2012 Puerto Rico Senate election

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The 2012 Puerto Rico Senate election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the members of the Senate of Puerto Rico for the next four years, from January 2, 2013, until January 1, 2017.

Contents

The governing party (the PNP) presented 22 candidates to the Senate, 18 of them incumbents. The main opposing party (the PPD) presented 22 candidates as well, 5 of them incumbents. There were also 36 other candidates from the other minority parties, and one independent candidate.

After the election, the PNP had lost the majority of its seats, winning only 8 seats. The PPD won the majority of seats with 18. One candidate from the Puerto Rican Independence Party also won a minority seat.

Background

After the previous election, the New Progressive Party augmented their majority within the Senate of Puerto Rico with 22 seats versus only 5 seats from the Popular Democratic Party. By virtue of the Minority Law of the Constitution of Puerto Rico, four more senators from the PPD were added to complete a full minority. Also, for the first time in 27 years, the Puerto Rican Independence Party was left without a senator.

During the four years after the 2008 elections, the Senate of Puerto Rico was affected by scandals of corruption and ethics that resulted in the resignation of three members from the PNP delegation (Roberto Arango, Héctor Martínez, Antonio Soto Díaz). Also, one of the members of the PPD delegation (Eder Ortíz Ortíz) resigned to become Electoral Commissioner of the party. All four seats were filled before the elections.

Of the 31 seating senators, 2 were defeated in the primaries held in March for both parties, 2 decided to run for different positions, and 2 decided not to run for reelection. This resulted in 25 incumbent senators running for reelection (19 from the PNP, 6 from the PPD). In addition, 56 new candidates were running for seats for the six different parties, while two ran independent.

Summary

Change in composition

Senate composition before the elections

PNP1PNP2PNP3PNP4PNP5PNP6PNP7PNP8PNP9
PNP10PNP11PNP12PNP13PNP14PNP15PNP16PNP17PNP18
PNP19PNP20PNP21PNP22PPD1PPD2PPD3PPD4PPD5
PPD6PPD7PPD8PPD9

Senate composition as a result of the elections

Senate-of-puerto-rico-25th-structure.svg
PPD1PPD2PPD3PPD4PPD5PPD6PPD7PPD8PPD9
PPD10PPD11PPD12PPD13PPD14PPD15PPD16PPD17PPD18
PNP1PNP2PNP3PNP4PNP5PNP6PNP7PNP8PIP1

Results

Senators at-large

2012 Senators at-large [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
New Progressive Party (PNP) Thomas Rivera Schatz 154,9838.66+0.07
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Eduardo Bhatia 149,7818.37+1.64
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Angel Rosa 139,1327.78
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Antonio Fas Alzamora 138,2757.73+0.82
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Rossana López 136,9147.65
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Aníbal José Torres 131,2167.34
New Progressive Party (PNP) Larry Seilhamer 129,9187.26
New Progressive Party (PNP) Itzamar Peña Ramírez 127,5297.13-0.23
New Progressive Party (PNP) Margarita Nolasco 127,0497.10-0.74
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) María de Lourdes Santiago 126,6357.08+2.23
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Cirilo Tirado Rivera 126,4897.07+0.35
New Progressive Party (PNP) Melinda Romero 126,1227.05
New Progressive Party (PNP) Lucy Arce 123,5426.91-1.03
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)José "Che" Paraliticci10,9050.61
IndependentHerminio Pagán Calderín9,1330.51
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT)Ineabelle Colón7,8780.44
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR)Carmen M. Sánchez Betancourt2,9870.17
Total votes1,788,619 100

Incumbent at-large senators Kimmey Raschke and José Emilio González (from the PNP) were defeated in the primaries held earlier in the year. Also, senator Alejandro García Padilla was running for Governor for the PPD, while Norma Burgos was running for Mayor of Caguas for the PNP. Senators Sila María González Calderón and Juan Eugenio Hernández Mayoral decided not to run for reelection.

After the election, two at-large incumbents from the PNP (Lucy Arce and Melinda Romero) lost, while the PPD managed to seat all their candidates to senators at-large. Also, María de Lourdes Santiago (from the PIP) regained a seat after losing her seat in the previous election.

Although the PPD won a majority of seats, the candidate with the most votes was the incumbent President of the Senate Thomas Rivera Schatz (from the PNP). PPD candidate Antonio Fas Alzamora won his tenth consecutive term as senator, becoming the longest tenured legislator in the island. [2] On the other hand, candidates Angel Rosa, Rossana López, and Aníbal José Torres (from the PPD) won seats for the first time.

District

I - San Juan

District I - San Juan [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) José Nadal Power 98,22524.69
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Ramón Luis Nieves 96,37824.22
New Progressive Party (PNP) Zoé Laboy 90,10222.64
New Progressive Party (PNP) Liza Fernández 88,63322.27
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Héctor J. González Pereira7,5301.89+0.35
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Angel Alicea Montañez6,9691.75
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT)José "Pepe" Córdova3,6460.92
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)Isabel Borrás Marín3,3100.83
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR)Fred Guillont Juarbe8770.22
Total votes397,907 100

PNP candidate Liza Fernández had been elected to the House of Representatives in the 2008 elections, but had won a special election to fill the vacant left by the resignation of Senator Roberto Arango. Zoé Laboy was running for the first time after serving as Secretary of the Department of Corrections in the 90s. The two candidates of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), José Nadal Power and Ramón Luis Nieves were also newcomers. After the election, Nadal Power and Nieves won the two district seats that had been in control of the New Progressive Party (PNP) for two consecutive terms.

II - Bayamón

District II - Bayamón [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
New Progressive Party (PNP) Migdalia Padilla 106,13325.73-2.31
New Progressive Party (PNP) Carmelo Ríos 106, 12525.73-1.90
Popular Democratic Party (PPD)Miguel Reyes Dávila90,12321.85
Popular Democratic Party (PPD)José Orlando Muñoz89,93921.80
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Víctor M. Caraballo6,4941.57
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)José A. Ojeda Santos5,8061.41
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)Carlos Alberto Velázquez2,5980.63
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT)Ruth E. Arroyo Muñoz2,5590.62
Total votes412,484 100

III - Arecibo

District III - Arecibo [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
New Progressive Party (PNP) Angel "Chayanne" Martínez 117,85724.68-1.53
New Progressive Party (PNP) José "Joito" Pérez 117,29724.56
Popular Democratic Party (PPD)Wanda Arroyo114,87124.06
Popular Democratic Party (PPD)Rubén Soto112,67423.60
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Jaime Bonel González5,3141.11+0.23
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Luis Cruz5,1421.08
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)Rafael Capella Angueira1,7350.36
Total votes477,521 100

IV - Mayagüez

District IV - Mayagüez [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) María Teresa González 125,35326.55
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Gilberto Rodríguez 121,39625.71
New Progressive Party (PNP) Luis Daniel Muñíz 105,66622.38-3.31
New Progressive Party (PNP) Evelyn Vázquez 103,04221.82-3.59
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Orlando Ruíz Pesante5,5941.18
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Samuel Soto Bosques5,4831.16-0.57
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)Alberto O. Lozada Colón1,4610.33
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT)Edwin Morales Pérez1,1120.24
Total votes472,183 100

V - Ponce

District V - Ponce [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Ramón Ruiz 113,49924.43
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Martín Vargas Morales 112,97424.32
New Progressive Party (PNP) Luis Berdiel 111,80624.07-1.44
New Progressive Party (PNP)Eliezer Velázquez111,45423.99
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Luis Enrique Martínez6,2461.34
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Javier Maldonado Mercado5,9721.29
Total votes464,546 100

VI - Guayama

District VI - Guayama [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Miguel Pereira 122,18425.10
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Angel M. Rodríguez 120,33624.72+1.99
New Progressive Party (PNP) Carlos Torres Torres 114,91623.60-1.59
New Progressive Party (PNP)Miguel Rodríguez113,87723.39
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Edny Ramírez Pagán5,2871.20
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)José Enrique Laboy Gómez5,7581.18
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)Roberto Colón Ocasio1,1270.23
IndependentBenjamín "Bengie" León2000.04
Total votes486,845 100

VII - Humacao

District VII - Humacao [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) José Luis Dalmau 117,61026.37+2.65
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Jorge Suárez 114,16525.60+2.88
New Progressive Party (PNP) José Ramón Díaz 98,36122.06-2.02
New Progressive Party (PNP) Luz M. Santiago 97,80021.93-2.14
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Maritza Algarín Sepúlveda5,5521.24
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Juan "Cholo" Lebrón5,0811.14+0.18
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)Vilma Calderón Jiménez2,4170.54
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT)Carlos R. Mercado Cotto1,3780.31
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR)José Luis "Tito" Dones7970.18
Total votes445,970 100

VIII - Carolina

District VIII - Carolina [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Pedro A. Rodríguez 101,39125.53
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Luis Daniel Rivera 100,08025.20
New Progressive Party (PNP) Lornna Soto 91,21622.97-1.88
New Progressive Party (PNP) Roger Iglesias 86,58421.80-1.10
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Pedro José "Pepe" Alvarez5,3781.35-1.75
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP)Dwight Rodríguez Orta5,3021.34+0.36
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)Guillermo Sosa Rodríguez2,2170.56
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR)Fabiola Carrasquillo1,3090.33-1.46
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR)Edwin M. González1,1340.29
Total votes397,097 100

References

  1. "Senadores por Acumulación". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 16, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  2. Rivera, Daniel (May 29, 2012). "Un legislador a la antigua". El Nuevo Día . Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  3. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial San Juan I". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  4. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Bayamón II". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  5. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Arecibo III". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  6. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Mayagüez IV". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  7. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Ponce V". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  8. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Guayama VI". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  9. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Humacao VII". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  10. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Carolina VIII". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.

See also