Mexican leftist Lopez Obrador wins presidency: exit polls

Presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador addresses supporters after polls closed in the presidential election, in Mexico City, Mexico July 1, 2018. [Photo:Reuters]

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador decisively won Mexico’s presidency on Sunday, exit polls showed, setting the stage for the most left-wing government in decades at a time of tense relations with the Trump administration.

Pledging to eradicate corruption and subdue drug cartels with a less confrontational approach, the 64-year-old former Mexico City mayor will carry high expectations into office even as his efforts to reduce inequality are watched closely by nervous investors.