Mexico’s leftist governing party, Morena, has secured a near-complete sweep of the newly elected Supreme Court, a landmark result from the country’s first-ever judicial elections that is set to redefine the balance of power across its political system. The results of the unprecedented vote indicate that all nine Supreme Court seats will be filled by candidates endorsed, explicitly or tacitly, by Morena, according to early results cited by El País and AP.

Held on June 1 and marked by historically low participation, the election saw just over 13% of the electorate cast ballots, a figure confirmed by the National Electoral Institute (INE). The reform enabling judicial elections was originally fast-tracked through Congress under former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who clashed repeatedly with the courts during his tenure. The reform’s stated objective was to root out entrenched corruption, yet critics argue that it has undermined the judiciary’s independence and weakened vital checks and balances.

Of the nine justices set to compose the new Supreme Court, eight are either former Morena legislators, current party affiliates, or public servants with close links to Morena's leadership. As reported by AFP, five women and four men will form the new bench, which includes several sitting justices who were previously appointed by López Obrador.

The most notable result came from Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, a Mixtec lawyer and former advisor to the Zapatista movement, who garnered the most votes and is expected to preside over the court. Aguilar, who lacks formal party affiliation, was nonetheless highlighted by Sheinbaum during the campaign as the kind of Indigenous representation she hoped to see on the court, as reported by AP.

Second in the vote was Lenia Batres, a current Supreme Court justice and longtime Morena member, followed by Yasmín Esquivel and Loretta Ortiz, both of whom were also appointed during López Obrador’s administration. Other appointees include María Estela Ríos, former legal advisor to López Obrador, and Sara Irene Herrerías, a prosecutor known for her human rights work, according to El País.

The process has not been without controversy. A complex and unfamiliar voting system, combined with limitations on campaign visibility—candidates were prohibited from receiving public or private funding—meant that the majority of voters had little to no knowledge of the contenders. A survey cited by El País revealed that, just days before the vote, 70% of the electorate did not recognise any candidates.

The ruling party sought to bridge this gap by circulating “cheat sheets” listing its preferred candidates, a move that drew sharp criticism and was later condemned by the INE. Nevertheless, these guides appear to have been highly effective, with all nine recommended candidates securing top positions.

Experts have warned of far-reaching implications. Georgina De la Fuente of Strategia Electoral told AP that “power is falling almost entirely into the hands of one party,” raising alarms over the lack of institutional counterweights. The judiciary, traditionally a moderating force in Mexican governance, is now seen as unlikely to resist executive initiatives.

Despite the criticism, Sheinbaum has dismissed claims of democratic backsliding. Speaking on June 3, she argued that the opposition's boycott of the election invalidates their concerns, remarking, as quoted by AP, “They’re the ones who decided not to participate.”

Nevertheless, analysts caution that with the Supreme Court now closely aligned with Morena, further reforms—particularly to Mexico’s electoral system—could be rushed through with little resistance or oversight. According to AFP, over 880 federal and hundreds of local judicial positions were contested, and final results are expected by June 10.

While Sheinbaum, who has hailed the election as a "complete success" despite the meagre turnout, maintains that the reform enhances democracy, the consolidation of all three branches of government under a single party raises questions about the future of judicial independence in Latin America’s second-largest democracy.