Mexico’s presidential frontrunner Sheinbaum’s lead narrows slightly, poll shows

Former Mexico City mayor and ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum’s lead has narrowed slightly ahead of Mexico’s presidential election scheduled for June 2, an opinion poll showed on Friday, even as she remains the clear frontrunner.

The April 25-29 survey by polling firm Parametria showed Sheinbaum of the leftist National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) with 44% support, well ahead of Xochitl Galvez, candidate of a right-left alliance of three parties, with 31%.

A survey in February by the same firm showed Sheinbaum with 49% support and Galvez with only 29%.

The poll gave a third contender, Jorge Alvarez Maynez of the opposition center-left Citizens’ Movement (MC), backing of 8%, a three-point increase over the February survey.

It showed 17% of respondents offered no preference.

The face-to-face poll of 800 people had a 3.5% margin of error.

Francisco Abundis, head of Parametria, said the increase in Maynez’s support was notable and suggested he may ultimately capture a double-digit percentage of the vote in the election.

Sheinbaum, a 61-year-old scientist who has been a close ally of the current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for decades, could become the first woman to rule the country.