From 1992 to 1993, he served as private secretary of the Secretary of Social DevelopmentLuis Donaldo Colosio. When Colosio became the PRI candidate to the presidency of Mexico, Durazo continued to serve as Colosio's private secretary.
In May 2000, he resigned from the PRI and joined the presidential campaign of Vicente Fox. Fox appointed Durazo as his private secretary after the July 2000 election and also became the presidential spokesman in 2003.[2] Durazo resigned from his positions in 2004 and heavily criticised Fox's administration.[2]
In March 2006, Durazo announced that he will be joining Andrés Manuel López Obrador's presidential campaign. On that year he was nominated Candidate for Senator in his home state, Sonora. In January 2012 he joined again López Obrador's presidential campaign as General Manager in the State of Sonora.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador reestablished the Secretariat of Public Security, previously abolished by the Peña administration, and named Durazo as the head of the agency.