The Head of Government (Spanish: Jefe/Jefa de Gobierno) wields the executive power in Mexico City.

Under the reforms of the state introduced by presidents Carlos Salinas and Ernesto Zedillo, the Regent was replaced by the first directly elected Head of Government in 1997.

On July 6, 1997, with a 47.7% share of the vote in an eight-candidate race, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas won the first direct Head of Government election (this first term was to last only three years, to bring the office into line with the presidential succession).

Cárdenas later resigned to compete in the 2000 presidential campaign and left in his place Rosario Robles, who served out the remainder of his term as the first person to govern Mexico City.

López Obrador was temporarily removed from office by the federal Congress on April 7, 2005 and was replaced, on an interim basis for a period of slightly over two weeks, by his secretary of government, Alejandro Encinas.