| Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico | |
|---|---|
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| United States House of Representatives | |
| Seat | Puerto Rico |
| Term length | Four years, renewable[1] |
| Formation | January 2, 1900 |
| First holder | Federico Degetau |
| Salary | US$174,000 |
| Puerto Rico's at-large congressional district | |
|---|---|
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| Resident Commissioner | |
| Area | 3,515 sq mi (9,100 km2) |
| Population (2019) | 3,193,694 |
| Median household income | 14,412 |
| Ethnicity |
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| Occupation |
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Theresident commissioner of Puerto Rico (Spanish:Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico) is anon-voting member of theUnited States House of Representatives elected by the voters of theU.S. Commonwealth ofPuerto Rico every four years,[1] the only member of the House of Representatives who serves a four-year term. Because the commissioner represents the entire territory of Puerto Rico irrespective of its population, and is not subject tocongressional apportionment like those House members representing the 50 states,Puerto Rico's at-large congressional district is the largest congressional district by population in all of the United States.
Commissioners function in every respect as a member of Congress, including sponsoring legislation and serving oncongressional committees, where they can vote on legislation,[2] but they cannot vote on the final disposition of legislation on the House floor.[3] They receive a salary of $174,000 per year[4] and are identified asMember of Congress.[2]
As of 2025[update] the commissioner isPablo José Hernández Rivera of thePopular Democratic Party (PPD), the youngest person to hold the post. He is also affiliated with theDemocratic Party (D) at the national level.
OtherU.S. territories have a similar representative position called adelegate.
The United States Congress had seated non-voting "delegates" from various territories since 1794 as the country expanded acrossNorth America; these territories were all eventually admitted as states. The position of delegate was a legislative position with a two-year term, just like a member of Congress.[5]
The United States acquired several overseas possessions as a result of theSpanish–American War. While the House of Representatives voted in 1900 for Puerto Rico to select a delegate, Congress instead devised a new form of territorial representative in the resident commissioner.United States senatorJohn Coit Spooner argued that granting a territory adelegate implied that it was on the path to statehood, which he asserted was not guaranteed for the new possessions acquired in the war, such as Puerto Rico and the Philippines.[5] In fact, more than a century later, neither has become a state. (Puerto Rico remains a U.S. territory, whilethe Philippinesbecame an independent republic in 1946.)
The original resident commissioner positions served a two-year term,[6] though it was later extended to four years starting in 1920.[7][5][8] The position also had executive responsibility in addition to legislative ones. The term had been used as to parts of theBritish Empire (seeresident commissioner), but in an almost opposite sense; sent or recognized asthe Crown's representative to manage a territory. In the American sense, resident commissioner always refers to a representative of a territory to thenational government.[5]
This representation has evolved over time. At first, the resident commissioner could not even be present on the floor of theHouse of Representatives; floor privileges were granted in 1902.[5] In 1904, the officeholder gained the right to speak during debate and serve on theCommittee on Insular Affairs, which had responsibility for the territories gained in the Spanish-American War.[5]
In 1933, Resident Commissioner Santiago Iglesias was appointed to additional committees, and each of his successors has served on other committees also.[5] But only in 1970 did the resident commissioner gain the right to vote in committees, gainseniority, or hold leadership positions.[5]
The present-day resident commissioner, like the delegates from other territories and theDistrict of Columbia, has almost all of the rights of other House members, including being able to sponsor bills and offer amendments and motions.[5] Territorial representatives remain unable to vote on matters before the full House.
The position of resident commissioner in Washington is described as a democratic anomaly and does not meet any of the principles of true political representation. The resident commissioner acts as a case of macro-clientelism between the sole resident commissioner and all Puerto Ricans.[9]
Popular Democratic Party (7)
New Progressive Party (6)
U.S. party affiliation
Democratic Party (11)
Republican Party (2)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popular Democratic | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá | 983,488 | 49.34 | |
| New Progressive | Carlos Romero Barceló (incumbent) | 905,690 | 45.43 | |
| Independence | Manuel Rodríguez Orellana | 95,067 | 4.77 | |
| Write-in | 9,238 | 0.46 | ||
| Total votes | 1,993,483 | 100.00 | ||
| Popular Democraticgain fromNew Progressive | ||||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Progressive | Luis Fortuño | 956,828 | 48.83 | |
| Popular Democratic | Roberto Prats Palerm | 945,691 | 48.26 | |
| Independence | Edwin Irizarry Mora | 56,589 | 2.89 | |
| Write-in | 445 | 0.02 | ||
| Total votes | 1,959,553 | 100.00 | ||
| New Progressivegain fromPopular Democratic | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Progressive | Pedro Pierluisi | 996,997 | 52.70 | |
| Popular Democratic | Alfredo Salazar | 799,746 | 42.27 | |
| Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico | Carlos Velazquez | 45,154 | 2.39 | |
| Independence | Jessica Martinez | 37,129 | 1.96 | |
| Write-in | 12,773 | 0.68 | ||
| Total votes | 1,891,799 | 100.00 | ||
| New Progressivehold | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Progressive | Pedro Pierluisi (incumbent) | 905,066 | 48.76 | |
| Popular Democratic | Rafael Cox Alomar | 881,181 | 47.47 | |
| Independence | Juan Manuel Mercado | 38,941 | 2.10 | |
| Working People's | Félix Córdova Iturregu | 13,120 | 0.71 | |
| Sovereign Union Movement | María de Lourdes Guzmán | 11,764 | 0.63 | |
| Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico | Sadiasept Guillont | 5,647 | 0.30 | |
| Write-in | 626 | 0.03 | ||
| Total votes | 1,856,345 | 100.00 | ||
| New Progressivehold | ||||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Progressive | Jenniffer González-Colón | 718,591 | 48.80 | |
| Popular Democratic | Héctor Ferrer | 695,073 | 47.21 | |
| Independence | Hugo Rodriguez | 39,704 | 2.70 | |
| Working People's | Mariana Nogales Molinelli | 19,033 | 1.29 | |
| Total votes | 1,472,401 | 100.00 | ||
| New Progressivehold | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Progressive | Jenniffer González-Colón (incumbent) | 490,273 | 40.83 | |
| Popular Democratic | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá | 384,619 | 32.03 | |
| Citizens' Victory | Zayira Jordán Conde | 154,751 | 12.89 | |
| Project Dignity | Ada Norah Henriquez | 94,059 | 7.83 | |
| Independence | Luis Piñero González II | 76,398 | 6.36 | |
| Write-in | 788 | 0.07 | ||
| Total votes | 1,200,888 | 100.00 | ||
| New Progressivehold | ||||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Candidate | Party or alliance | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pablo Hernández Rivera | Democratic | Popular Democratic Party | 482,938 | 44.55 | ||
| William Villafañe | Republican | New Progressive Party | 379,624 | 35.02 | ||
| Ana Irma Rivera Lassén | Alianza de País | Citizens' Victory Movement | 107,888 | 9.95 | ||
| Viviana Ramírez Morales | Republican | Project Dignity | 56,974 | 5.26 | ||
| Roberto Velázquez[b] | Alianza de País | Puerto Rican Independence Party | 56,498 | 5.21 | ||
| Total | 1,083,922 | 100.00 | ||||
| Valid votes | 1,083,922 | 94.67 | ||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 60,996 | 5.33 | ||||
| Total votes | 1,144,918 | 100.00 | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | – | |||||
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