Second Mexican mayoral candidate gunned down live on air ahead of June 1 elections

A mayoral candidate in Mexico has been fatally shot by suspected cartel gunmen live on air — becoming the second politician to be killed in the state ahead of elections on June 1.

Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez of the governing Morena party was gunned down while she was greeting supporters in the small town of Texistepec in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz on Sunday, where she was running for election.

Gutiérrez’s daughter was also killed in the shooting, Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle, also from the Morena party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Monday.

Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez was killed while she was greeting supporters in the small town of Texistepec. Facebook/Yesenia Lara Gutierrez

Members of the general prosecutor’s office and the Navy stand guard near a vehicle involved in a shootout in Veracruz, Mexico, Monday, May 12, 2025 AP

Less than two weeks ago, Germán Anuar Valencia, also from the governing party, was shot and killed in Veracruz while at his campaign headquarters in the town of Coxquihui in the north of the state.

Two federal agents were killed on Monday in another part of Veracruz, according to reports.

“No [elected] position is worth dying for,” Nahle said at a press conference on Monday, where she promised justice for the victims’ families.