Puerto Rico Faces Close Governor's Race and Statehood Vote
For the first time since ousting their governor during the tumultuous summer of 2019, Puerto Ricans are heading to the polls Tuesday to choose new leadership and cast a non-binding vote on whether they want to be a full-fledged state.
The race in the bankrupt U.S. commonwealth pits the island’s former delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, Pedro Pierluisi of the incumbent New Progressive Party, against Isabela Mayor Carlos Delgado Altieri with the Popular Democratic Party. A recent poll showed the men are tied, each with about 37% support.
The prospect of a close race is elevating the role of long-shot candidate Alexandra Lugaro with the Citizens’ Victory Movement. Delgado Altieri’s campaign is concerned that Lugaro -- and to a lesser extent other independent candidates -- could siphon off just enough votes to tip the balance against them.
Their biggest difference comes down to the island’s territorial status. Pierluisi and his PNP party want Puerto Rico to be a U.S. state, and they have organized a non-binding referendum on the issue on Election Day. Delgado Altieri and the PPD advocate for improving the current territorial status, and claim the referendum is a ploy to get unmotivated PNP supporters to the polls. Statehood, they point out, is something that will be decided in Washington, not at the local ballot box.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/puerto-rico-faces-close-governor-110000270.html
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