A recent Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire included a question about statehood for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Each of the five candidates running for the open seat in the 1st District of New Hampshire in the U.S. House of Representatives responded that they would support statehood for both D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Voters in New Hampshire head to the polls today.
When asked her opinion, candidate Sarah Chadzynski responded, “Yes. I’ve already signed on to a pledge to support D.C. statehood. And when I’ve been down there recently seeing all the D.C. flags out, this is something that people in D.C. really want. This is so important to them to have true representation. And that is something that we value here in our country. And for Puerto Rico, the same. They’re a valuable and wonderful community member in our country.”
Candidate Maura Sullivan agreed. “I would. And, you know, I’ve met with some of the Puerto Rican members of our own community here. And, you know, I have pledged my support on this. And this is really, really important that people have the representation that they deserve, particularly at these incredibly difficult times in our country. So I’d absolutely support it.”
Candidate Christian Urrutia, when asked whether he supported statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico, responded, “Unquestionably, yes. I serve in the Army National Guard still. Puerto Rico and D.C. send men and women to fight our wars, to put on the uniform. They deserve statehood just like any state in this country.”
Stefany Shaheen sided with her fellow candidates. “We need statehood both for D.C. and for Puerto Rico,” she said. “And I think it’s important to note, especially as we see the climate crisis and the natural disasters that have occurred over time, one of the big vulnerabilities for Puerto Rico is the need for infrastructure support when things go wrong. And we absolutely need to make sure they’re protected by statehood.”
The fifth candidate for the seat, Carleigh Beriont, also answered in the affirmative, but her answer reflected some common misperceptions about Puerto Rico. “Absolutely,” responded Beriont when asked about her support for statehood. “Especially for D.C., because it’s very clear to people that D.C. wants statehood….With Puerto Rico, it’s a little bit different. They have a very different history in the United States. And so that is something that I would want to put to the people of Puerto Rico.”
Beriont’s answer, while supportive, does not reflect that reality that voters in Puerto Rico have returned a majority for statehood in four plebiscites: in 2012, 2017, 2020, and 2024. The question has been asked and answered, repeatedly, and the importance of the people of Puerto Rico in retaining their U.S. citizenship – which is only secured under statehood – is well established.
Beriont also said correctly that Puerto Rico and the District have very different histories. They would also face slightly different paths to statehood. Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States for more than a century, and Congress could make Puerto Rico a state with a simple majority vote. Congress could also make D.C. a state, but there could be an additional step involved to adhere to the U.S. Constitution, which requires at least a small part of the area to be unaffiliated with a state.
