AbstractIn Mexico, democratic processes at the subnational level follow a different logic than at the national level. This article covers the state of Baja California as the epicenter of alternation and political change at the executive level of Mexican states. The goal is to describe and identify factors that influenced political liberalization, as well as the illiberal structures and practices that remain. The Bonilla Law shows how a political elite that has recently taken power uses economic and media resources to co‐opt institutions.