Judicial Candidates Campaign Amidst Limited Time, Resources, and Harassment

Web Editor

April 18, 2025

a woman talking on a cell phone in front of a poster for a seminar on women's rights, Amelia Peláez

Introduction

In a challenging electoral process, some candidates for the judiciary face limited time, scarce resources, and endure sexist remarks and harassment while campaigning to become judges, magistrates, or ministers. One such candidate is Dora Martínez Valero, ranked 19th on the ballot for the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN).

Dora Martínez Valero: A Target of Online Harassment

Dora Martínez Valero, a constitutional lawyer with expertise in electoral and human rights law, has experienced online harassment after publishing a video with the slogan “Dora la Transformadora.” She received numerous abusive messages on social media solely for her video, which she described as a response to the lack of clarity and gender inequality in most candidacies.

  • Background: Dora Martínez Valero is a lawyer specializing in constitutional, electoral, and human rights law.
  • Harassment: She faced online abuse, including sexually charged insults and gender stereotypes, after publishing her campaign video.
  • Response: Despite not wanting to appear as a victim, she decided to denounce the online harassment faced by many women candidates.

Challenges in Campaigning

Candidates like Martínez Valero face numerous challenges, including limited resources, time constraints, and public unawareness about the judiciary’s role. Martínez Valero has had to balance her full-time campaign efforts with her existing job in the judiciary, using her limited resources to create and distribute campaign materials.

Another Candidate’s Struggle: Tannia Beatriz Esmeralda Martínez Martínez

Tannia Beatriz Esmeralda Martínez Martínez, a candidate for magistrate in the Administrative Matters area in Mexico City, has also found campaigning to be a significant challenge. Balancing her work at a colegiado tribunal with campaigning has required her to dedicate time after work hours, using her savings and monthly salary to fund her campaign.

  • Work-Campaign Balance: Martínez Martínez works full-time while dedicating limited hours to campaigning in the afternoons, primarily targeting markets and colonies.
  • Financial Constraints: She has invested her savings and monthly salary in campaign materials, acknowledging the difficulty of allocating more funds to her campaign.
  • Vulnerability as a Woman Candidate: Campaigning has made her feel vulnerable, encountering both supportive and inappropriate reactions from people, particularly men.

Key Questions and Answers

  1. Who are the candidates mentioned? Dora Martínez Valero and Tannia Beatriz Esmeralda Martínez Martínez, both candidates for judicial positions in Mexico.
  2. What challenges do they face? Limited time, scarce resources, and online harassment are some of the obstacles these candidates encounter while campaigning.
  3. How do they balance their campaigns with existing jobs? Both candidates dedicate limited hours after work to campaigning, using their savings and salaries to fund their efforts.
  4. What kind of reactions do they receive while campaigning? They face a mix of supportive and inappropriate reactions, with some people expressing lascivious gazes or making inappropriate comments.