1904 Mexican general election

none September 2025 1893 Mexico 11 July 1904 1900 Mexican general election 1900 1910 Mexican general election 1910 yes Presidential election presidential Photo of Porfirio Díaz.jpg Porfirio Díaz Ramón Corral 19,008 100% Nicolás Zuñiga y Miranda.jpg Nicolás Zúñiga y Miranda None 0 0% President Porfirio Díaz Porfirio Díaz General elections were held in Mexico on 11 July 1904. Incumbent Porfirio Díaz was the only serious candidate for the presidency, and was re-elected with 100% of the vote.Volker G. Lehr (1981) Der mexikanische Autoritarismus: Parteien, Wahlen, Herrschaftssicherung und Krisenpotential, p310 Ramón Corral became the first Mexican vice president in decades, and the first elected via popular vote.Pacheco Adriana ¿Por qué en México no hay un vicepresidente del Gobierno? 2021-11-21 AS es https://mexico.as.com/mexico/2021/11/21/actualidad/1637517932_270877.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20250615033641/https://mexico.as.com/mexico/2021/11/21/actualidad/1637517932_270877.html 2025-06-15 2024-03-12 The only other presidential candidate, the perennial Nicolás Zúñiga y Miranda, received no votes. The election took place during the period known as the Porfiriato. Díaz, who had held the presidency since 1884 and twice before then, had established a dictatorial regime. His advisors, the Científicos, urged him to reestablish the position of vice president, which he did, and the nomination went to Corral, his secretary of the interior. On the day of the election, the victory of the Díaz-Corral ticket was announced before noon. Background Porfiriato After the foundation of the First Mexican Republic, the offices of president and vice president were created, with the president being the winner of a national election and the vice president being the candidate who came in second. The first vice president, Nicolás Bravo, unsuccessfully attempted to oust the first president, Guadalupe Victoria, which set a precedent for conflicts between the president and vice president. The position of vice president was abolished and reintroduced twice, before an 1847 amendment to Mexico's constitution removed it for decades. The position was not restored with the adoption of the 1857 constitution.Hernández Bertha El vicepresidente de Don Porfirio 2018-07-29 La Crónica de Hoy es https://www.cronica.com.mx/notas-el_vicepresidente_de_don_porfirio-1088592-2018.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20240319030426/https://www.cronica.com.mx/notas-el_vicepresidente_de_don_porfirio-1088592-2018.html 2024-03-19 2024-03-18 Under the 1857 constitution, the president of the Supreme Court was to succeed the president. However, conflicts arose between President Benito Juárez and President of the Supreme Court Jesús González Ortega, and later between President Sebastián Lerdo de TejadaHis surname is sometimes written simply as Lerdo.Wasserman 2000 130 However, it is a single surname and should be written as Lerdo de Tejada. His full name was Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada y Corral, with his father being Juan Antonio Lerdo de Tejada y Matute and his mother being Concepción Corral y Bustillos.Biografía de Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada 2022-04-21 El Heraldo de Aguascalientes es https://www.heraldo.mx/biografia-de-sebastian-lerdo-de-tejada/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20220422084912/https://www.heraldo.mx/biografia-de-sebastian-lerdo-de-tejada/#google_vignette 2022-04-22 2024-04-02 and the president of the Supreme Court José María Iglesias. Under the advice of Justo Sierra, the Constitution was amended in 1882 to place the president of the senate first in the line of succession. In 1896, another amendment placed the Secretary of Foreign Affairs first in the line of succession, and if there was none, then it would be the secretary of the interior. It has been speculated that this was so then-president Porfirio Díaz could appease the presidential aspirations of his father-in-law, Manuel Romero Rubio,Romero Rubio Spanish who was then the secretary of the Interior. However, he died in 1895, before the change was made. Being born in 1828, he had also been older than Díaz,Rangole Itzia Manuel Romero Rubio, de diputado liberal a suegro de Porfirio Díaz 2023-02-12 El Sol de Tampico es https://www.elsoldetampico.com.mx/cultura/manuel-romero-rubio-diputado-del-congreso-constituyente-de-1856-y-suegro-de-porfiriio-diaz-9609457.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20250708052932/https://oem.com.mx/elsoldetampico/cultura/manuel-romero-rubio-diputado-del-congreso-constituyente-de-1856-y-suegro-de-porfiriio-diaz-15767074 2025-07-08 2024-03-19 who was born in 1830. Additionally, by 1904, the secretary of foreign affairs was Ignacio Mariscal, who was also older than Díaz.Although all three men were similar in age, Romero Rubio and Mariscal were still older than Díaz. Romero Rubio was born in 1828, Mariscal in 1829,Ignacio Mariscal Fagoaga Político, jurista, diplomático y escritor mexicano CNDH es https://www.cndh.org.mx/noticia/ignacio-mariscal-fagoaga-politico-jurista-diplomatico-y-escritor-mexicano live https://web.archive.org/web/20241126185725/https://www.cndh.org.mx/noticia/ignacio-mariscal-fagoaga-politico-jurista-diplomatico-y-escritor-mexicano 2024-11-26 2024-03-10 and Díaz in 1830. Incidentally, Díaz outlived both of them as well. Romero Rubio died in office in 1895, and Mariscal died in office in 1910, while Díaz died in exile in 1915.Serrano Álvarez 2012 282 After the triumph of the Liberal Party and the defeat of the Conservative Party in the Reform War and the Second French intervention, the Liberals split into three factions. One supported Juárez, one supported Lerdo de Tejada, and one supported Díaz. Díaz's ultimately prevailed.Torres-Ruiz 2004 13 To support Díaz's 1892 reelection, a group of politicians, landowners, businessmen, and bankers formed the Unión Liberal (es Liberal Union), also known as Los Científicos (es The Scientists).Torres-Ruiz 2004 15 Manuel Romero Rubio was the group's main founder.Werner 2001 328Goldberg Maren científico 2024-03-18 Encyclopædia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/cientifico live https://web.archive.org/web/20250812072751/https://www.britannica.com/topic/cientifico 2025-08-12 2024-03-26 The Científicos were known for their adherence to positivism and connecting liberalism with promotion of Mexico's economic development and foreign investment. They consolidated Mexico's previously fractured political sectors together into a political elite, which allowed them to have a vital role in Díaz's government. Candidates Presidential left horizontal A trip to Mexico, being notes of a journey from Lake Erie to Lake Tezcuco and back, with an appendix, containing and being a paper about the ancient nations and races who inhabited Mexico before and (14761050721) (cropped).jpg 197 Diaz, master of Mexico (1911) (14597166899).jpg 189 President Diaz, Mexico, 1895 (PORTRAITS 1003).jpg 168 Picture of Porfirio Díaz.jpg 171 President Porfirio Díaz had been the incumbent since 1884. By 1904, his age was becoming a concern for his political allies. Left to right: Díaz 1880, in 1884, in 1895, and 1904. José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz MoriDíaz Mori Spanish was born in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca in 1830.Serrano Álvarez 2012 11 He came to prominence as a general fighting against the Conservative Party during the Reform War and against the French during the Second French intervention, which made him an ally of President Juárez. However, he revolted against Juárez following his reelection bid in 1871, but was defeated.Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional 2 de julio de 1915, aniversario luctuoso del General Porfirio Díaz. 2019-06-29 www.gob.mx es https://www.gob.mx/sedena/documentos/2-de-julio-de-1915-aniversario-luctuoso-del-general-porfirio-diaz dead https://web.archive.org/web/20220702192409/https://www.gob.mx/sedena/documentos/2-de-julio-de-1915-aniversario-luctuoso-del-general-porfirio-diaz 2022-07-02 2024-03-14 In 1876, Díaz successfully ousted Juárez's successor, Lerdo de Tejada, who was seeking reelection, while Díaz positioned himself as anti-reelection.Ruiz 1992 267-268 He served as president in 1876Serrano Álvarez 2012 50-51 and from 1877 to 1880 in an elected capacity.Serrano Álvarez 2012 56, 103 For the next four years, Díaz's ally Manuel González Flores held the presidency, however, in 1884, Díaz abandoned his pledge of no reelection, and won another term. An 1888 constitutional amendment allowed for him to be reelected that year, and a 1902 amendment made indefinite reelection legal. He was successfully re-elected every four years, holding the presidency up into 1904.Ruiz 1992 275 This period is often known as the Porfiriato.Inicio de la Revolución Mexicana: el fin del porfiriato y el levantamiento de Madero 2019-11-15 www.gob.mx es https://www.gob.mx/segob/articulos/inicio-de-la-revolucion-mexicana-el-fin-del-porfiriato-y-el-levantamiento-de-madero?idiom=es live https://web.archive.org/web/20210719050448/https://www.gob.mx/segob/articulos/inicio-de-la-revolucion-mexicana-el-fin-del-porfiriato-y-el-levantamiento-de-madero?idiom=es 2021-07-19 2024-03-13 Díaz's rule saw increased foreign investmentEl contexto internacional (2) cultura.gob.mx es https://www.cultura.gob.mx/centenario-constitucion/?numero=291 live https://web.archive.org/web/20180307172248/https://www.cultura.gob.mx/centenario-constitucion/?numero=291 2018-03-07 2024-03-13Mexico weighs ex-dictator Porfirio Diaz century after death 2015-07-01 AP News https://apnews.com/international-news-general-news-78c6cdb6281c49b697c3a7d95f2c9684 live https://web.archive.org/web/20240313144924/https://apnews.com/international-news-general-news-78c6cdb6281c49b697c3a7d95f2c9684 2024-03-13 2024-03-13 and expansion of Mexico's railways.Armenta Alejandro Sistema ferroviario en México: del porfiriato al obradorismo 2023-07-24 El Universal es https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/alejandro-armenta/sistema-ferroviario-en-mexico-del-porfiriato-al-obradorismo/?outputType=amp live https://web.archive.org/web/20240313144925/https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/alejandro-armenta/sistema-ferroviario-en-mexico-del-porfiriato-al-obradorismo/?outputType=amp 2024-03-13 2024-03-13 However, it was also marked by human rights violations and repressions against industrial workers, indigenous peoples, and peasant groups. Several analysts have since described Díaz as a dictator.Sources describing Díaz as a dictator include:25 de mayo. Renuncia de Porfirio Díaz a la presidencia. 2022-05-25 muesolegislativo.diputados.gob.mx es https://museolegislativo.diputados.gob.mx/25-de-mayo-renuncia-de-porfirio-diaz-a-la-presidencia/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240313152920/https://museolegislativo.diputados.gob.mx/25-de-mayo-renuncia-de-porfirio-diaz-a-la-presidencia/ 2024-03-13 Después de la renuncia del dictador oaxaqueño... After the resignation of the Oaxacan dictator... 2024-03-13Ruiz 1992 272Ochoa Andrea ¿Por qué los restos de Porfirio Díaz están en Francia? 2022-07-01 Architectural Digest México y Latinoamérica es https://www.admagazine.com/articulos/porfirio-diaz-y-la-historia-de-sus-restos-en-francia live https://web.archive.org/web/20220727203735/https://www.admagazine.com/articulos/porfirio-diaz-y-la-historia-de-sus-restos-en-francia 2022-07-27 Mientras que algunos lo consideran un dictador, otros creen que Porfirio Díaz es uno de los mejores presidentes que ha habido en México. While some consider him a dictator, others think that Porfirio Díaz is one of the best presidents Mexico has ever had. 2024-03-13 Nicolás Zúñiga y MirandaZúñiga Miranda Spanish was an eccentric and perennial candidate for the presidency from Zacatecas, Zacatecas,Pacheco Colín Ricardo Zúñiga y Miranda, "Presidente legítimo" 2012-07-31 El Economista es https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/arteseideas/Zuniga-y-Miranda-Presidente-legitimo-20120730-0117.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20241203143000/https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/arteseideas/Zuniga-y-Miranda-Presidente-legitimo-20120730-0117.html 2024-12-03 2024-03-12 1033172964 who always ran as an independent, presenting himself as the "people's candidate".López Alfred El hombre que se convirtió en el candidato perpetuo a la presidencia de México 2018-01-12 Yahoo! Noticias es https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/el-hombre-que-se-convirtio-en-el-candidato-perpetuo-la-presidencia-de-mexico-111908090.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20181103153623/https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/el-hombre-que-se-convirtio-en-el-candidato-perpetuo-la-presidencia-de-mexico-111908090.html 2018-11-03 2024-03-12 He first come to notoriety in Mexico City in 1887 due to his claim to have invented a seismograph, which happened to correctly predict an earthquake. This fame encouraged him to run as a candidate in the 1892 election against Díaz. According to Díaz's government, he only received 24 votes, but he claimed to have been the real winner, protested that elections were fraudulent, and was sentenced to 25 days in jail. He was popular with many citizens who convinced him to run again, but this support was ephemeral, and when he ran again in 1896 and 1900, recounts showed he received zero votes. Zúñiga y Miranda continued to claim fraud and declared himself the legitimate president. Vice presidential thumb|right|A 1901 article in the New York Republican on the presidential ambitions of Reyes and Limantour Bernardo Reyes was born in 1850. A brigadier general, he was a supporter of President Díaz. During the 1880s he oversaw military operations in Northern Mexico against rebelling indigenous groups such as the Apache. He became the governor of Nuevo León, which was critical to Mexico's stability due to its proximity to the United States and its growing population. In this position he dismantled regional political machines and firmly placed the state under Díaz's control using brutality. However, he also oversaw economic growth, and improved foreign investment, infrastructure, labor conditions, education, sanitation, and public health.Werner 2001 680–681 During his 1900 reelection, Díaz visited the governor and emphatically praised his leadership, which was rare for Díaz.Krauze Enrique Enrique Krauze La hipótesis de Bernardo Reyes 2015-07-20 Letras Libres es https://letraslibres.com/historia/la-hipotesis-de-bernardo-reyes/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20220704120505/https://letraslibres.com/historia/la-hipotesis-de-bernardo-reyes/ 2022-07-04 2024-03-26 Díaz appointed him Secretary of War.Werner 2001 681 In that position he gave Mexico's army a strong public image. All this created the view of Reyes as a potential successor to Díaz. Ramón Corral was born in Álamos, Sonora in 1854. He had been serving as Secretary of the Interior since 1903, and previously held various local posts, such as the governorship of his home state and governor of the federal district.Ramón Corral Dead: Former Vice President of Mexico Succumbs to Long Illness in Paris 1912-11-11 The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/11/11/100380622.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20240812130609/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/11/11/100380622.pdf 2024-08-12 2024-03-12 97263591 Corral was a member of the Científicos.Wasserman 2000 221 Díaz described Corral as a "president in reserve".Company staff 1904 1222 José Yves Limantour was born in 1854. Since 1893, he had been serving as Secretary of the Treasury in Díaz's cabinet. He was one of the founders of the Unión Liberal,Werner 2001 330–331 and after Romero Rubio's death, Limantour was considered to be the unofficial leader of the Científicos. He was credited with introducing financial reforms that strengthened the Mexican peso and economy after several years of economic difficulties and debt. Notably, he oversaw the introduction of Mexico's private banking system, turned a budget deficit into a surplus, and in 1903 arranged to have the peso put on the gold standard. However, he had also failed to make credit widely available, and he failed to secure a large amount of funding for the federal government itself. Campaign thumb|right|Díaz (center) and the Científicos. Corral is the fourth from the left and Limantour the third from the right. In 1903, preparations began for Díaz's reelection the following year. At that point, Díaz was 73 years old.I. Introdución 2010 National Autonomous University of Mexico es https://archivos.juridicas.unam.mx/www/bjv/libros/6/2860/9.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20211024183747/https://archivos.juridicas.unam.mx/www/bjv/libros/6/2860/9.pdf 2021-10-24 2024-03-14 The Científicos insisted that Díaz reestablish the position of vice president so that there would be a clear successor should Díaz die in office. This was also advocated by representatives of foreign investors, who specified that the vice president must be someone younger than Díaz. Congress then amended the constitution to reestablish the vice presidency and to extend the next term from four years to six.Tinajero Portes Luis Días conmemorativos en la historia de México 1994 Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí es 224 https://books.google.com/books?id=FnxIVh-A60YC 968-6194-65-7 On May 20, 1904, a large convention occurred to renominate Díaz and select a vice presidential candidate.Serrano Álvarez 2012 212 Limantour and Reyes were viewed as strong potential vice presidential contenders. Earlier, Reyes had been ordered to resign from his cabinet position, possibly in a ploy by Díaz to establish Limantour as his successor instead. However, by 1904, he appeared to be backing away from that idea as well. Limantour as offered the position as Díaz's running mate, but he publicly turned it down.Werner 2001 333 Ultimately, Corral was announced as the running mate and Díaz was renominated.Reyes, Limantour, and Corral were all younger than Díaz, as was required. Reyes was born in 1850, and Corral and Limantour were born in 1854. Despite this, out of all of Díaz's potential successors, only Limantour outlived Díaz. Corral died in 1912, and Reyes died in 1913. Limantour outlived Díaz by 20 years, dying in 1935. The selection of Corral was reportedly unpopular.Meyer Michael Beezley William The Oxford History of Mexico 2010 Oxford University Press 388 https://books.google.com/books?id=Amt1ZXMeVYMC 978-0-1997-7-9932Russell 2010 379 During the election, as he had done previously, Díaz never acknowledged any opposition candidates.Gantús Fausta ¿Porfirio Díaz y otros presidenciables? 2022-01-01 Letras Libres es https://letraslibres.com/revista/porfirio-diaz-y-otros-presidenciables/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20220105174005/https://letraslibres.com/revista/porfirio-diaz-y-otros-presidenciables/ 2022-01-05 2024-03-20 Results thumb|right|1904 pamphlet celebrating the electoral victory of Díaz and Corral The election took place on July 11, 1904.Company staff 1904 1240 It occurred so quickly that at 10:15, the ringing of temple bells in Mexico City announced that the Díaz-Corral ticket won unanimously.Serrano Álvarez 2012 213 President Porfirio Díaz 19008 Nicolás Zúñiga y Miranda 0 Ramírez Rancaño,Ramírez Rancaño 1977 284 López Vice-president Ramón Corral 18998 Other candidates 17 Aguilar RiveraJosé Antonio Aguilar Rivera (2010) Las elecciones y el gobierno representativo en México (1810-1910), p346 Aftermath April 2024 Corral was inaugurated on December 1 of that year as vice president.del Castillo Ignacio B. Biografía de D. Ramón Corral 1910 Imprenta dirigida por Juan Aguilar Vera es 70 https://books.google.com/books?id=EZNLAQAAMAAJ He was Mexico's first vice president in decades, and the first to have been elected by a popular vote. At the time, some international observers believed Díaz was preparing Corral to succeed him as president, and speculated that Díaz would not run for president again in 1910 due to his age.Company staff 1904 1223 In January 1905, Díaz took a month-long vacation to Tehuantepec, and during that time he left Corral in charge of the federal government until he returned, the first time a president had done so.Serrano Álvarez 2012 214 Aside from this, Díaz gave Corral very little to do in the position. Corral mainly attended ceremonies he had little interest in, although he continued to serve as secretary of the interior, which kept him occupied with actual work. The selection of Corral, a close confidant of Díaz, as vice president signified that even if the president died, the same clique would continue to govern Mexico. Corral's unpopularity lead Díaz to send Reyes to assignments in Europe, as Reyes was viewed as becoming too popular. Notes References Bibliography Company staff The World To-day: A Monthly Record of Human Progress. Volume 7 1904 The World To-Day Company Chicago https://books.google.com/books?id=o24AAAAAYAAJ Ramírez Rancaño Mario Estadísticas electorales: presidenciales January 1977 Revista Mexicana de Sociología es 39 1 271-299 https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3539798.pdf 3539798 Ruiz Ramón Eduardo Triumphs and Tragedy: A History of the Mexican People 1992 W. W. Norton https://books.google.com/books?id=AfdjWl1xKpwC 978-0-3933-1-0665 Russell Philip L. The History of Mexico : From Pre-Conquest to Present 2010 Taylor & Francis 978-0-415-87236-2 Serrano Álvarez Pablo Martínez Ocampo Lourdes Porfirio Díaz y el Porfiriato, Cronología (1830-1915) 2012 Instituto Nacional de Estudios Históricos de las Revoluciones de México es https://inehrm.gob.mx/work/models/inehrm/Resource/437/1/images/porfirio_porfiriato.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20250829031811/https://inehrm.gob.mx/work/models/inehrm/Resource/437/1/images/porfirio_porfiriato.pdf 2025-08-29 978-607-7916-66-6 Torres-Ruiz María Laura Partidos políticos en México: Los Sentimientos de la Nación 2004 Museo Legislativo es https://www.diputados.gob.mx/sedia/museo/cuadernos/Partidos_politicos_Mexico.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160509120432/https://www.diputados.gob.mx/sedia/museo/cuadernos/Partidos_politicos_Mexico.pdf 2016-05-09 Wasserman Mark Everyday Life and Politics In Nineteenth Century Mexico: Men, Women, and War 2000 University of New Mexico Press https://books.google.com/books?id=DuAqebv9u4oC 978-0-8263-2-1718 Werner Michael S. Concise Encyclopedia of Mexico 2001 Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers https://books.google.com/books?id=Qxp-GWiDPioC 978-1-5795-8-3378 General Category:Presidential elections in Mexico Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results Category:July 1904 in North America