TEHRAN, June 03 (MNA) – Claudia Sheinbaum, the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City, is projected to secure 56% of the vote in Sunday's election, significantly outpacing her main rival, businesswoman Xochitl Galvez.“I will become the first woman president of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said with a smile at a downtown hotel shortly after electoral authorities announced a statistical sample indicating her irreversible lead.

“We have demonstrated that Mexico is a democratic country with peaceful elections,” she added, Anadolu Agency reported.

Preliminary results show Sheinbaum with a substantial lead.

If confirmed, she will succeed her mentor, outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on October 1, promising to continue his policies.

The Morena party has already declared victory, although Galvez urged supporters to await the official results expected early Monday.

MP/PR