[thucydides]

Bias alert! There is no "local republican party." The major parties in Puerto Rico are independent of, and considerably to the left of, the mainland parties.

[fieldmarshaldj]

The party label SHOULD read "New Progressive Party." The NPP used to be aligned with the mainland GOP, but every pol within the party often chooses up different sides. Both ex-Gov. Pedro Rosselló and ex-Resident Commissioner Carlos Romero-Barceló were NPP members but aligned themselves with mainland Democrats. The last NPP Governor to identify with the GOP is ninety-something Luis Ferré (the Strom Thurmond of PR), and the highest ranking party official currently to identify with the GOP is San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini.