Mexicans elect governor in closely-watched contest
1:00 AM
Posted: Monday, August 06, 2007
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) -- Voters in Baja California chose Sunday between the wealthy mayor of Tijuana and an economist from Mexico's ruling party in an election for governor of the economically vibrant but crime-plagued border state.
Polls closed Sunday evening following a vote largely free of incident, though officials reported isolated cases of long lines and delays in the state across the border from California and Arizona.
With just 2 percent of the ballots counted, or 15,000 votes, state electoral officials reported that pre-election favorite and economist Jose Guadalupe Osuna, of President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party, enjoyed a slight advantage over his rival, Tijuana Mayor Hank Rhon.
Although the count was too small to be definitive, both National Action and Hank Rhon's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, declared victory based on different exit polls.
Hank Rhon, the scion of a powerful political family, built a faithful following as mayor by rounding up petty thieves, launching programs to keep kids in school and meeting privately one day a week with anyone from the public who asked to see him.
Osuna has accused him of corruption and ties to drug traffickers, charges Hank Rhon denies the charges.
Heidi de la Torre, a 29-year-old vendor from Tijuana, said she voted for Hank Rhon "because he is the one who inspires confidence in me and I've seen that he does his work well."
"Now I hope that he fulfills his latest promises."
Tijuana accountant Nestor Muro, 26, said he voted for Osuna because "I consider him the best option."
Also voting were native Baja Californians residing in the U.S., including Fidel Perez, 34, who drove across the border from San Diego early Sunday to cast a ballot.
Perez still has family in Baja California and is concerned about public safety, education and aid for the poor.
Baja California is home to strong export-manufacturing, agriculture and tourism industries but is also menaced by organized crime, much of it related to cross-border drug trafficking.
Two other elections took place Sunday: for mayors and state assembly members in the central state of Aguascalientes, and for state assembly representatives in the southern state of Oaxaca.
Protesters who took over the state capital of Oaxaca for months last year urged residents not to vote for candidates aligned with PRI Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whom they accuse of rigging his election in 2004 and of repressing the opposition.
Ruiz, who denies the allegations, still has three years left in his term.
Hours before the polls opened, a journalist was shot three times as he was arriving at his home in the Oaxaca city of Salina Cruz, Ruiz's office said in a news release.
Alberto Fernandez was taken to a local hospital, where he was in critical condition, said the release, which ruled out any connection to the elections. Polling "is taking place peacefully," the governor's office said.
Polls closed Sunday evening following a vote largely free of incident, though officials reported isolated cases of long lines and delays in the state across the border from California and Arizona.
With just 2 percent of the ballots counted, or 15,000 votes, state electoral officials reported that pre-election favorite and economist Jose Guadalupe Osuna, of President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party, enjoyed a slight advantage over his rival, Tijuana Mayor Hank Rhon.
Although the count was too small to be definitive, both National Action and Hank Rhon's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, declared victory based on different exit polls.
Hank Rhon, the scion of a powerful political family, built a faithful following as mayor by rounding up petty thieves, launching programs to keep kids in school and meeting privately one day a week with anyone from the public who asked to see him.
Osuna has accused him of corruption and ties to drug traffickers, charges Hank Rhon denies the charges.
Heidi de la Torre, a 29-year-old vendor from Tijuana, said she voted for Hank Rhon "because he is the one who inspires confidence in me and I've seen that he does his work well."
"Now I hope that he fulfills his latest promises."
Tijuana accountant Nestor Muro, 26, said he voted for Osuna because "I consider him the best option."
Also voting were native Baja Californians residing in the U.S., including Fidel Perez, 34, who drove across the border from San Diego early Sunday to cast a ballot.
Perez still has family in Baja California and is concerned about public safety, education and aid for the poor.
Baja California is home to strong export-manufacturing, agriculture and tourism industries but is also menaced by organized crime, much of it related to cross-border drug trafficking.
Two other elections took place Sunday: for mayors and state assembly members in the central state of Aguascalientes, and for state assembly representatives in the southern state of Oaxaca.
Protesters who took over the state capital of Oaxaca for months last year urged residents not to vote for candidates aligned with PRI Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whom they accuse of rigging his election in 2004 and of repressing the opposition.
Ruiz, who denies the allegations, still has three years left in his term.
Hours before the polls opened, a journalist was shot three times as he was arriving at his home in the Oaxaca city of Salina Cruz, Ruiz's office said in a news release.
Alberto Fernandez was taken to a local hospital, where he was in critical condition, said the release, which ruled out any connection to the elections. Polling "is taking place peacefully," the governor's office said.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
