Chihuahua mayor Cruz Pérez Cuéllar to step down if chosen as gubernatorial candidate

Federal deputy Lilia Aguilar Gil announced that the Labor Party (PT) will remain neutral in the internal Morena contest for the coordination of the Defense of the Transformation, in which mayor Cruz Pérez Cuéllar and Andrea Chávez are competing. The PT will not register any candidates for the state governorship, emphasizing unity within the Morena‑PT‑Green coalition.

Cruz Pérez Cuéllar, mayor of Ciudad Juárez, said he will request a temporary leave of absence and will hand over the municipal administration to his deputy Héctor Ortiz Orpinel if he is selected as the coordinator of the Defense of the Fourth Transformation, effectively becoming the party’s gubernatorial candidate. He plans to leave office a few days before the June 22 registration deadline, with the internal decision expected by late August or early September, ahead of the 2027 state elections.