[1][2] The PARM was founded by a group of veterans of the Mexican Revolution who had been marginalized in the PRI, led by Juan Barragán and Jacinto B. Treviño, both revolutionary generals who had held important governmental positions.

It was only an independent competitor in one city, Nuevo Laredo, where it won the municipal presidency.

In 1987, the PARM broke from the PRI for the first time as it became the first party to nominate Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano for president, leading to the beginning of the National Democratic Front.

One month prior to the election, the widening rift between the candidate and party leadership led to Muñoz Ledo resigning from his candidacy in favor of Vicente Fox.

The party refused to recognize Muñoz Ledo's move but did not select a replacement candidate and definitively lost its registration in the ensuing election.