On Nov. 3, millions of the island’s residents will cast their ballots and answer an important question: Do they want to ask for statehood? If so, it’s a decision that would dramatically shake up the political status quo from the Bronx to Washington, D.C.
For Ritchie Torres, the soon-to-be congressman from the Bronx, statehood, or estadidad, is simply about Puerto Ricans getting the same rights as any other American citizen.
“If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re going to be on the menu,” said Torres, who will succeed Jose Serrano (D-Bronx) as representative of the most heavily Puerto Rican congressional district in the nation. “The people on the island should not be at the mercy of presidents and Congress.”
Statehood means Puerto Rico would get two U.S. senators and an estimated five seats in the House of Representatives. It would get a crucial seven electoral votes in presidential elections.
More importantly for statehood advocates, it would be much more difficult for President Trump or anyone else to treat Puerto Rico differently from the other 50 states. Read more>>
