of state in North America, after Canada’s Kim Campbell, who served as prime minister in the early 1990s.

Sheinbaum’s election in June came weeks before the race for the White House solidified into a showdown between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, raising the possibility that the U.S. could follow Mexico’s lead by electing its first female president next month.

For Latina leaders in Sonoma and Napa counties, there is much to admire in Sheinbaum’s historic breakthrough, especially in a country like Mexico, which has a strong patriarchal reputation.

Monica Lopez became the first woman to lead the Napa-based Mexican American Vintners Association this year. She believes that Sheinbaum’s victory reinforces the importance of representation and resilience.

“As a Latina of Mexican descent, I am proud,” she said. “This milestone represents not only a victory for gender equality but also an inspiration for future generations of women, both in Mexico and around the world.”

Sheinbaum, 61, who represents Mexico’s ruling Morena party, won the presidency by a wide margin, securing 59% of the vote against her top opponent, also a woman.

“I believe it’s a historic and transcendental moment,” James Mestaz, a History professor at Sonoma State University, where he specializes in Latin American studies, said in June just days after the election.

“It not only gives hope in Mexico, but throughout Latin America that a woman has been elected president,” Mestaz said. That’s especially so in a country that until now is considered “sexist” by its own citizens, he said.

Three-quarters of Mexicans believe that to be true, according to a survey by the newspaper El País and W Radio, while over 70% believe that a female president would be more effective in managing the country’s finances. Additionally, more than half the Mexican men interviewed for the survey support the idea of a woman leading the country.

The term coined for those colliding realities: the “Mexican paradox.”

Sheinbaum’s election underscores the political evolution at least in Mexico, say local Latino leaders. It’s significant here at home, too, said Ana Diaz, a former member of Sonoma County’s Commission on the Status of Women, who serves on the Roseland School District Board of Directors.

“From the perspective of a Chicana with Mexican roots and a passion for leadership, Claudia Sheinbaum’s election is monumental,” she said.

For Diaz, it signifies more than a woman taking the presidency of Mexico; it represents a profound validation for women striving to make an impact in politics.

Rebecca Hermosillo, who this year became the first Latina elected to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, sees Sheinbaum’s ascendance as an important example for future generations.

“She serves as a role model for young women,” Hermosillo said. “She is an example for girls growing up to see someone who looks like them and realize they can also hold positions like these.”

Hermosillo’s parents emigrated from Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, to work as farmers in the region. For the supervisor-elect, the new leadership of her parents’ home country signifies a call “to continue fighting.”

“We honor our heritage and appreciate the opportunities provided in the United States,” she said.

Political priorities and pushback Sheinbaum has touted her vision of “Mexican humanism,” a political project shared with her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, that promotes public investments in health, education and economic opportunity. She’s also paid greater acknowledgment to Mexico’s Indigenous peoples.

Her government plan, which opponents have criticized, proposes some fiscal austerity measures to afford expanded investments in social programs and large infrastructure projects.

Her supporters, including those in the North Bay, are girding for backlash.

“There will be a lot of negative reactions,” Mestaz said. “As we saw with Obama when he became president, there was a lot of racist rhetoric. “There were a lot of attacks, personal attacks, and attacks on his policies.”

Mestaz also considers that the new “presidenta” will also have to deal with a political system with a patriarchal and macho history.

“They don’t just dislike the idea of a leftist succeeding,” he said. “They also do not want to see a woman succeed. I believe there will be many who attempt to undermine her ideas and block the initiatives she wants to implement.”

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With Sheinbaum’s election, Mexico’s milestone amplifies Latina voices in Sonoma and Napa counties

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