Senate committees greenlight timeline shifts and electoral adjustments
The Senate’s joint committees on Constitutional Points and Legislative Studies approved a constitutional reform this Wednesday that modifies the timelines and regulations for judicial elections. The bill passed with 21 votes in favor and 9 against, and has been sent to the floor for a final vote during an extraordinary session pushed by the Morena, PT, and PVEM parties.
The reform, which seeks to refine the implementation of the 2024 judicial overhaul originally championed by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and continued by President Claudia Sheinbaum, centers on delaying the second popular election for judges, magistrates, and Supreme Court justices. Originally scheduled for 2027, the election will now be moved to the first Sunday of June 2028. The ruling party argues this move is necessary to reduce operational complexity and avoid overlapping with midterm federal elections.
Controversy over 'disguised re-election'
The bill includes a last-minute provision allowing the four current magistrates of the Superior Chamber of the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) to run for office in 2028, potentially extending their tenure until 2034. As reported byEl Universal, this measure could allow sitting magistrates to remain in their posts for up to 17 years—a move the opposition has labeled a “disguised re-election.”
PRI Senator Carolina Viggiano harshly criticized the bill, stating that the original judicial reform has been a “resounding failure.” Viggiano argued that the claim that the people choose their judges and justices is false, asserting that candidates were pre-selected by groups close to the ruling party and that officials even used “cheat sheets” to guide citizens' votes.
Structural changes and political fallout
The reform also mandates that the Supreme Court (SCJN) be divided into two sections, which may only operate with the approval of the full plenary. Additionally, the term length for magistrates and judges elected in June 2028 was reduced from nine to eight years, meaning their terms will conclude in 2036.
The session was marked by political friction following the request for leave by Morena Senator Enrique Inzunza Cázarez, who is facing allegations in the United States regarding supposed ties to drug trafficking. Inzunza announced his absence 20 minutes before the meeting via X, claiming he was the target of an “onslaught.”
PRI Senator Alejandro Moreno lashed out at the Sinaloan legislator during the session: “This coward, this boor Senator Inzunza, who asked for leave because he doesn’t want to be here, demonstrates collusion, the act of working with organized crime,” Moreno declared, as reported byEl Financiero. Senator Viggiano added that Inzunza is a “fraud” and that it is undignified for him to hold a Senate seat, labeling him part of the “narco-caucus.”
Ignacio Mier Velazco, the Morena coordinator, defended the leave of absence as a “prudent and sensible” decision to preserve the quality of the floor debate. “If they want to bet on fighting and a circus, we won’t; we’ve already taken away their show,” Mier stated, asserting that his parliamentary group is focused on maintaining unity and the integrity of legislative debate.
