Margarita Zavala de Calderón

Margarita Ester Zavala Gómez del Campo (; born on 25 July 1967) is a Mexican politician and lawyer. She has served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies representing Mexico City's 10th electoral district since 2021. As the wife of Felipe Calderón, she was the first lady of Mexico from 2006 to 2012. An independent politician, Zavala was a candidate in the 2018 Mexican presidential election, running from 12 October 2017, until withdrawing on 16 May 2018.

Early life Margarita Zavala was born on 25 July 1967 in Mexico City. She is the fifth of seven siblings: Diego Hildebrando, Mercedes, Pablo, Juan Ignacio, Rafael and Mónica. Her parents, Diego Zavala Pérez and Mercedes Gómez del Campo, were lawyers. Her father was a magistrate in the Tribunal Superior de Justicia del Distrito Federal. She first met Felipe Calderón in 1984, when both were activists for the PAN party. Zavala studied law at the Escuela Libre de Derecho, Zavala was a Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Federal District between 15 September 1994 and 14 September 1997. Zavala was a professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana (1991-1992) and also taught law at the Instituto Asunción (1990 to 1999), her high-school alma mater. Zavala is a regular op-ed contributor to El Universal.

National Action Party leadership roles Zavala has been a national councilor for the National Action Party (PAN) since 1991, In 1995, she was a Mexican delegate to the Fourth World Conference on Women. She was also a member on the Law Studies and Parliamentary Investigations Center Committee (2004–06). Additionally, she served as Sub-Coordinator of Social Politics of PAN's Parliamentary Group. Zavala resigned in April 2006 to campaign for her husband's 2006 bid for the Mexican presidency.

First Lady of Mexico First Lady Zavala with First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama in the Yellow Oval Room, February 2010. Margarita's primary objective in the changing Mexican government was to help her newly elected husband run the educational programs throughout the country.

As the wife of Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico during 2006-2012, Margarita Zavala was considered "First Lady" although such function is not defined by the legal framework. She is the only First Lady to have served in Congress, although she served as non-elected member through a position defined as plurinominal by the Mexican law. She served as president of the civic advisory board to the Desarrollo Integral de la Familia, a government agency that promotes child and family development.

She supported organizations that fight drug addiction and others that help migrant children returning from the United States. She launched an anti-addiction program called Nueva Vida, which planned to have 310 centers nationwide as of 2011.

Moreover, her brother's company, Diego Hildebrando Zavala, was awarded some public contracts both during the administration of Felipe Calderón, and before when he was Secretary of Energy, an issue which some Corruption Watch organizations point out as evidence of conflicts of interest from the former president.

Her cousin Luis Felipe Zavala MacGregor was murdered in gang-related violence.

Mariana Gomez del Campo, another cousin of her, became president of the National Action Party of Mexico City amid allegations of electoral fraud by other party members. They also accused her of misappropriation of public money from the party's budget, and nepotism as she appointed her own sister, Teresa Gomez del Campo to the local Mexican Youth Institute, known by its acronym in Spanish IMJUVE with a monthly salary of $28,125 pesos which is almost the double of an average salary in Mexico City.

Post-Calderón presidency

Speculations surrounding Zavala's political career began after her husband's presidency ended. She was eyed as the possible leader of the National Action Party, as well as a potential presidential candidate in 2018, though in 2013 she declined both.

In September 2014, after two years as private citizen, Zavala revealed her intentions of becoming a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies. In January 2015, Zavala formally registered as a pre-candidate for a term as a Federal Deputy, through the means of proportional representation in the fourth electoral region, stating that Mexico required a Congress capable of balancing power. She was backed by several members of her party, including former presidential candidate Josefina Vázquez Mota. However, she was left out of the first 15 places in the PAN's national list, significantly reducing her chances of winning a position in Congress.

A day later, she announced that she would seek the presidency of the PAN, stating that the party needed to change. In February, however, she left open the possibility of running for president in 2018.

Zavala campaigned for various PAN candidates at municipal and state levels during the 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 election cycles.

2018 presidential campaign

On 14 June 2015, Zavala released a video announcing her desire to run as a presidential candidate in 2018.

While attending the Guadalajara International Book Fair, she was asked for the three books that impacted her life (commonly asked to presidential candidates), to which she answered: the Bible, The Price of My Soul by Bernadette Devlin and Caudillos culturales en la Revolución Mexicana by Enrique Krauze.

Zavala was consistently the front runner in polls among likely PAN presidential candidates between March 2016 and April 2017. She released her 3de3 financial records in December 2016.

On 16 May 2018, Zavala publicly withdrew her name from the ticket, ending her presidential campaign.

Political stances Zavala was a proponent for constitutional amendments that would have allowed politicians to seek reelection.

Zavala opposes abortion; with her only political declaration during her time as First Lady being the condemnation of the legalization of abortion in Mexico City. However, during an event in which she was collecting signatures for her independent candidacy, a lesbian couple with children approached her, while they were recorded, they introduced themselves to her and, as the recording shows, Zavala's immediate reaction was of shock followed by instructing the person recording to put it off saying "this is something different", then she turned again at the couple and told them "I believe..." and the recording ends abruptly. She was criticized by the media, and was asked again to clarify her position on same-sex marriage which caused her to say she regretted having done that.

Personal life After six years of dating, she married Felipe Calderón in January 1993. They have three children: María (born 1997), Luis Felipe (born 1999) and Juan Pablo (born 2003).

Zavala is a Roman Catholic.

Public image Zavala became known for wearing rebozos, a traditional shawl. Her austere personality during her time as First Lady was contrasted with the frequently outspoken Marta Sahagún.

Honours