Puerto Rico dispatched 60 delegates to the convention, surpassing several states in number. Although Puerto Rico lacks a voice in the presidential election, its voters can participate in the primaries and send delegates to the national party conventions. Last night, as the convention music shifted to Despacito, the delegation committed its 60 votes to Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for president.
During the roll call vote, Charlie Rodriquez, Chair of the Puerto Rico Democratic Party, portrayed the island as “a U.S. territory referred to as ‘the commonwealth of Puerto Rico’ and the future state of the United States.” The crowd erupted in cheers of approval.
Democratic Governor Pedro Pierluisi was also present in the arena last night, standing prominently at the front of the Puerto Rico delegation as Rodriguez announced the results.
In the last three plebiscites, voters from Puerto Rico have favored statehood as their desired political status. Another referendum on status is scheduled for November.
2024 Democratic Party Platform
The 2024 Democratic Party Platform states the following regarding Puerto Rico:
Democrats acknowledge that the people of Puerto Rico deserve to determine their political status. Therefore, Democrats endorse the passage of the Puerto Rico Status Act/H.R. 2757 and advocate for full civic and political representation for Puerto Ricans. We will strive to end the unequal treatment by the federal government and seek to provide equal access to federal programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and the CTC. Democrats disapprove of Trump’s inadequate response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico, and will guarantee that federal responses to disasters in Puerto Rico are as immediate as they would be elsewhere in the nation. When disaster strikes, we will expedite access to recovery funds for rebuilding efforts. We will expand upon the Administration’s investments to further develop energy, infrastructure, economic growth, education, healthcare, housing, and climate resilience. We will assist in restructuring Puerto Rico’s debt to alleviate its burden, and we will work towards dissolving the Financial Oversight and Management Board.
AOC
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who has Puerto Rican roots, spoke on Monday night in favor of Harris’s candidacy, drawing from her personal experiences in her address.
“You know, six years ago, I was taking omelet orders as a waitress in New York City. I didn’t have health insurance. My family was facing foreclosure, and we were dealing with bills after my father unexpectedly passed away from cancer. Like millions of Americans, we were just looking for a fair chance. And we were exhausted by a cynical politics that ignored the realities of working individuals. It was then, only through the miracles of democracy and community that the wonderful people of the Bronx and Queens chose someone like me to represent them in Congress,” she expressed after acknowledging Harris and her vice-presidential choice, Tim Walz, for their vision, and President Joe Biden for his leadership. “You know, ever since I got elected, Republicans have criticized me by suggesting I should return to bartending. But let me assure you, I’m proud of it any day because there is nothing wrong with earning a living. Just imagine having leaders in the White House who comprehend that. Leaders like Kamala and Tim.”
Ocasio-Cortez backs the Puerto Rico Status Act, a proposal for Puerto Rico’s self-determination currently pending in Congress, but she did not mention Puerto Rico’s status during her speech at the convention.
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