Democracy Endures

Gang violence threatened voter turnout in last weekend’s state elections. A leading candidate in the state of Tamaulipas and a well-known musician were assassinated in the week before, campaign offices were bombed, and bodies were even hung from bridges on the morning of the election. But Mexico’s democracy endured: voter turnout was relatively high, “an inspiring message” reports the New York Times.

Despite widespread forecasts of a PRI sweep, the electoral results were mixed. The PRI picked up 9 of the 12 governorships, yielding a motley political landscape, with President Calderón’s center-right PAN, the PRI, and the center-left PRD all holding sway. “Perhaps the greatest takeaway from Sunday’s election is democracy is surprisingly healthy in Mexico,” noted Andrew Selee, director of the Mexico program at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Though it’s likely that a candidate was elected on Sunday who is on the take from a drug syndicate, for the most part the message sent should inspire confidence. Democratic accountability is alive in Mexico.