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The ruling party in Mexico, the National Action Party (PAN), has chosen Josefina Vazquez Mota to be its candidate in Mexico's July 1 elections. Current President Felipe Calderon is ending his sixth year in office, and will be unable to run again as per Mexican law.

Mexican politics have historically been dominated by three parties: the more conservative National Action Party, the center-left Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), and the Party of the Democratic Revolution. The Party of the Democratic Revolution has selected Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as its candidate; he lost the election in 2006 by a narrow margin. The current frontrunner in the race is the PRI's Enrique Pena Nieto.

Mexico has been plagued by drug wars throughout President Calderon's term in office; this could cause significant problems for Josefina Vazquez Mota. However, the excitement of potentially having a female president may excite voters and overrule these other issues. Though females have run for president in the past, Vazquez Mota's candidacy marks the first time one of the three major parties have nominated a woman.

{via Time}