Senate of the Republic (Mexico)

The Senate of the Republic, (Senado de la República) constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union (Cámara de Senadores del H. Congreso de la Unión), is the upper house of Mexico's bicameral Congress. It currently consists of 128 members, who serve six-year terms. Bicameral legislature, including the Senate, was established on 4 October 1824. The Senate was abolished on 7 September 1857 and re-established on 13 November 1874. Under the regime of Porfirio Díaz or the Porfiriato, many seats were given to elites and wealthy people loyal to the regime. During the Mexican Revolution, notably during the brief Madero presidency, the senate was left intact with Porfirian sympathizers and blocked the president's attempts to pass reforms for the Revolution. After a series of reforms during the 1990s, the Senate is made up of 128 senators: Two for each of the 32 states elected under the principle of relative majority; One for each of the 32 states assigned under the principle of first minority (i.e. awarded to the party who had won the second highest number of votes within the state or Mexico City); Thirty-two national senators-at-large, divided among the parties in proportion to their share of the national vote. In a senatorial race, each party nominates two candidates who run and are elected together by direct vote. The party of the two candidates that won the second highest vote within the state or Mexico City then assigns a senator to occupy the third seat (first minority seat), according to the list of candidates that the party registered with the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE). Senators serve six-year terms, running concurrently with the President of Mexico's Sexenio. Special elections are rare, as substitutes are chosen at every election. Until 2018, the Senate was completely renewed every six years since senators were barred from immediate reelection, but Senators can now serve a second term.