Mexico's former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, has won the governor's race in the country's most important state.
Polls show that Enrique Pena won with about 50 percent of the vote in the multi-candidate race in the state of Mexico, which includes Mexico City.
The PRI controlled the Mexican presidency for 71 years until current President Vicente Fox broke that streak with a victory in 2000.
However the PRI victory in Mexico state has some analysts speculating that the old guard party could win next year's presidential election.
Last week Fox warned the country about the possible return of authoritarian rule.
"In a democracy there are always risks and we are effectively facing the possibility of falling into a fatal regression," said Fox. "(We are at risk of) falling back to presidential authoritarianism."
Fox appeared to be making allusions to both the PRI and presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is a front-runner in the presidential race.
Mexico City's mayor, Obrador, was accused this year of abusing his authority, ignoring federal laws and accused by Fox of overspending his budget.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
