The big news coming out of the Puerto Rico Primary Election held yesterday is the victory of Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón over incumbent Governor Pedro Pierluisi. Jenniffer González-Colón, a member of the New Progressive Party and the Republican Party, will face Rep. Jesús Manuel Ortiz, the Popular Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee, in the November general election as well as a larger slate of opponents from smaller political parties in Puerto Rico.
The full slate of candidates running for Governor:
- Jenniffer González-Colón for New Progressive Party
- Jesús Manuel Ortiz for Popular Democratic Party
- Javier Jiménez Pérez for Project Dignity
- Juan Dalmau Ramírez for Puerto Rican Independence Party
- Javier Cordova Iturregui for Citizen’s Victory Movement
- Carlos Cintron Rivera as an Independent
- Ada Norah Henriquez as an Independent
- Víctor Luis Medina Cruz as an Independent
Major parties
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP), traditionally called the “commonwealth” party, chose Puerto Rico Rep. Jesús Manuel Ortiz. With 60% of votes counted, Ortiz had received 62% of the votes, and his rival conceded. Ortiz has been President of the PDP since 2003 and served in the cabinet of Governor Alejandro García Padilla. Pablo José Hernández ran unopposed within the PDP as a candidate for the position of Resident Commissioner.
In the New Progressive Party’s primary, mainland news sources are describing González-Colón’s win as an “upset,” but González-Colón has been extremely popular in Puerto Rico in recent years. Her running mate is Elmer Román, former Puerto Rico Secretary of State, who will run for Resident Commissioner.
González-Colón’s campaign focused on dissatisfactions with the Island’s energy utilities and the progress of reconstruction after Hurricane Maria.
The Independence Party, which is about as popular in Puerto Rico as the Libertarian Party on the mainland, is nonetheless usually included in the list of major political parties in Puerto Rico. That list creates a triumvirate of parties matching the three possible political status options for Puerto Rico: statehood, the current territory status, and independence. The PDP has recently been leaning toward supporting sovereign free association, though they seek a “free association” relationship that is markedly difference from the current free association relationships the U.S. has with Palau, the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia, which, for example, do not have U.S. citizenship.
What’s Behind the New Interest in Free Association for Puerto Rico?
Citizen’s Victory Movement
The Citizen’s Victory Movement gained 13.92% of the vote in the 2020 election for governor. While this was less than half of the showing of the major parties, it was marginally higher than the 13.54% garnered by the Independence Party.
The MVC distinguishes itself from the other political parties on the Island by claiming that they do not support one political status option over another, but instead focus on social issues. Javier Cordova Iturregui, a university professor, won the primary for this party.
Lots of candidates
Multiple candidates for a single office give voters more choices and narrow the margins for winners. In 2020, Pierluisi’s win was disparaged by observers who groused that he had only received a third of the votes. Among six candidates in the governor’s race, one third is a clear win. But the 2024 ballot will include eight choices for Governor of Puerto Rico. This may make it more difficult for any candidate to gain a clear mandate.
