Mayor of La Paz, BCS, requests leave; will seek Morena candidacy for state governor

The mayor of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Milena Quiroga Romero, has officially requested a 30-day leave of absence from her duties. This move comes as she prepares to compete for the gubernatorial candidacy of the Morena party, alongside its allies the Labor Party (PT) and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM).

The La Paz City Council approved her request in an extraordinary session on Friday. First councilwoman Amor Fenech Montaño is set to take over the municipal presidency starting Monday, June 22. Quiroga Romero, who has led the municipal government since 2021 and was re-elected in 2024, described her departure as the "closing of a stage" in her political career. "It is a temporary leave; however, very surely we will not be back," she stated to council members, signaling her firm intention to seek higher office.

Her leave follows a similar move by the mayor of Los Cabos, Christian Agúndez Gómez, who also requested a temporary leave of absence amid preparations for the internal selection process for the gubernatorial candidacy in Baja California Sur. The coalition of Morena, PT, and PVEM is set to begin registering aspirants for state coordination positions, a process that has historically served as a precursor to governor nominations, from June 22 to 27 in Mexico City.

Before her departure, Quiroga Romero met with city employees to express gratitude for their support during her tenure and acknowledge their contribution to the administration's achievements. She also planned a "Citizen Encounter" event to present a report of her accomplishments, coinciding with her registration as an aspirant for the state coordination position.