Free Republic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico congressional representative Jenniffer González [R] defeated Gov. Pedro Pierluisi [D] in a surprise upset during a primary election held Sunday by their pro-statehood party. The two ran on the same ticket four years ago under the New Progressive Party, but González, a Republican, announced her plan to challenge Pierluisi, a Democrat, in early December. Public jabs between the two turned acrimonious during the campaign. Puerto Rico’s main political parties are divided by the island’s political status, so it’s common to find both Republicans and Democrats within the same party.

(Translation) Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González said that the proposed increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour could “kill” local production. “At the congressional level, the President (Joseph Biden) has talked about supporting amendments to the federal minimum wage. This is under review. There has been talk about being in Bill 21, [but] we haven’t been told yet,” González said. “We have to manage this matter with a lot of caution since, while it’s true that no one can live off the federal minimum wage, not to mention we have such a high poverty level in Puerto Rico, we...