The election outcomes in Puerto Rico are now finalized, with adjustments in both island-wide elected roles and statehood resurfacing as the favored choice among voters as an option to Puerto Rico’s current status as a U.S. territory.
Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon is the upcoming Governor
Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon garnered 39% of the votes in a competitive five-way contest. This positions her well ahead of the second-place contender, Juan Dalmau of La Alianza. Gonzalez-Colon currently acts as Puerto Rico’s sole representative in Congress. In her role as Resident Commissioner, she can participate in and cast votes in committees, though her vote is not factored into the floor votes of Congress.
The incumbent Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, previously held the position of Resident Commissioner before his election as governor.
Gonzalez-Colon is affiliated with the Republican Party and is a member of Puerto Rico’s statehood party.
Pablo José Hernández will be the next Resident Commissioner
Pablo José Hernández from the Popular Democratic (“commonwealth”) party is set to become Puerto Rico’s next Resident Commissioner. A 33-year-old attorney, he is the grandson of former Puerto Rico Governor Rafael Hernández Colón. Gonzalez-Colon’s running mate, William Villafañe, secured second place in the election.
Statehood has triumphantly secured the status vote again
The election also featured a ballot regarding Puerto Rico’s political status. The choices presented were statehood, independence, and free association. Statehood achieved 57% of the votes, indicating a decisive majority. Independence received a record-setting 31%, significantly higher than in any previous status votes, while the new “free association” option, previously likened to the “enhanced commonwealth” proposition once favored on the island, obtained only 12% of the votes.
This marks the fourth status vote of this century, with statehood emerging victorious each time. In the 20th century, there were three votes: two in favor of “commonwealth” and one for “none of the above.”
Historically, independence has never captured significantly more than 5% of the votes in any prior referendum. The latest results diverge from earlier trends and contradict findings from the 2011 Presidential Task Force on Puerto Rico Status, which highlighted the high regard for U.S. citizenship among Puerto Ricans.
“U.S. citizenship is an extraordinarily important issue for the people of Puerto Rico,” the White House report noted. “While there are robust advocates for Independence opposed to ongoing ties with the United States, the Task Force’s interactions with Puerto Ricans revealed that the majority greatly value their U.S. citizenship. Any status option that might result in the loss of U.S. citizenship for current citizens residing in Puerto Rico would likely be met with resistance by most Puerto Ricans.”
It remains uncertain whether the latest vote indicates a diminishing interest in maintaining U.S. citizenship or a lack of awareness regarding its precariousness.
Symbolic presidential vote favors Harris
Puerto Rico also conducted a symbolic presidential vote, similar to the practice in Guam for many years. Kamala Harris secured 73% of that vote. Since Puerto Rico does not have electoral votes, this will not influence the presidential election outcome.
Should there be any alterations once the votes are officially certified, Puerto Rico Report will provide updates on this information.
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