The politics of Puerto Rico take place in the framework of a democratic republic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States Congress as an organized unincorporated territory. Since the 1898 invasion of Puerto Rico by the United States during the Spanish–American War, politics in Puerto Rico have been significantly shaped by its status as territory of the United States. The nature of Puerto Rico's political relationship with the United States is the subject of ongoing debate in Puerto Rico, in the United States, the United Nations and the international community, with all major political parties in the archipelago calling it a colonial relationship.
Don Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo was a Puerto Rican engineer, industrialist, politician, philanthropist, and a patron of the arts. He was the governor of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1973. He was the founder of the New Progressive Party, which advocates for Puerto Rico to become a state of the United States of America. He is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The New Progressive Party is a political party in Puerto Rico that advocates statehood. The PNP is one of the two major parties in Puerto Rico with significant political strength and currently holds both the seat of the governor and of the resident commissioner.
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, control the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico.
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Senate, control the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico.
Thomas Rivera Schatz is a Puerto Rican politician, legal advisor, attorney, and former prosecutor, who was the fourteenth and sixteenth President of the Senate of Puerto Rico. He is affiliated with New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico and the mainland Republican Party. On July 22, 2019, Rivera Schatz announced that he will take over as acting chair of the PNP following the resignation of Ricardo Rosselló due to the Telegramgate scandal.
General elections were held in Puerto Rico on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, to elect the officials of the Government of Puerto Rico that would serve for the next four years, most notably the Governor of Puerto Rico.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) persons in Puerto Rico have almost the same protections and rights as heterosexual individuals. Public discussion and debate about sexual orientation and gender identity issues has increased, and some legal changes have been made. Supporters and opponents of legislation protecting the rights of LGBT persons can be found in both of the major political parties. Public opposition still exists due, in large part, to the strong influence of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as socially conservative Protestants. Puerto Rico has a great influence on the legal rights of LGBT citizens. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the commonwealth since July 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.
Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer currently serving as governor of Puerto Rico since 2021. He has previously served as secretary of justice, resident commissioner, acting secretary of state, de facto governor of Puerto Rico and as private attorney for Puerto Rico's fiscal oversight board under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act.
Charles Anthony Rodríguez-Colón is a New York City-born Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party (NPP). He served as the eleventh president of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1997 until 2000.
The 23rd Senate of Puerto Rico was the upper house of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico that met from January 2, 2005 to January 1, 2009. All members were elected in the General Elections of 2004. The Senate had a majority of members from the New Progressive Party (PNP).
The 21st Senate of Puerto Rico was the upper house of the 13th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico that met from January 2, 1997, to January 1, 2001. All members were elected in the General Elections of 1996. The Senate had a majority of members from the New Progressive Party (PNP).
The 20th Senate of Puerto Rico was the upper house of the 12th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico that met from January 2, 1993, to January 1, 1997. All members were elected in the General Elections of 1992. The Senate had a majority of members from the New Progressive Party (PNP).
General election were held in Puerto Rico on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, to elect the officials of the Puerto Rican government to serve from January 2017 to January 2021, most notably the Governor of Puerto Rico. Ricardo Rosselló was elected governor and Jenniffer González-Colón was elected Resident Commissioner. The elections saw a 23 percentage point drop in turnout and was the lowest voter turnout in Puerto Rican history.
The 26th Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the 18th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico. Its counterpart in the lower house is the 30th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico.
The 30th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the 18th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and will meet from January 2, 2017, to January 1, 2021. All members were elected in the General Elections of 2016. The House has a majority of members from the New Progressive Party (PNP).
The 2020 Popular Democratic Party primaries was the primary elections by which voters of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) chose its nominees for various political offices of Puerto Rico for 2020. The primaries, originally scheduled for June 2020, were delayed until August 9, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The August 9 elections, however, were marred by a lack of ballots leading a suspension of the election; polling locations that could not open on August 9 were scheduled to be open for voting on August 16. The winner for the party's nomination for Governor of Puerto Rico is Charlie Delgado, mayor of Isabela, over Carmen Yulín Cruz, mayor of San Juan and Eduardo Bhatia, Minority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate.
The 2020 Puerto Rico Senate election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the members of the 27th Senate of Puerto Rico, concurrently with the election of the Governor, the Resident Commissioner, the House of Representatives, and the mayors of the 78 municipalities. The winners will be elected to a four-year term from January 2, 2021, to January 2, 2025.
The 2020 Puerto Rico House of Representative election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the members of the 31st House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, concurrently with the election of the Governor, the Resident Commissioner, the Senate, and the mayors of the 78 municipalities. The winners were elected to a four-year term from January 3, 2021, to January 3, 2025.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, held an election for mayor on November 3, 2020. Among other elections, it was held concurrently with the 2020 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election. It saw the election of New Progressive Party nominee Miguel Romero.
