Background on Claudia Valle and Gilberto de Guzmán
Claudia Valle Aguilasocho and Gilberto de Guzmán Bátiz García are the frontrunners to become members of the Superior Chamber in Mexico’s Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF).
The recent election on June 1, 2024, saw citizens vote for two additional members of the Superior Chamber and fifteen electoral magistrates to join the five Regional Sals. With over 99% of the ballots counted, Valle Aguilasocho and de Guzmán Bátiz García are leading candidates for these positions.
Claudia Valle Aguilasocho
Valle Aguilasocho, the current presiding magistrate of the Monterrey Regional Sala, is the sole candidate for magistrate supported by all three branches of government in the recent election. She is poised to fill a vacancy designated for a woman in the Superior Chamber, having been temporarily called upon in July 2024 to participate in the presidential election validation process, which Claudia Sheinbaum won.
Gilberto de Guzmán Bátiz García
De Guzmán Bátiz García, with over 4.6 million votes (18% of the total), is leading to fill a vacancy designated for a man in the highest electoral body. Currently, he serves as an electoral magistrate for the Chiapas Electoral Tribunal and was nominated by the Executive Power to run in the Judicial election.
Regional Salas Elections
As part of the judicial reform, the five Regional Salas of TEPJF transitioned to popular elections to choose three new members for each Sala, consisting of two women and one man.
- Sala Regional 1 (Guadalajara): Rebeca Barrera Amador (9.6%) and Irina Graciela Cervantes Bravo (7.6%) lead among women, while Sergio Arturo Guerrero Olvera (7.5%) is the top male candidate.
- Sala Regional 2 (Monterrey): Maria Guadalupe Vazquez Orozco (8.2%), Maria Dolores López Lozano (7.3%), and Ernesto Camacho Ochoa (7%) are the leading candidates.
- Sala Regional 3 (Xalapa): Roselia Bustillo Marín (14%), Eva Barrientos Zepeda (13%), and José Antonio Troncoso Ávila (11.3%) are the top contenders.
- Sala Regional 4 (Mexico City): María Cecilia Guevara y Herrera (12.5%), Ixel Mendoza Aragón (9.7%), and José Luis Ceballos Daza (10.2%) are the leading candidates.
- Sala Regional 5 (Toluca): Nereida Berenice Ávalos Vázquez (8.9%), Marcela Elena Fernández Domínguez (7.2%), and Omar Hernández Esquivel (5.2%) are the frontrunners.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who are Claudia Valle and Gilberto de Guzmán? Claudia Valle Aguilasocho and Gilberto de Guzmán Bátiz García are leading candidates to join the Superior Chamber of Mexico’s Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF).
- What are their current positions? Valle Aguilasocho is the presiding magistrate of the Monterrey Regional Sala, while de Guzmán Bátiz García serves as an electoral magistrate for the Chiapas Electoral Tribunal.
- Why are they relevant? They were nominated by all three branches of government and have received significant support from voters in the recent election, making them likely candidates for the Superior Chamber positions.
- What is the process for electing Regional Salas members? Following a judicial reform, citizens now vote for three new members of each Regional Sala, with two women and one man chosen in popular elections.
