Mexico is set to hold its first-ever direct elections for judges, magistrates, and Supreme Court justices on June 1, 2025. The Congress of the Union has finalized and approved a list of nearly 3,000 candidates, who will compete for over 881 judicial positions across the country.
This unprecedented electoral process, stemming from a 2024 judicial reform, aims to democratize the judiciary by allowing citizens to elect members of the Supreme Court, circuit magistrates, electoral judges, and district court judges. However, the reform has sparked heated debate over its implications for judicial independence and the rule of law.
Who Are the Candidates?
The list of candidates includes individuals from all three branches of government (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial), as mandated by the reform. The final six ballots will feature candidates competing for:
- Supreme Court justices
- Magistrates of the new Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal
- Electoral Tribunal magistrates
- Circuit magistrates
- District court judges
The National Electoral Institute (INE) will oversee the election, ensuring transparency in this historic shift from an appointment-based judiciary to an elected one.
Selection Process: Who Made the List?
Application and Evaluation Stages
- Open Registration (December 2024 – January 2025)
- Over 11,900 applications were submitted.
- Each applicant underwent eligibility checks, background reviews, and interviews.
- Evaluation Committees (January 2025)
- Three separate committees (one for each government branch) reviewed candidates.
- Applicants were filtered based on legal expertise, experience, and professional ethics.
- Randomized Selection (February 5, 2025)
- Due to the high number of qualified candidates, final selection was done through a public lottery (tómbola).
- This method aimed to ensure fairness and prevent political favoritism.
- Congressional Approval (February 5, 2025)
- The Senate and Chamber of Deputies approved the final list.
- 321 votes in favor, 112 against in the Chamber of Deputies; 83 votes in favor, 38 against in the Senate.
Controversy and Opposition
Government’s Position
The ruling party (MORENA) and its allies defend the reform as a step toward greater democracy and transparency in the judiciary. Officials argue that:
- Voters should have a say in judicial appointments, breaking the elitist selection process.
- The lottery selection prevented political favoritism.
- Newly elected judges will be more accountable to the people rather than political elites.
Opposition’s Concerns
Critics, including the opposition parties (PAN, PRI, and MC), legal scholars, and the Supreme Court, have raised alarms about:
- Potential loss of judicial independence, as judges may feel pressured to rule based on public opinion rather than legal principles.
- Lack of experience among randomly selected candidates.
- Increased risk of politicization, with judicial campaigns resembling political races.
The Supreme Court refused to endorse the final candidate list, citing procedural concerns and warning of possible constitutional violations.
How Will the Election Work?
- Election Day: June 1, 2025
- Campaign Period: March 30 – May 28, 2025
- Voters Receive Six Ballots (one for each judicial category)
- Winners Take Office in September 2025
The INE will regulate campaign spending, ensuring candidates do not receive improper financial support from political parties or private interests.
Key Candidates to Watch
Among the high-profile names on the ballot:
- María Estela Ríos González – Former legal advisor to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
- Paula Villegas Sánchez Cordero – Daughter of ex-Supreme Court Justice Olga Sánchez Cordero.
- Marisela Morales Ibáñez – Former Attorney General under President Felipe Calderón.
- Adriana Favela Herrera – Former electoral councilor at the INE.
- Yasmín Esquivel, Loretta Ortiz, and Lenia Batres – Sitting justices seeking reelection.
The mix of experienced judges, political allies, and first-time candidates makes this a highly unpredictable election.
What’s at Stake?
- The balance of power between the judiciary and the executive branch.
- The independence of future judicial rulings.
- The long-term impact of public elections on legal integrity.
Mexico now faces a defining moment in its legal and political history. Will this experiment in judicial democracy lead to greater public trust, or will it weaken the country’s legal foundations? The outcome on June 1, 2025, will set a precedent for decades to come.
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