Social Democratic Party (Mexico)

The Social Democratic Party or Social Democratic and Peasant Alternative Party (Spanish: Partido Socialdemócrata, PSD, Partido Alternativa Socialdemócrata y Campesina, Alternativa) was a left-wing Mexican political party between 2005 and 2009. It defined itself as a New Left party and distanced itself from what they claimed was the "conflictive left" in Mexico. Founded by Patricia Mercado and Ignacio Irys Salomon, the party nominated Patrica Mercado for the 2006 general election.

In the 2006 legislative elections the party won 4 out of 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies

History

Founding in 2004–2005

Originally named as Social Democratic and Peasant Alternative Party, the party started as an alliance between two political leaders, Ignacio Irys Salomon and Patricia Mercado along with peasantry factions. Although, most of its members also come from four other social democratic parties who have lost registration and merged from the following Social Democracy Party led by Gilberto Rincón Gallardo, México Posible (originally led by Patricia Mercado), Citizen Force Party and the Partido Campesino y Popular.

2006 elections

During 2006, The peasant wing of the PSD was headed by Ignacio Irys Salomón, as part of the fractured Coalition of Urban and Peasant Democratic Organizations which brings together ejidatarios, small landowners and commoners.

The party was seriously fractured, since it was a new party right before the 2006 elections. The peasant wing decided to promote the candidacy of pharmaceutical businessman Víctor González Torres, who was highly popular among them and challenged Mercado's candidacy, assuming that the latter did not have sufficient support within the party. González Torres proclaimed himself as candidate and began a media campaign against Mercado. The Electoral Institute ratified Mercado's candidacy for presidential candidate of the party.