Political murders are on the rise ahead of the election campaign

MEXICO CITY (KYMA, KECY) - At least 88 politicians or candidates have been killed in Mexico since September 2020.

CNN reported in most cases, cartels are often targeting politicians to continue to have territorial control. Many of these groups are intimidated by having someone running for office who will not abide by their needs and will not control the territory.

But Mexico's government says this year's midterm elections will be the biggest one yet. But it might also be the deadliest.

A former prosecutor from Sonora, Abel Murrieta, was recently gunned down by two men, shooting him 10 times. His death came a day after releasing his final campaign ad in which he recorded, "Enough with the drugs that steal our kids and destroy our families. I'm a man of the law. I'll lay down the law. My hand isn't shaking. I am not afraid."

Murrieta was also representing the LeBaron family, a family with dual US-Mexico citizenship that lost nine of its members when they were murdered by suspected cartel members in late 2019.

Another recent death was an aspiring candidate gunned down during a campaign event. Alma Rosa Barragan was running for mayor in the city of Moroleón in the state of Guanajuato, one of the country's most violent regions. Just moments before her death, she was seen in a Facebook Live saying, "If you'd like to accompany me, come so you can listen to my proposals, come so we can coexist for a moment. Then, together, we can do it better."

Police continue to investigate her death.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's administration says they do everything they can to protect candidates. However, critics say the government does not do enough to protect them.