Mexico’s ruling Morena party has chosen Senator Laura Itzel Castillo to preside over the Senate’s Mesa Directiva during the 2025-26 ordinary session, lawmakers said after the caucus’s plenary meeting on 28 August. Castillo, a long-time left-wing activist known for championing social causes, will replace Gerardo Fernández Noroña when the new legislative period opens on 1 September. The post is pivotal for steering debates, setting the agenda and representing the chamber institutionally. President Claudia Sheinbaum welcomed the pick, calling Castillo “a great social fighter.” The selection aims to maintain alignment with the administration’s priorities amid heightened inter-party tensions, including Morena’s internal debate over the potential election of opposition lawmaker Kenia López Rabadán to lead the lower house.