Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Thursday sought to minimize the significance of a congressional defeat for her proposed constitutional electoral reform, describing it as a temporary setback and saying her administration has an alternative strategy to pursue changes.

The proposal failed to pass in the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico on Wednesday after several lawmakers from allied parties broke ranks. Members of the Morena were joined by some legislators from the Green and Workers parties, but defections left the governing coalition short of the supermajority required to approve constitutional amendments.

The reform had been presented by Sheinbaum’s allies as part of a broader effort to reduce government spending. Critics, however, argued that several provisions would weaken smaller political parties.

Speaking Thursday, Sheinbaum said voters would ultimately decide whether lawmakers from those parties had honored their earlier commitments to support her administration’s legislative agenda.

A key point of contention centered on a proposal to eliminate the proportional representation system that currently allocates some congressional seats based on parties’ share of the national vote. The system was designed to ensure that smaller parties gain representation in Congress even if they fail to win individual district races.

The defeat marks Sheinbaum’s first major legislative setback since taking office in 2024, though she indicated her government would continue seeking ways to reform the country’s electoral framework.