Vincente Fox Elected President of Mexico (2000)
On July 2, 2000, the Mexican people elected Vicente Fox Quesada as the first President of Mexico from a party opposing Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). In particular, Fox ran for the National Action Party (PAN) and defeated Francisco Labstida of PRI – which coincidentally also happened to be Fox’s birthday.
Fox was born in Mexico City and raised on a farm in the state of Guanajuato. He also spent a few years in the United States as a student. In 1964, Coca-Cola hired Fox, and within ten years he rose through the ranks and became president of Coca-Cola in Mexico.
Fox entered politics in the 1980s, and in 1988 Fox won a seat in the Lower House of the Mexican congress with the National Action Party (PAN). In 1995, Fox became governor of Guanajuato in 1995. Fox utilized his charismatic approach with people and promised change and new economic development for Mexico.
Then, on this day, July 2, 2000, Fox ran for Mexican President as a member of PAN. Fox defeated Francisco Labstida of PRI, and became the first party opponent of PRI to win in over 70 years in Mexico. It was a huge victory. Interestingly, the 2000 Mexican presidential election was the first one that allowed a Mexican citizen to run for president without requiring both of the candidate’s parents to be born in Mexico. While Fox’s father was born in Mexico, his mother was born in Spain.