Governor of Baja California

The Governor of Baja California represents the executive branch of the government of the state of Baja California, Mexico, per the state's constitution. The official title is "Free and Sovereign State of Baja California" (Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), and the position is democratically elected for a period of 6 years, and is not re-electable. From 1953 to 2019, the governor's term began November 1 of the year of the election and finishes October 31, six years later. To coincide with the federal elections, the law was changed, decreeing there would be an election in 2019, another in 2021, and yet another in 2024 before reverting to a six-year term.[1]

Governor of Baja California
Incumbent
Jaime Bonilla Valdez
since November 1, 2019
Inaugural holderAlfonso García González
FormationNovember 26, 1952

History of the position

The present state of Baja California had its origin in 1888, when then President Porfirio Díaz, decreed the division of the Federal Territory of Baja California into two districts, north and south. The capital and most of the population of the old territory had been in the south, closer to the area's maritime passage. The north was mostly isolated by the sea and by the desert. As the population grew toward the end of the 19th century, the territory was divided into two districts.

The initial capital of the North District was the port of Ensenada, and each one of the two districts remained governed by a political leader appointed by the territory, although officially they continued being territorial a single unit.

The constitution of 1917 maintained the existence of the Federal Territory divided into two districts but changed the denomination of the Chief Executive into Governor, maintaining this division until 1931 when finally two independent Districts were formed from the Federal Territories.

Finally in 1952, the northern territory became the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California; starting 1953 the governor was elected for a six-year term. The Constitution of Mexico was changed in the 2010s, demanding that gubernatorial elections coincide with presidential elections (2018, 2024, 2030, etc.) Thus in 2014 the law was changed so there would be an election in 2019 and another in 2021. Jaime Bonilla (Morena), who took office on November 15, 2019, argued that he had been elected for a five-year term, from November 1, 2019, to September 20, 2024. A referendum was held to extend his term to 2024, which passed with 82% of the vote but only 1.9% citizen participation. The legislature ratified the decision with the so-called Ley Bonilla (Bonilla Law) in a 30-minute session. The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation in a unanimous decision nullified this law on May 11, 2020, meaning Bonilla′s term would expire in 2021 and his successor would serve from 2021 to 2024.[1][2]

List of governors

The individuals that have occupied the governorship of the State of Baja California, in its different denominations, have been the following:

(1888-1917) Chief Executive of the North District of the Federal Territory of Baja California
  1. (1851): Francisco Javier del Castillo Negrete
  2. (1855?): José María Oñate
  3. (1856?): Francisco de Paula Ferrer
  4. (1854) -(1856): José María Larroque
  5. (1854) - (1859): José Castro (político)
  6. (1859) - (1861): José Sáenz
  7. (1861) - (1868): Juan Mendoza (México) y Feliciano Ruiz Esparza, Cecilio Zérega
  8. (1868): Manuel Clemente Rojo
  9. (1876 (o 1873)): José María Villagrana
  10. (1876): José Matías Moreno, Brígido Castejón
  11. ¿(1879)? : Ignacio Alas
  12. (1888–1894): Luis E. Torres
  13. (1894–1902): Agustín Sanginés
  14. (1902–1903): Abraham Arroniz
  15. (1903–1911): Celso Vega
  16. (1911): Miguel Mayol
  17. (1911): Jacinto Barrera
  18. (1911–1912): Manuel Gordillo Escudero
  19. (1912–1913): Carlos R. Ptanick
  20. (1913): José Dolores Espinoza
  21. (1913): Miguel V. Gómez
  22. (1913–1914): Francisco N. Vásquez
  23. (1914–1915): David Zárate
  24. (1915–1917): Esteban Cantú Jiménez

(1917-1931) Governors of the North District of the Federal Territory of Baja California
  1. (1917–1920): Esteban Cantú Jiménez
  2. (1920): Luis M. Salazar
  3. (1920–1921): Manuel Balarezo
  4. (1921): Epigmenio Ibarra Jr.
  5. (1921–1922): Lucas B. Rodríguez
  6. (1922–1923): José Inocente Lugo
  7. (1923–1930): Abelardo L. Rodríguez
  8. (1930): José María Tapia Freyding
  9. (1930): Arturo M. Bernal Navarrete
  10. (1930–1931): Carlos Trejo y Lerdo de Tejada

(1931-1952) Governors of the Federal North Territory of Baja California
  1. (1931): Carlos Trejo y Lerdo de Tejada
  2. (1931–1932): Agustín Olachea
  3. (1932): Arturo M. Elías
  4. (1932–1935): Agustín Olachea
  5. (1935–1936): Gildardo Magaña
  6. (1936): Gabriel Gavira
  7. (1936–1937): Rafael Navarro Cortina
  8. (1937–1944): Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada
  9. (1944–1946): Juan Felipe Rico Islas
  10. (1946–1947): Alberto V. Aldrete
  11. (1947–1952): Alfonso García González

(1952-Present) Governors of the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California
  1. (1952–1953): Alfonso García González
  2. (1953–1959): Braulio Maldonado Sandez
  3. (1959–1964): Eligio Esquivel Méndez
  4. (1964–1965): Gustavo Aubanel Vallejo[3]
  5. (1965–1971): Raúl Sánchez Díaz Martell
  6. (1971–1977): Milton Castellanos Everardo
  7. (1977–1983): Roberto de la Madrid
  8. (1983–1989): Xicoténcatl Leyva Mortera
  9. (1989–1989): Oscar Baylón Chacón[4]
  10. (1989–1995): Ernesto Ruffo Appel
  11. (1995–1998): Héctor Terán Terán
  12. (1998–2001): Alejandro González Alcocer
  13. (2001–2007): Eugenio Elorduy Walther
  14. (2007–2013): José Guadalupe Osuna Millán
  15. (2013–2019): Francisco Vega de Lamadrid
  16. (2019–present): Jaime Bonilla Valdez

References
  1. "¿Qué es la Ley Bonilla y por qué es inconstitucional?". Business Insider México | Noticias pensadas para ti (in Spanish). 12 May 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  2. "Suprema Corte 'tira' la Ley Bonilla; la califican como fraude constitucional". El Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  3. "Gustavo Aubanel Vallejo forjó instituciones: Historiador". Síntesis TV (in Spanish). 24 July 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  4. "Fallece en Tijuana exgobernador Óscar Baylón Chacón". ZETA - Libre como el viento (in Spanish). Retrieved August 13, 2020.
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