Fernando J. Bonilla | |
---|---|
20th Secretary of State of Puerto Rico | |
In office June 2005 –January 2, 2009 | |
Governor | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá |
Preceded by | Jose Izquierdo Encarnacion |
Succeeded by | Kenneth D. McClintock |
Judge of the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals | |
Assumed office 2015 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1962 Ponce,Puerto Rico |
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater | University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD) Tulane University Law School (LLM) |
Fernando J. Bonilla Ortiz (born 1962 in Ponce,Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican political figure who served as the 21st Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. [1] Bonilla also served as the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.
As Secretary of State,Bonilla was constitutionally empowered to assume the seat of Governor of Puerto Rico in case that the incumbent was incapable to do so. After the federal indictment of incumbent Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá,the possibility existed that Acevedo might resign his position,thereby elevating Bonilla to the seat of governor.
Bonilla received a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law and an LLM from Tulane University School of Law. He served as law clerk to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico Miriam Naveira from 1985–1987. Bonilla worked primarily in the private sector,specializing in maritime law.
Bonilla was appointed Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority in early 2005 by Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá. After Marisara Pont Marchese's confirmation was rejected by the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico for the post of Secretary of State,Governor Acevedo turned to Bonilla and nominated him in the summer of 2005 for the position. He was confirmed by both houses of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and effectively began serving in both posts.
In Puerto Rico,the Secretary of State has the role,but not the official title,of Lieutenant Governor,in addition to heading the State Department. However,the Constitution provides that whenever the Governor is unable to carry out his duties,dies,is impeached or resigns,the Secretary of State shall succeed in the post. If Governor Aníbal Acevedo Viláwould have resigned after the federal indictment of March 27,2008,Bonilla would have assumed the governorship. [2]
On January 2,2009,after fulfilling the traditional role of serving as the initial Master of Ceremony of incoming Governor Luis Fortuño's Inaugural Ceremonies,he introduced and turned over that role to his successor,former Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock,who,coincidentally,was also a fellow Tulane University School of Law graduate.
Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1977 to 1985. He was the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party (PNP). He also served 2 terms in Congress as the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001.
Sila María Calderón Serra is a Puerto Rican politician,businesswoman,and philanthropist who was the governor of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2005. She is the first woman elected to that office. Prior to her term as governor,Calderón held various positions in the government of Puerto Rico,including the 12th Secretary of State of Puerto Rico from 1988 to 1989,and Chief of Staff to Governor Rafael Hernández Colón. She was also mayor of San Juan,the capital of Puerto Rico,from 1997 to 2001.
General elections were held in Puerto Rico on Tuesday,November 2,2004. After a count by the State Commission of Elections,the winner was inaugurated to a four-year term as Governor of Puerto Rico on January 2,2005.
Baltasar Corrada del Río was a Puerto Rican politician. He held various high political offices in the island,including President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission,Resident Commissioner (1977–1985),Mayor of the capital city of San Juan (1985–1989),Puerto Rico's 15th Secretary of State (1993–1995) and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1995–2005). He was also the unsuccessful NPP candidate for Governor in the elections of 1988.
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico,an unincorporated territory of the United States,from 2009 to 2013.
David Enrique "Quique" Bernier Rivera is a Puerto Rican dentist and politician that has served in various roles in public service in Puerto Rico. Bernier first served as executive director of the Office of Youth Affairs of Puerto Rico and was later confirmed as the youngest Secretary of Sports and Recreation of Puerto Rico in history. Four years later,he was unanimously confirmed as Secretary of State of Puerto Rico for the administration of Alejandro García Padilla. He was the 2016 candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico of the Popular Democratic Party.
The 2008 Puerto Rican general elections were held 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.
Hiram Torres Rigual was born in Mayagüez,Puerto Rico. After serving as an Internal Revenue agent as well as an aide to Puerto Rico's Treasury Secretary,he studied law at the University of Puerto Rico while he worked summers as a professor of Political Science on the same campus. He clerked with Supreme Court of Puerto Rico Associate Justice Borinquen Marrero upon his law school graduation in 1949 and held other government posts including over 15 years as an aide to Governors Luis Muñoz Marín and Roberto Sánchez Vilella and obtained a Masters in Public Law at Harvard Law School.
The 2008 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election took place on November 4,2008,as part of the Puerto Rican general elections. It coincided with the 2008 United States general elections. Then-incumbent governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá,Democratic,PPD was eligible for reelection,and ran for a second four-year term. His opponent,Luis Fortuño,Republican and PNP Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico,defeated him.
The secretary of state of Puerto Rico leads all efforts that promote the cultural,political,and economical relations between Puerto Rico and foreign countries,and other jurisdictions of the United States. The post was created by Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico which merely establishes that the secretary serves as acting governor when the governor is unable to perform his duties—a post similar to that of a lieutenant governor in U.S. politics. In recent times,however,the post has evolved into one similar to that of a foreign minister. Today,the secretary is the officer in charge of Puerto Rico's foreign relations,albeit under the consent of Congress or the U.S. Department of State due to Puerto Rico's political status.
Marisara Pont Marchese served as the 20th Secretary of State of Puerto Rico,as well as Acting Governor in the absence of Governor Aníbal Acevedo Viláand the only one whose recess term ended when denied legislative confirmation. She is a public relations consultant in Puerto Rico and has held several public and partisan offices over the years.
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. Acevedo Viláhas held various public service positions in the Puerto Rico government under the Popular Democratic Party,serving as a member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico (1993–2001) and as the 17th Resident Commissioner (2001–2005),before he was sworn in as Governor on 2 January 2005. Acevedo Viláwas also a member of the National Governors Association,the Southern Governors' Association and the Democratic Governors Association,and a collaborator of President Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Also he is currently an adjunct professor of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. He unsuccessfully ran for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in the 2020 elections for the Popular Democratic Party.
The Popular Democratic Party is a political party in Puerto Rico that advocates to continue as a Commonwealth of the United States with self-governance. The party was founded in 1938 by dissidents from the Puerto Rican Liberal Party and the Unionist Party and originally promoted policies on the center-left. In recent years,however,its leaders have described the party as centrist.
The 2008 Popular Democratic Party primaries were the primary elections by which voters of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) chose its nominees for various political offices of Puerto Rico for the 2008 general elections. They were held on March 9,2008. Incumbent Governor Aníbal Acevedo Viláfaced no opposition for his candidacy,making him the official candidate for the elections.
Aníbal José"Jossie" Torres is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Torres has served in several positions of leadership within his party. He served as Secretary of the party during the 2000s,before being appointed as Puerto Rico Chief of Staff by elected Governor Aníbal Acevedo Viláin 2005. After serving four years,he returned to his position as Secretary of the PPD,before deciding to run for the Senate of Puerto Rico at the 2012 general elections.
The Puerto Rico governmental line of succession defines who may become or act as Governor of Puerto Rico upon the incapacity,death,resignation,or removal from office of a sitting governor or a governor-elect.
Carlos Eduardo Díaz Olivo is a Puerto Rican attorney,professor of law,former politician,and political analyst.
Víctor A. Suárez Meléndez is a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician who was the 24th Secretary of State of Puerto Rico,as well as being the current executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority. Prior to his current position,Suárez served in various roles in public service,including as executive director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority,as Secretary of Consumer Affairs,as deputy mayor of Carolina,and as Puerto Rico Chief of Staff. Before he joined the government,Suárez worked as an operations manager for Colgate-Palmolive and as a private-practice lawyer. He also worked as a consultant for various public and private entities in matters such as process reengineering,projects management,organizational restructuring and development of efficiency indicators.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Puerto Rico was held on November 3,2020,to elect the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico,concurrently with the election of the Governor,the Senate,the House of Representatives,and the mayors of the 78 municipalities. Incumbent New Progressive Party resident commissioner Jenniffer González,was re-elected to a second term in office.