Amalia Dolores García Medina (born October 6, 1951) is a Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 politician and a former governor of Zacatecas

Governor of Zacatecas

The governor of Zacatecas wields executive power in the State of Zacatecas. The governor is directly elected by the citizens, using secret ballot, to a six-year term with no possibility of reelection.The current governor of Zacatecas is Miguel Alonso Reyes.-Incumbents:* 1928–1932: Leobardo C...

.

García was born into a political family

Political families of the world

A political family is a family in which several members are involved in politics, particularly electoral politics. Members may be related by blood or marriage; often several generations or multiple siblings may be involved....

. When she was five, her father Francisco Garcia Estrada was elected governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 of their home state of Zacatecas

Zacatecas

Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....

, representing the Institutional Revolutionary Party

Institutional Revolutionary Party

The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...

 (PRI). Rather than following in his footsteps, García instead enrolled in the outlawed Mexican Communist Party

Mexican Communist Party

The Mexican Communist Party was a communist party in Mexico. It was founded in 1911 as the Socialist Workers' Party by Manabendra Nath Roy, a left-wing Indian intellectual. The PSO changed its name to the Mexican Communist Party in November 1919 following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia...

 (PCM) after witnessing the student revolts of 1968 and the Tlatelolco massacre

Tlatelolco massacre

The Tlatelolco massacre, also known as The Night of Tlatelolco , was a government massacre of student and civilian protesters and bystanders that took place during the afternoon and night of October 2, 1968, in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco section of Mexico City...

. Her political stance became more moderate over time and she left the PCM for the Unified Socialist Party of Mexico

Unified Socialist Party of Mexico

The Unified Socialist Party of Mexico was a far-left political party in Mexico. It later became the Mexican Socialist Party in 1988...

 (PSUM). From there she went on to be a founding member of the Party of the Democratic Revolution

Party of the Democratic Revolution

The Party of the Democratic Revolution is a democratic socialist party in Mexico and one of 2 Mexican affiliates of the Socialist International...

 (PRD) when it was created in 1989.

In the 1990s she served as both a deputy

Chamber of Deputies of Mexico

The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature. The structure and responsibilities of both chambers of Congress are defined in Articles 50 to 70 of the current constitution.-Composition:The Chamber of Deputies is composed of one federal...

 and a senator

Senate of Mexico

The Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...

 for the PRD. In 1996 she ran (unsuccessfully) for party president; she ran again, and won, in 2000.

Governor of Zacatecas

In 2003 she was selected as the PRD's candidate in the 2004 Zacatecas gubernatorial election

Zacatecas state election, 2004

The Mexican state of Zacatecas held an election on Sunday, 4 July 2004.At stake was the office of the Zacatecas State Governor, all 30 members of the unicameral Zacatecas State Congress, and 57 mayors and municipal councils....

. In the election of July 4, 2004 she won a convincing victory and was sworn in as the first female governor of Zacatecas on September 12, 2004.

She was the fifth woman to serve as governor of a Mexican state

States of Mexico

The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...

. Earlier women governors were Griselda Álvarez

Griselda Álvarez

Griselda Álvarez was the first female governor in Mexico. Álvarez was Governor of the state of Colima from 1979-1985. -Biography:...

 (Colima

Colima

Colima is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima....

, 1979–1985), Beatriz Paredes (Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala is one of the 31 states which along with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipalities and its capital city is Tlaxcala....

, 1987–1992), Dulce María Sauri (Yucatán

Yucatán

Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....

, 1991–1994, Rosario Robles Berlanga (Distrito Federal, 1999–2000).

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