Luisa María Calderón

Luisa María de Guadalupe Calderón Hinojosa (born October 23, 1956 in Mexico City) is a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party who served in the Senate of Mexico from 2000 until September 2006.^[1] She is currently senator-elect as a PAN proportional representative.^[2] Her term in the senate began in late 2012 and will continue through 2018. "Cocoa" (her nickname) is known as a champion for women and minority rights throughout Mexico.^[3]

Personal life

Luisa María belongs to a family of prominent Mexican politicians. She is the sister of President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and Juan Luis Calderón Hinojosa.^[4][5]

She studied psychology at the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, and has pursued graduate studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana.

Luisa María is a single mother.

Political career

Calderón joined the National Action Party in 1976. She served as a local deputy in the Congress of Michoacán from 1983^[6] to 1986 and served in the federal Chamber of Deputies during the LIV Legislature. In 2000 she was elected via proportional representation to serve as a Senator during the LVIII Legislature and the LIX Legislature.

2011 Michoacan gubernatorial race

In 2011, Luisa Calderón ran for Governor of Michoacan in a highly contested race. Although she lost, the election was marred with accusations of corruption by the PRI and intimidation by narco-affiliated criminals. She was the candidate of the PAN-PANAL coalition. Calderón narrowly lost against PRI candidate Fausto Vallejo Y Figueroa by less that 3 percent of the votes ^[7] She had led most opinion polls prior to the election, which was held on November 13, 2011.^[8] Vallejo received 35% of the vote, while Calderon won 33% for second place.^[9] Calderón, who led most opinion polls prior to the election, claimed that drug traffickers based in Michoacán helped tip the election in Vallejo's favor.^[8]

References