The Mexican presidency is a single six-year term with a strict ban on re-election. Every time the position changes hands, it's met with pomp, circumstance and revelry.

On Oct. 1, the occasion was especially remarkable when the country inaugurated Claudia Sheinbaum as the first woman president in two centuries of modern Mexican history.

In 1995, Sheinbaum earned an energy engineering Ph.D. with a focus on climate science. She penned over 100 articles and two books on the environment and sustainable development.

During her university tenure, she was also an ardent activist, advocating for voting rights and fair trade.

Her political career began in 2000. Sheinbaum was appointed as secretary of the environment of Mexico City by then-mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO).

AMLO became her political mentor and Sheinbaum followed in his footsteps, becoming the first woman mayor of Mexico City.

Her scientific background informed her deft handling of the COVID crisis. She enacted mask mandates and shaped disease mitigation strategies. This catapulted her to the presidency.

Sheinbaum has pledged continuing commitment to progressive policies bolstered by her accomplishments as Mexico City mayor.

In 2019, Sheinbaum created a gender violence hotline. She also oversaw the construction of safe, patrolled and well-lit pathways to ensure safe travel for women.

She promoted a program to reduce firearms in Mexico City. Offering cash rewards for the anonymous surrender of guns, a total of 6,546 firearms were recovered.

Sheinbaum deployed the National Guard, curtailing the power of the reputedly corrupt Mexico City police. This led to the arrest of several major cartel leaders.

Undocumented migration isn't a major concern for Mexican citizens. It will be a foreign policy issue for Sheinbaum no matter who wins the United States presidential election.

Congratulations, Claudia!