Playa del Carmen Mayor Estefanía Mercado Rules Out Gubernatorial Bid

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Mayor Estefanía Mercado Asencio announced Monday that she will not participate in the internal process of the Morena party to select a candidate for governor of Quintana Roo.

In an interview, Mercado said she will remain focused on her duties in Playa del Carmen. “I’m staying in Playa del Carmen. I want to tell you that my commitment is to the people of Playa. We still have a lot of work to finish,” she said.

She wished success to those who will compete in the internal process. “We have great profiles, and I’m sure they will do a great job for Quintana Roo. For my part, here in Playa del Carmen we have a lot of work to do and consolidate, so I can only wish all the best to my colleagues who will participate,” she added.

Mercado noted that the eventual candidate will have the full support of Playa del Carmen. She also said that mayors across the state will decide whether to seek reelection “at the appropriate time” when the party opens registration for those candidacies.

The announcement came the same day that Morena’s state leadership released the call for registration of candidates for the State Coordination for the Defense of Transformation and National Sovereignty. Party leader Johana Acosta said registration will be held digitally on June 22, 23, 25, 26, and 27, and in person on June 26 at the World Trade Center in Mexico City.

Other officials who have expressed interest in the gubernatorial race include Senator Eugenio Segura, Benito Juárez Mayor Ana Paty Peralta, federal deputy Marybel Villegas, and former federal official and Morena founder in the state Rafael Marín Mollinedo.