overall that have been targeted by some sort of crime, ranging from murder to assault to threats, the firm says. the government says it believes both numbers are far lower, though they don t say how they tallied their numbers. but still, it admits there s a problem. if this translator: it s a difficult time for these campaigns, we re going to keep protecting them. reporter: though mexico has consistently failed to protect its candidates. political assassinations have been a problem for decades but this year is particularly bad. i do think that this is going to be considered one of the most violent elections in mexican history. reporter: security suspects like anna maria sal have a zar says politicians are killed for a number of reasons but it often involves organized crime. in many cases she says criminal groups want their preferred candidate in office, so they might target others they don t like. especially candidates who make crime a centerpiece of their campaigns. cand