In a remarkable twist, Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, a lawyer fluent in the Mixtec language, Tu’un Savi, has emerged as a leading contender for the presidency of Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice. With 86% of the votes counted by the National Electoral Institute (INE), Aguilar Ortiz has accumulated 4.5 million votes, representing 5.2% of the total. This positions him ahead of Lenia Batres, the second-place candidate at 4.9%, who also seeks to preside over the highest court. At the time of this report, the competition remains tight, with just a three-point margin between the top two contenders.

Aguilar Ortiz's unexpected rise in the judicial arena follows a 30-year career advocating for Indigenous communities. Presently, he serves as the General Coordinator for Indigenous Rights at the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI). His impressive resume includes advising during the San Andrés Larraízar peace talks in Chiapas in 1996. Aguilar Ortiz was one of 64 candidates on the ballot for the Court election, backed by the Executive Power. His educational background includes a law degree and a master's in constitutional law from the University of Oaxaca.

Defying expectations, Aguilar Ortiz has disrupted predictions favoring Batres as the likely winner. The election saw a 13% turnout among the 99.8 million eligible voters. He has hinted at his future approach in the Court, stating he won't wear the traditional ministerial robe, as per requests from the communities he visited, suggesting he won't conform to traditional bureaucratic norms.

Aguilar Ortiz's legal representation of Indigenous communities in Oaxaca is a highlight of his career, offering conciliatory and jurisdictional support for resolving territorial disputes. His public service includes roles in agencies defending native communities, such as the Secretariat of Indigenous Affairs in Oaxaca.

If the current voting trend continues, Aguilar Ortiz will succeed Norma Piña as the Supreme Court President, ushering in a new era of judicial reform marked by the popular election of judges, magistrates, and ministers. His campaign, detailed on the INE website, emphasizes his dedication to justice and Indigenous peoples, advocating for a justice system that prioritizes direct dialogue and eschews formalities.

The district vote counts have sparked debate akin to the complexities of the voting process itself. The peculiar voting system, where each voter cast votes for nine ministers, resulted in null votes surpassing those for Aguilar and Batres combined, totaling 10.1 million null votes compared to their 9.4 million.