Political parties are making history in Oaxaca after nominating 19 transgender women as candidates (or their substitutes) for mayor in 12 municipalities.

The For Mexico in Front coalition, an alliance of the National Action (PAN), the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the Citizens’ Movement (MC) parties, registered the largest number of transgender candidates with seven.

Absent from the list is the left-leaning Morena party and its allies in the Together We’ll Make History coalition, the Labor and Social Encounter parties.

“Transgender women will let the voters know that they are a political option,” said electoral institute president Gustavo Meixueiro Nájera.

The dozen municipalities with transgender candidates are Cosolapa, San Pedro Ixcatlán, San José Chiltepec, Santa María Teopoxco, San Juan Cacahuatepec, Chalcatongo de Hidalgo, Cuilapam de Guerrero, San Atonino Castillo Velasco, Santiago Laollaga, San Juan Bautista lo de Soto, Magdalena Tlacotepec and San Pedro Mixtepec.

There are 9,660 people are running for office in the state this year, with elections being held for 42 seats in the state Congress — for which there are 667 candidates — and for mayors and councilors in 153 municipalities. Candidates at the municipal level total 9,084.

Over half of those — 4,667 — are women.

Voters go to the polls on July 1.

Source: El Gráfico de Oaxaca (sp), Primera Línea (sp), Eje Central (sp)