Rosselló, González, New Progressive Party win Puerto Rico elections
As polls predicted, the New Progressive Party has come out on top during today’s elections landing its gubernatorial nominee, Ricardo Rosselló in first place for the gubernatorial race. Likewise, albeit by a surprisingly smaller margin, his running mate Jenniffer González came out on top for the resident commissioner seat.
The NPP’s electoral victories also extended to the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico where the party looked poised to gain large majorities in both chambers. The results were good enough that they could possibly even trigger the activation of the constitutional clause that creates additional seats for minority parties in order to avoid one single party holding a majority larger than two-thirds of the bodies.
While the status issue itself was not on the ballot, parties on the US territory largely revolve around the issue, and the results of the election handed the control of the government in its almost entirety to the pro-statehood group. The issue then is likely to come up during the term, as Rosselló has promised to pursue the Tennessee plan to achieve statehood for Puerto Rico.
Certain local races were too close to call, but the main events seem settled. Certain surprising finishes, like Alexandra Lúgaro’s showing, and the first place for José Vargas Vidot in the at large Senate race are sure to rock the political establishment. Vargas Vidot’s showing was particularly impressive, given that he even bested NPP frontrunner and likely next Senate president Thomás Rivera Schatz.
The election had results come in early, as Puerto Rico implemented electronic tallying for the first time, a process that nonetheless saw certain hiccups throughout the day, with certain locations reporting failing machines. Despite the difficulties, the overall results were clear early on, and Puerto Rico’s next government looks set as attention now turns to the results of the presidential race in which Puerto Rico has no say.
