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Gabriel López Arrieta, a previous at-large candidate for the island House of Representatives from the Popular Democratic Party, has initiated legal proceedings to secure a seat in the lower chamber.
This lawsuit hinges on the interpretation of the Minority Clause, a provision in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This clause comes into play when a single party holds more than two-thirds of the seats in any legislative body, as occurred following the New Progressive Party’s dominance in the elections held on Nov. 5, 2024.
López Arrieta garnered 70,666 votes and ranks 12th among the list of at-large House candidates. While only the top 11 candidates are eligible for seats, the Minority Law could have permitted him to secure one. He contends that he was excluded from the House of Representatives due to a decision made by State Elections Commission Alternate Chairwoman Jessika Padilla Rivera.
According to Padilla’s interpretation of the Minority Law, the seats were attributed to the Puerto Rican Independence Party, allowing their candidate for District 40, who received just over 5,000 votes, to take an at-large House position. López Arrieta has challenged this ruling, highlighting the irony and inconsistency of granting an at-large House seat to an individual who received 5,584 votes compared to his own over 70,000.
López Arrieta expressed confidence that the court will resolve the issue by referring to the Minutes of Sessions of the Constituent Assembly, which he believes will uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
