Outgoing Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum reacts as she registers as a candidate to pursue the ruling MORENA party's candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, in Mexico City, Mexico June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Romero/File photo
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has a lead of more than 10 percentage points in the contest to be the candidate of Mexico's ruling party for the 2024 presidential election, a poll published on Wednesday in newspaper El Universal showed.
The survey of 1,000 adults by polling firm Buendia & Marquez showed Sheinbaum winning 34% support to be the nominee of the leftist National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), followed by former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard at 22%.
MORENA, lifted by the strong personal approval ratings of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is heavily favored to win the June 2024 election. That has prompted many analysts to view the MORENA contest as an almost de facto presidential race.
The poll showed that Ebrard was the best-known candidate, being recognized by 71% of respondents, while Sheinbaum was familiar to 66% of the public. Ebrard was also more popular among respondents who identified with the opposition.
Both stood down from their positions earlier this month to compete in the contest. A winner is due to be announced on Sept. 6.
MORENA's internal campaign formally kicked off on June 19.
The face-to-face voter survey was carried out June 22-26 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.53 percentage points, Buendia & Marquez said.
Sheinbaum and Ebrard have long been favorites for the MORENA ticket. The poll showed the next-best placed candidate, former Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez, had 8% support, along with veteran leftist Gerardo Fernandez Norona.
Some 16% of respondents gave no definitive answer.
A survey published last month by Buendia & Marquez showed Sheinbaum polling at 32% support and Ebrard at 23% on the question of who should be the MORENA presidential candidate.
(Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Mark Porter)
