United States House of Representatives election in Puerto Rico, 2008

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Puerto Rico's At-large district. PR01 109.gif
Puerto Rico's At-large district.

The election for Resident Commissioner to the United States House of Representatives took place on November 4, 2008, the same day as the larger Puerto Rican general election and the United States general elections, 2008.

Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives

The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of Puerto Rico every four years, the only member of the House of Representatives who serves a four-year term. Commissioners function in every respect as a member of Congress, including sponsoring legislation and serving on congressional committees, where they can vote on legislation, except that they are denied a vote on the final disposition of legislation on the House floor. They receive a salary of $174,000 per year.

United States House of Representatives lower house of the United States Congress

The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they comprise the legislature of the United States.

Contents

Background

The incumbent one-term Resident Commissioner (same as non-voting territorial delegate) Luis Fortuño, of the (NPP/R), was retiring from his House seat to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.

Luis Fortuño Puerto Rican politician

Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the tenth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America, and as president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP) until 2013, served as president of the Council of State Governments during 2012 and served as president of the Southern Governors Association from 2011 to 2012. On 26 June 2011 he announced his plans to run for reelection. He was defeated in the 2012 Elections by Alejandro Garcia Padilla.

Governor of Puerto Rico head of government of the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico

The Governor of Puerto Rico is the head of government of Puerto Rico and, by its nature, constitutes the executive branch of the government of the island. He is also the commander-in-chief of the island's military forces, the Puerto Rico National Guard.

Pedro Pierluisi (NPP), the former Puerto Rican Secretary of Justice under former Governor Pedro Rosselló, [1] [2] was the favorite to succeed Fortuño over economist Alfredo Salazar (PDP).

Pedro Pierluisi Puerto Rican politician

Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia is an attorney who was the 19th Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 2009 to 2017. In this capacity, Pierluisi served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and as the only delegate that represents all U.S. citizens residing on the island. His constituency encompassed about 3.3 million people and, unlike most others, belongs to an at-large congressional district that covers his entire domicile rather than a subdivision of it. Pierluisi's rights and privileges differed from other congressmen as well, as he is denied a vote on the final disposition of all legislations on the House floor because of his designation as resident commissioner. Still, save for that exception, he exercised his functions like that of any other congressman. He has Italian ancestry.

Pedro Rosselló Puerto Rican tennis player

Pedro Juan Rosselló González, is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the seventh Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001. He was President of the New Progressive Party from 1991 to 1999 and 2003 to 2008, and served as Senator for the District of Arecibo from 2005 to 2008.

Economist professional in the social science discipline of economics

An economist is a practitioner in the social science discipline of economics.

Regardless of which of the two men won, the seat would switch from Republican to Democratic hands in January as both candidates would caucuses with the Democrats. [1] However, this seat would not have impacted which party controls the chamber.

Candidates for Resident Commissioner

Puerto Rican Independence Party political party

The Puerto Rican Independence Party is a social-democratic political party in Puerto Rico that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from United States suzerainty.

Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party political party in Puerto Rico

The Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party is a Puerto Rican political party. Founded in 2003, it was certified for the first time by the State Electoral Commission in May 2007.

Election results

Puerto Rico's At-large congressional district election, 2008 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
New Progressive Pedro Pierluisi 1,010,28553.05
Popular Democratic Alfredo Salazar 810,09342.54
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Carlos Velazquez46,1232.42
Puerto Rican Independence Jessica Martinez37,8651.99
Total votes1,904,366100.00
Turnout  78.04
New Progressive hold

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 http://www.nationaljournal.com/almanac/2010/person/pedro-pierluisi-pr/
  2. Dunham, Mike (2008-03-10). "Fortuño wins pro-statehood primary in Puerto Rico". Associated Press . New York Daily News . Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  3. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2008election.pdf

2. Pierluisi is leading Salazar 51% to 34% as of October 30, 2008. http://www.vocero.com/noticia-5761-slido_fortuo.html