Rafael Cox Alomar

Last updated
Rafael Cox Alomar
Personal details
Born (1974-12-30) December 30, 1974 (age 49)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Political party Popular Democratic Party
SpouseHilda Rodríguez
Alma mater Cornell University (B.A.)
University of Oxford (D.Phil.)
Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Profession Politician, Attorney

Rafael Cox Alomar (born December 30, 1974) is a Puerto Rican lawyer, professor of law, author and 2012 candidate for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico.

Contents

Early life

Cox Alomar was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 30 December 1974 to Noemí Alomar Suárez and Rafael Cox Rosario. He graduated from Colegio San Ignacio in 1993 and Cornell University in 1997. He subsequently attended the University of Oxford (Trinity College) on a Marshall Scholarship, earning a D.Phil. in Modern History in 2001. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2004. [1]

Professional life

He practiced law in Washington, D.C., representing clients in their disputes before the World Bank's International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. [1] He also practiced law in Puerto Rico with Reichard & Escalera, a local firm. He was a member of the board of directors of the Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation. [2] Currently he is an assistant professor of law at David A. Clarke School of Law at Washington, D.C.

Resident Commissioner campaign

On 26 October 2011, Alejandro García Padilla announced that Cox Alomar would be his running mate in the 2012 election for Resident Commissioner. On accepting the nomination, he committed himself to reaffirming the values of the Commonwealth status, as well as promoting the creation of jobs, bringing attention to public safety, and broadening access to education and health services. [3] He formally filed his candidacy on 30 October 2010. [4]

In May 2012, Cox Alomar became the subject of a scandal when a photograph comparing him to a chimpanzee with the words "R.I.P. Yuyo", was posted on the Twitter account belonging to Zaida R. Hernández Torres, a politician belonging to the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico. Human rights defenders criticized Hernández for the personal attack against Cox Alomar, who is of Afro-Puerto Rican ancestry, however, in statement she claimed her Twitter account was hacked and that she did not post the offensive image. She later apologized to Cox Alomar and terminated her Twitter account, promising to avoid social networks. [5]

Incumbent Resident Representative Pedro Pierluisi won re-election on November 6, 2012 by a 1.28% margin, with 48.44% of the vote, while Cox Alomar placed second with 47.16%. [6] [7] After his defeat, the elected Mayor of San Juan contracted Cox Alomar as advisor of federal affairs for the city. [8]

Political views

When named as candidate for Resident Commissioner, Cox Alomar avoided describing the Commonwealth status of Puerto Rico as colonial. [3] He has come out against the New Progressive Party's two-stage status referendum, calling it divisive. [4] However, on August 9, 2013, Cox Alomar identified himself with the soberanistas , the PPD's wing that support the creation of a project known as ELA Soberano, a hybrid between a free association compact and elements of the Commonwealth such as the American citizenship and a common coin. [9] When asked to explain the sudden change in relation to the political status, he noted that in order to avoid the promotion of a message that conflicted with García Padilla's support of the territorial commonwealth, the 2012 campaign was targeted at attacking the referendum's credibility. On March 8, 2023, he presented the books "The Constitution of Puerto Rico" and "Towards a new order of things" published in 2022.

Personal life

Cox Alomar is married to Hilda Rodríguez. [4] He is related to former MLB baseball players Sandy Alomar Sr., Roberto Alomar, and Sandy Alomar Jr. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Puerto Rico</span> Politics of a U.S. territory

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Bernier</span> Puerto Rican odontologist and politician

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aníbal Acevedo Vilá</span> Puerto Rican politician (born 1962)

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 Vilá has 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 Vilá was 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.

Zaida R. "Cucusa" Hernández Torres is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the Speaker of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996. She also served as At-Large Representative from 1985 to 1997, and as Chairman of the San Juan NPP Municipal Committee from 1995 to 1997. Earned a Juris Doctor from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)</span> Political party in Puerto Rico

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alejandro García Padilla</span> Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Alejandro Javier García Padilla is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 2013 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Puerto Rican general election</span>

General elections were held in Puerto Rico on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the officials of the Puerto Rican government that would serve for the next four years, most notably the Governor of Puerto Rico. A status referendum was held on the same date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico primaries</span> Primary elections

The 2008 New Progressive Party primaries were the primary elections by which voters of the New Progressive Party (PNP) chose its nominees for various political offices of Puerto Rico, namely the position of governor, for the 2008 general elections. Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuño was selected as the nominee at the primary elections held on March 9, 2008. He would go on to win the 2008 general election as well.

The 2012 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 2012 general elections. They were held on March 18, 2012 and coincided with the Republican Party primaries in the island.

A referendum on the political status of Puerto Rico was held in Puerto Rico on November 6, 2012. It was the fourth referendum on status to be held in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the Spanish–American War in 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum</span> Ballot measure in Puerto Rico

A constitutional referendum was held in Puerto Rico on 19 August 2012. Voters were asked whether they approve of two amendments to the constitution: one to eliminate the absolute right to bail and the other to decrease the number of members of the Legislative Assembly. Despite support from the party in government and part of the main opposition party, both amendments were rejected by voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sovereigntism (Puerto Rico)</span> Movement to achieve sovereignty

The free association movement in Puerto Rico refers to initiatives throughout the history of Puerto Rico aimed at changing the current political status of Puerto Rico to that of a sovereign freely associated state. Locally, the term soberanista refers to someone that seeks to redefine the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States to that of a compact with full sovereignty. The term is mostly used in reference to those that support a compact of free association or a variation of this formula, commonly known as Estado Libre Asociado (ELA) Soberano, between Puerto Rico and the United States. Members of the independence movement that are willing to pursue alliances with this ideology are occasionally referred to as such, but are mostly known as independentistas. Consequently, soberanismo then became the local name for the free association movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Puerto Rican general election</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Lúgaro</span> Puerto Rican politician (born 1981)

Alexandra Lúgaro Aponte is a Puerto Rican attorney, businesswoman, and politician who was a candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico during the 2016 and 2020 elections, finishing in third place both times. In 2016, running as an independent, Lúgaro obtained a total of 175,831 votes (11.13%). In 2020, Lúgaro ran as the candidate of the Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Sovereigntism in Puerto Rico (1970s–1990s)</span> Timeline of a political movement in Puerto Rico

During the last decades of the 20th century, the concept of sovereign free association was mostly promoted by members of the liberal wing of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). During the 1990s, the option first appeared in a ballot as part of the second political status referendum held during the Pedro Rosselló administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Sovereigntism in Puerto Rico (2000s–2010s)</span>

During the first two decades of the 21st Century, the concept of a sovereign form of association has experienced its largest growth since it was first proposed. The 2000s marked the first time that an incumbent governor ran on a platform advocating sovereignty, when Aníbal Acevedo Vilá did so for the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). The term soberanista was popularized as a consequence, and the ideological breach within the party widened as the conservative wing backed the territorial Commonwealth. During the 2010s, free association recorded its best performance at the polls, finishing as runner-up of the 2012 status referendum. This decade also marked the first time that another party presented supporters of free association in the ballot, with the participation of the Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico primaries</span> Primary elections by which voters of the Popular Democratic Party chose its nominees

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Puerto Rican general election</span>

General elections were held in Puerto Rico on November 3, 2020, to elect the officials of the Puerto Rican government who will serve from January 2021 to January 2025, most notably the position of Governor and Resident Commissioner. In addition, there was also a non-binding status referendum to ask voters if Puerto Rico should become the 51st state of the Union.

The 2024 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Puerto Rico, concurrently with the election of the Resident Commissioner, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the mayors of the 78 municipalities. Incumbent New Progressive Party Governor Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia is running for re-election to a second term in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives election in Puerto Rico</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives election in Puerto Rico to elect the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico will be held on November 5, 2024. The election of the Resident Commissioner will be held concurrently with concurrently with the larger 2024 United States House of Representatives elections, the 2024 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, and other U.S. federal and Puerto Rican general election races.

References

  1. 1 2 "Rafael Cox Alomar Biography" (PDF). Fundación Luis Muñoz Marín. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Rafael Cox-Alomar". Reichard & Escalera. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 Díaz Alcaide, Maritza (26 October 2011). "Rafael Cox Alomar es el candidato del PPD a comisionado residente en Washington". Primera Hora . Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Maldonado Arrigoitía, Wilma (30 October 2011). "Rafael Cox Alomar radica su candidatura a Comisionado Residente". Primera Hora . Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Racist Photo Used in Puerto Rico Election Campaign". New American Media . 30 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuno loses re-election". Voxxi . 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
  7. ↑ "CEE Event". div1.ceepur.org. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15.
  8. ↑ Ortega, Melisa (December 30, 2012). "Cox Alomar se une al equipo de trabajo de Carmen Yulín". El Nuevo Día .
  9. ↑ Rafael Cox Alomar (2013-08-09). "Del ELA territorial al soberano". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  10. ↑ "Resurge candidatura de Cox Alomar para Washington". El Nuevo Día . 20 October 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.