Mexican Voters Keep Ruling Party, But Show Some Discontent

Mexican voters elected their first independent gubernatorial candidate, seen as a protest against party politics, but gave the ruling party a lead in Congress, thereby sending mixed messages in midterm elections.

President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, lost legislative seats, according to official vote counts released Monday by the electoral institute. But a strong and controversial campaign by allied Green Party boosted that party by as many as 20 seats, which could give the ruling party a voting majority for the first time in nearly two decades.

In an election marred by sporadic violence, independent Jaime Rodriguez, known as "El Bronco," won the governor's race in the border state of Nuevo Leon, ousting the PRI from a key state that includes the business hub of Monterrey. His popularity was attributed to voters' disgust with all political parties.

Rodriguez said his first action as governor would be to attack corruption: "We have to investigate the entire previous government."

It was the first election in Mexico to allow unaffiliated candidates, thanks to electoral reform last year.

The horseback-riding, boot-clad, tough-talking Rodriguez earned his nickname after he survived two assassination attempts that left his car bullet-ridden as mayor of a suburb of Monterrey. He said the attacks were from a drug cartel.

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