In this year’s gubernatorial elections in the state of Mexico (Edomex) and Coahuila, the ruling Morena party could capture the last strongholds of the conservative PRI party.

Elections are scheduled for June 4, but campaigns in both states are underway.

In Edomex, the Morena-PT-PVEM alliance will face the Va por México coalition, made up of the opposition parties PRI, PAN and PRD. In the state of Coahuila, the candidate of Va por México and the contenders of Morena, PT and PVEM will face off individually, the left alliance having been unable to reach an agreement.

Morena governs Mexico City and 20 of the 32 federal states, so June elections could further weaken the opposition.

Coahuila and Edomex have the largest number of opposition party members. In this last state, it has always been governed by the PRI. If both states pass to Morena, the party’s 2024 presidential candidate would enjoy a huge advantage, while driving the PRI to the brink of extinction.

WHAT’S IN THE GAME?

With 9.1%, Edomex was the second largest contributor to GDP in 2021, while Coahuila was eighth, with 3.7%.

Edomex has a solid industrial base that includes the automotive, chemical-pharmaceutical, textile, tourism, and food and beverage sectors, according to state data. It also surrounds Mexico City and has notable transport, energy, and water infrastructure connections, such as the Cutzamala Storage System.

The main airports in the state are that of the city of Toluca and the international Felipe Ángeles, AIFA.

On the other hand, Coahuila shares a border with Texas. Its economy is driven by agricultural activity, the production of building materials and, fundamentally, mining. The state is the country’s top producer of barite, coke, iron, fluorspar and iron pellets and the third largest producer of gold and silver, according to statistics agency Inegi.

The federal government is implementing Agua Saludable para La Laguna, an estimated 10 billion peso ($531 million) program to provide clean water to the urban area of ​​Comarca Lagunera in the state of Durango and Coahuila. Meanwhile, the $3 billion USMCA Rail Corridor, proposed by the Caxxor Group to link the state of Sinaloa, the United States and Canada, will also pass through Coahuila.

ELECTORAL CALENDAR

Primary campaigns in both states began Jan. 14 and will end Feb. 12.

Although no other candidates have been selected for the primaries, final candidates must register between March 28 and April 1. The gubernatorial campaigns will begin on April 2 and end on May 31. The winners will take office at the end of the year.

EDOMEX

Delfina Gómez, who served in López Obrador’s cabinet as education secretary, leads the Morena coalition, while former state deputy Alejandra del Moral leads the opposition campaign. Gómez ran for governor in 2017, but lost to PRI member Alfredo del Mazo. However, he defeated Del Moral in the Senate elections in 2018.

Alejandra del Moral and Delfina Gomez

COAHUILA

The opposition alliance chose Manolo Jiménez, who was part of current Governor Miguel Riquelme’s cabinet. Jiménez was also mayor of the capital, Saltillo.

Meanwhile, the Morena alliance was unable to endorse Senator Armando Guadiana as a common candidate. Guadiana is a mining investor and will now run for Morena. For his part, Ricardo Mejía, who was Undersecretary for Public Security until December, will run for the PT and the PVEM elected Lenín Pérez, deputy and former mayor of the town of Acuña.

Manolo Jimenez, Armando Guadiana and Ricardo Mejia