Ahead of the election, The Washington Post characterized Cervera and Correa as "running neck-and-neck amid charges by independent observers that the ruling party had attempted to tamper with the vote."[4]
Polling conducted ahead of the election found either an effective tie between Cervera and Correa, or a slight advantage for the former.[3] Ahead of the election, observers anticipated the possibility of political violence in the aftermath of voting.[5]
PRI candidate Victor Cervera Pacheco, who had previously served as governor of Yucatán from 1984 to 1988, was described as a member of the PRI's "Old Guard". PAN candidate Luis Correa Mena was described as a protégé of national party president Carlos Castillo Peraza.[5]
