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.