Morena's Senate pushes Mexico's judicial elections from 2027 to 2028
An 87-40 constitutional vote reworks candidate selection and lets TEPJF magistrates seek re-election, extending the bench overhaul
Summary
Mexico's Morena-led Senate voted 87-40 on 28-29 May 2026 to approve a constitutional reform pushing the next judicial elections from 2027 to 2028, reworking candidate selection and allowing electoral tribunal (TEPJF) magistrates to seek re-election. It was sent to the state legislatures for ratification. The change follows the first-ever judicial vote of June 2025, which seated Hugo Aguilar as Supreme Court president that September, and extends Morena's reshaping of the bench. Opposition critics call it entrenchment of judicial control; the government frames it as orderly implementation. The reform is a marker of how far Claudia Sheinbaum's coalition will press its institutional agenda.
By the numbers
- 87-40, Senate vote on the constitutional reform.
- 2027 → 2028, the postponed election year.
- Jun 2025, Mexico's first-ever judicial election.
Why it matters
Mexico is mid-way through the most sweeping judicial overhaul in the hemisphere, electing judges by popular vote. Delaying the next round, reshaping candidate lists and permitting magistrate re-election concentrate influence over who reaches the bench, a structural change with long consequences for checks on executive power.
What to watch
- Ratification by the state legislatures.
- The reworked candidate-selection rules and who qualifies.
- Knock-on effects for pending rulings and judicial independence.