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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) Governor Piedro Pierluisi has just declared a state of emergency due to the increase in monkeypox cases in Puerto Rico. Yesterday, Pierluisi signed Executive Order 2022-044 which orders the Office of Management & Budget, the Department of the Treasury, and the Financial & Fiscal Advisory Authority to make the corresponding arrangements to provide the Department of Health all necessary funding, including access to the Emergency Fund, to address the emergency. The order went into effect today and will be in force for 30 days. Up to the middle of this week, 114 confirmed cases, 39 suspected cases, 36 close...

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said in an interview tonight that Congress is “morally obligated” to act. Pierluisi says that he expects the House to propose legislation for Puerto Rican statehood by mid-March. The governor cited discussions with lawmakers, including Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) and Del. Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico), for his prediction, adding that statehood would provide new access to programs, such as Medicaid and the earned income tax credit. “What I anticipate is that there will be considerable support for a statehood bill in this Congress.” “The U.S. could be expanding by admitting Puerto Rico into the union,”...

Mr. Speaker: As the new Congress begins its work on behalf of the American people, I rise to address my colleagues about an issue of national importance, namely Puerto Rico’s quest to discard its status as a U.S. territory and to become a U.S. state. Puerto Rico has been a territory since 1898. If Puerto Rico does not desire to remain a territory, it can follow one of two paths. The territory can become a state or it can become a sovereign nation, either fully independent from the U.S. or with a compact of free association with the U.S. that...

SAN JUAN - Past Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Senate President and current Senator-at-large Thomas Rivera Schatz asserted today on the talk-radio program "En Caliente con la Jovet" (680 AM Radio) that President Obama is the "whitest" U.S. President and along with Congressional Democrats, the most elitist politicians in U.S. history for calling for amnesty and a path to citizenship for illegal aliens, while maintaining four million current U.S. Citizens in a second-class citizenship status. Residents of the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico are considered natural born citizens, but are not allowed to participate in Presidential elections nor are they afforded...

Democrats in general, and Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi in particular, were searching for ways Wednesday to follow through with health care reform for the nation, and the island, in the wake of the devastating Democratic election defeat in Massachusetts. Up until the Tuesday election, “Puerto Rico was faring very well” in getting favorable provisions in the final legislation that Democratic leaders and the White House were at the point of agreeing on, said the resident commissioner. But now “the Massachusetts result changes the landscape,” Pierluisi said. At the least, “this means more work and more time” to get health care...