While Mexican citizens have been muddling over expectations for the 2018 national, state and local elections for many months, most resident expats at lakeside have remained blissfully oblivious to the hottest topic on the nation’s social agenda.

It’s game on as of this week, so anticipate debate and outright squabbling to grip the community with increasing intensity over the next three months.

Initial campaign noise cranked up on March 30 as candidates for president, federal legislative posts and Jalisco governor officially hit the trail.

Carlos Lomelí Bolaños, running for governor on the Morena coalition ticket, headed for the lakeshore town of Mezcala for his first day on the stump. On the same day Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) candidate Miguel Castro Reynoso appeared at the Chapala Malecón for glad handing with crowds of Easter holiday visitors.

Although front-runner Enrique Alfaro was busy traveling elsewhere in the state, enthusiastic local supporters of the Movimiento Ciudadano (MC) candidate hits the streets of Chapala and Ajijic on Monday afternoon, waving campaign banners and pasting stickers on passing cars. They even trotted out a young boy dressed up in ethnic togs to impersonate Yuawi, the nine-year-old Wixárika singer who has gained fame with a video recording of Movimiento Naranja, the catchy MC campaign anthem.

And so began the prolonged season of blistering political fever. There will be an endless parade of electoral contenders flooding into to the area, pitching pretty promises to remedy all manner of social, economic and environmental ills. They will lead endless rallies and marches, spew their speeches and depart with high hopes of victory come July 1.

For the time being we will be spared the worst of the public political onslaught. Candidates for Chapala mayor and city council seats are banned from actively soliciting votes, promoting their platforms and handing out promotional materials until April 29. The same holds for neighboring Jocotepec, Poncitlán and Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, along with all other Jalisco municipalities.

But after that voters will be subjected to an open political slugfest, despite some candidates calls for propriety and civil discourse.

Many wonder how sibling rivalry will play out between incumbent-up-for-reelection Javier Degollado and younger brother Gerardo, who built up a solid and faithful constituency during his 2007-2009 stint as mayor. Moy Anaya is expected to give the Degollado dynasty a serious run for their money. Alejandro Aguirre may appear less feisty than his chief rivals, but he will surely bank on voters who remember admirable accomplishments during his 2001-2003 mayoral term.

The campaign tactics to be employed by independent Diego Castro, a political novice, will remain a mystery until the real fray begins. Equal uncertainty shrouds Lupita Cárdenas, the distaff postulant of the Verde Ecologista Party whose candidacy won’t be formalized or tossed out until late this month.

Behind the scenes, political fervor is already coming come close to the boiling point. Local social media are afire with dimes y diretes (bickering) posted by candidates, followers and trolls of opposing political stripes. Buck up folks, the party’s just begun.

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