Cover art by Jerge on Larry Rubin and the dual nationality reform

Larry Rubin Asks Senate to Reject Dual Nationality Reform Promoted by Sheinbaum

ByJosé Shaddai Olvera Torres

This article by José Shaddai Olvera Torres originally appeared in the September 28, 2026 edition of El Chamuco, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Cover: Jerge

(September 28, 2026).—The representative of the Republican Party in Mexico questioned limiting access to the Presidency, governorships and the Head of Government to people with a single nationality.

Larry Rubin, representative of the Republican Party in Mexico and president of the American Society of Mexico, called on Mexican senators to reject the constitutional reform promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum that seeks to establish sole Mexican nationality as a requirement for those who aspire to the Presidency of the Republic, the governorships and the Head of Government of Mexico City.

Through social media, Rubin asked the 128 senators to weigh their responsibility to the citizens before voting on the initiative.

“Each senator will have to decide whether their responsibility lies first with a party instruction or with the Mexicans they swore to represent,” he wrote.

The statement comes after the Chamber of Deputies approved the reform with 334 votes in favor, 109 against and one abstention. The bill was sent to the Senate, where its discussion and vote are expected.

Rubin Questions That Dual Nationality Determines Loyalty

The reform proposes modifying Articles 82, 116 and 122 of the Constitution to establish that those who aspire to the Presidency, the governorships or the Head of Government of Mexico City maintain an exclusive legal and political bond with the Mexican State.

The bill establishes that those who hold another nationality must renounce it before registering as candidates and prove that the legal bond with the other country ceased to exist in accordance with its legislation. The measure would begin to apply starting with the 2028 electoral process, so it would have no effect on the 2027 elections.

Rubin questioned that having a second nationality could be used as a criterion to determine a person’s loyalty to Mexico.

Dual nationality does not mean dual loyalty. Being Mexican is not measured by how many passports we have, it is measured by our commitment to Mexico.

Larry Rubin, in a message posted on social media

The Republican representative also stated that the reform could create a division between citizens with one and two nationalities, while asking that consideration be given to binational families and to Mexicans who maintain ties with the United States.

A Position Rubin Had Already Expressed

This is not the first time Rubin has questioned the proposal. In early September he called the initiative a “very serious mistake” and maintained that having more than one passport does not determine a person’s loyalty to Mexico.

On that occasion he stated that the measure could affect millions of Mexicans with dual nationality. The figure of potentially affected people that Rubin has mentioned has varied and should not be presented as official data without a demographic source to back it up.

For her part, Sheinbaum has defended the reform with the argument that those who occupy the Presidency, a governorship or the Head of Government must maintain an exclusive legal and political bond with Mexico. The president has maintained that no head of government should have “two flags.”

The Reform Reaches the Senate

The bill is now in the Senate of the Republic, where it needs a qualified majority to amend the Constitution.

The discussion also takes place amid differences among the parliamentary groups allied with Morena. According to recent reports, the ruling party caucus and its allies have a narrow margin to reach the required votes.

Thus, Rubin’s call adds to the public debate over the nationality requirements to access the country’s main executive offices, while the Senate prepares to decide the future of the reform.