Mexico’s ruling political party, Morena, has named former Mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum as its candidate for the 2024 presidential elections.

This puts her in pole position to become the country’s first woman leader.

The party’s national council president, Alfonso Durazo, says Sheinbaum who is 61 years old, beat her closest rival, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, by double figures in five party surveys.

By June next year, Mexico will be electing a successor to popular incumbent president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is barred by the constitution from serving a second six-year term.