A candidate for a state assembly seat has been shot to death in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, and a supporter of President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party died of a gunshot wound in the southern state of Chiapas, marring the campaign for Mexico's July 1, 2012 national elections with bloodshed

Guerrero state officials said in a statement that state assembly candidate Margarito Genchi was found shot to death inside his home in the village of Llano Grande, east of the resort city of Acapulco. In Chiapas state, prosecutors said that they were searching for a mayoral candidate who a witness reported shot a National Action supporter, Edgardo Hernandez, in a town outside the state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez. Officials didn't identify the suspect, but a cousin of the victim said that the shooter was Ulises Grajalas, who is running for mayor of the town of Villaflores for the former longtime ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party. A state prosecutor, who agreed to discuss the case only on condition of remaining anonymous, confirmed that authorities were searching for Grajalas. The cousin, Manuel Corzo, said that Hernandez and two relatives were on a road after putting up posters for Calderon's conservative party when the mayoral candidate started following their vehicle. Corzo said that he saw Grajalas pull out a gun and open fire. Hernandez was shot in the head and died at the scene.