President Biden on Monday congratulated Claudia Sheinbaum for her historic win after she was elected the first female president of Mexico.
“I look forward to working closely with President-elect Sheinbaum in the spirit of partnership and friendship that reflects the enduring bonds between our two countries. I expressed our commitment to advancing the values and interests of both our nations to the benefit of our peoples,” Biden said in a statement.
Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor, is the first woman and the first Jewish person ever to be president of Mexico. She beat the opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez and Jorge Álvarez Máynez to win on Sunday.
She will begin her six-year term on Oct. 1.
Biden on Monday lauded Mexico for its democratic election, which he called a win as well.
“I also congratulate the Mexican people for conducting a nationwide successful democratic electoral process involving races for more than 20,000 positions at the local, state, and federal levels,” the president said.
Sheinbaum is the hand-picked successor to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. She is a leftist and has spoken against economic inequality and supports government intervention through policies that strengthen the social safety net.
Biden met with López Obrador in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco. The two leaders also spoke on the phone in April and agreed to implement a plan to reduce border crossings.
