By: PR Pundit
For the past two weeks, we have been analyzing the fifteen (15) Municipalities that have voted for the gubernatorial candidate that won the statewide election and ultimately elected Governor of Puerto Rico, which we have labeled Purple Municipalities. By error, we originally spoke of sixteen (16), however, we are eliminating Morovis from the list, because Fortuño carried it in 2012, therefore it did not vote with the winning candidate and is not a Purple Municipality.
Today we continue with that analysis with the Municipalities of Juana Díaz, Peñuelas, and Rincón.
Juana Díaz
Governor Race:
NPP 1968, 1976, 1992, 1996, 2008
PPD 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004, 2012
Resident Commissioner Race:
NPP 1968, 1976, 1992, 1996, 2008, 2012
PPD 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004
Mayor’s Race:
NPP 1968, 1976, 1992, 1996
PPD 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
With the exception of 1980, Juana Díaz has voted for the winning gubernatorial candidate, and even in that Election, the vote was as close as the Island-wide margin and went all the way to the Supreme Court to decide who had won the Mayor’s race. In 2012 it even split the vote, voting narrowly for both García Padilla (PDP) and Pierluisi (NPP).
The PDP, however, has established a lock on the Mayor’s race, with Mayor Ramón A. Hernández Torres increasing his percentage of the votes and margins of victory with each Election. This demonstrates that Juana Díaz has a very sophisticated electorate, that does not see itself attached to any of the mayor political parties. Along with Caguas and Trujillo Alto, it is almost a perfect electoral barometer.
Peñuelas
Governor Race:
NPP 1968, 1992, 1996, 2008
PPD 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004, 2012
Resident Commissioner Race:
NPP 1968, 1992, 1996, 2008
PPD 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004, 2012
Mayor’s Race:
NPP 1968, 1992
PPD 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
Peñuelas is one of the Municipalities with the closest margins of victory for the winning candidate, making it highly competitive. Twice in its history, the office of Mayor has been decided in Recounts. Rosselló (1996) won Peñuelas by 4.2%, Calderón (2000) by 4.4%, Acevedo (2004) by 2.3%, Fortuño (2008) by 10.0%, and García (2012) by 3.1%.
As with Juana Díaz, the Mayor’s race has a life of its own, with incumbent Mayor Walter Torres Maldonado (PDP), who won his first term in a Recount, winning solidly the next four Elections. The Mayor has not indicated whether he will seek a sixth term.
Rincón
Governor Race:
NPP 1996, 2008
PPD 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2012
Resident Commissioner Race:
NPP 2008
PPD 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012
Mayor’s Race:
NPP 1992, 1996
PPD 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
Rincón was once a Deep Red Municipality, but an internal division allowed the late Liborio R. Caro Muñoz (NPP) to win the Mayor’s office in 1992, paving the way for the NPP first winning the Governor’s race in 1996. However, just as Caro helped the NPP plant a flag in Rincón, his conviction on corruption charges also hurt the NPP’s chances of keeping Rincón in its column.
Caro was defeated by now Mayor Carlos López Bonilla in 2000, and the PDP Mayor is already serving his fourth term. 2004 was the only Election in Rincón for Mayor, where López beat his opponent by a narrow margin. In 2000, 2008, and 2012 he won by landslides.
Rincón was one of the few Municipalities that voted in the 2012 Plebiscite to keep the Commonwealth status.
Next Monday, we continue our analysis with San Germán, San Juan, and San Sebastián.
