New Ruling Party For Baja California Sur

In San Jose del Cabo, voting booth, left; ballot boxes, right

Today is Constitution Day in Mexico, which is especially fitting for residents of the state of Baja California Sur, who just yesterday elected a new governor. He's Marcos Covarrubias, a former congressman who was the nominee of the National Action Party (PAN), which is headed by Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Residents of the state also elected new presidentes - or mayors - for five municipalities. In Los Cabos, which includes the cities of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, the new presidente will be Tony Agundez, the candidate of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD).

According to various online news sites and blogs, Covarrubias won 40 percent of the vote compared with nearly 34 percent for Ricardo Barroso (the candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI) and 21 percent for Luis Amando Diaz (the candidate of the PRD).

The results are being interpreted early on as a repudiation of the PRD, which had run the state for the past 12 years. The PRD, however, remained in charge of the municipalities of Los Cabos and Mulege, while the PRI will run La Paz and Loreto and the PAN will oversee Comondu.

While today's Tribuna de Los Cabos reported the arrest of six persons in Cabo San Lucas for polling-place "intimidation," the voting in San Jose del Cabo went off smoothly.

Nearly 60 percent of the state's electorate reportedly voted.