MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Former Mexico City mayor and ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum increased her lead in the race for the presidency, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday, some 40 days before the election on June 2.
An April 10-13 poll of 1,600 Mexicans by Mitofsky Tendencias for newspaper El Economista gave Sheinbaum, who represents the leftist National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), 51.4% support.
Sheinbaum's closest rival is Xochitl Galvez, the candidate representing a three-party opposition coalition of ideologically diverse parties, with an estimated 26.7% of the vote.
A third candidate from the smaller Citizen's Movement opposition party, Jorge Alvarez Maynez, received 9.3% in the poll. Another 12.6% did not declare their preferences.
Sheinbaum's lead over Galvez increased from a month ago, when she received 50.5%, Galvez 28.8% and Alvarez Maynez 4.8%.
Mexicans are set to pick a successor to popular President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who by law is limited to one six-year term, as well as scores of other elected positions across the country.
The poll also showed that 51% said it would be best for Mexico, at this point in time, for MORENA to continue as ruling party.
If she wins the June 2 election, Sheinbaum, a scientist, will be the nation's first female president and remain in office until 2030.