2012 Puerto Rico Senate election

The 2012 Puerto Rico Senate election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the members of the Senate of Puerto Rico for the next four years, from January 2, 2013 until January 1, 2017.

The governing party (the PNP) presented 22 candidates to the Senate, 18 of them incumbents. The main opposing party (the PPD) presented 22 candidates as well, 5 of them incumbents. There were also 36 other candidates from the other minority parties, and one independent candidate.

After the election, the PNP had lost the majority of its seats, winning only 8 seats. The PPD won the majority of seats with 18. One candidate from the Puerto Rican Independence Party also won a minority seat.

Background

After the previous election, the New Progressive Party augmented their majority within the Senate of Puerto Rico with 22 seats versus only 5 seats from the Popular Democratic Party. By virtue of the Minority Law of the Constitution of Puerto Rico, four more senators from the PPD were added to complete a full minority. Also, for the first time in 27 years, the Puerto Rican Independence Party was left without a senator.

During the four years after the 2008 elections, the Senate of Puerto Rico was affected by scandals of corruption and ethics that resulted in the resignation of three members from the PNP delegation (Roberto Arango, Héctor Martínez, Antonio Soto Díaz). Also, one of the members of the PPD delegation (Eder Ortíz Ortíz) resigned to become Electoral Commissioner of the party. All four seats were filled before the elections.

Of the 31 seating senators, 2 were defeated in the primaries held in March for both parties, 2 decided to run for different positions, and 2 decided not to run for reelection. This resulted in 25 incumbent senators running for reelection (19 from the PNP, 6 from the PPD). In addition, 56 new candidates were running for seats for the six different parties, while two ran independent.

Summary

Senate composition before the elections

PNP1 PNP2 PNP3 PNP4 PNP5 PNP6 PNP7 PNP8 PNP9
PNP10 PNP11 PNP12 PNP13 PNP14 PNP15 PNP16 PNP17 PNP18
PNP19 PNP20 PNP21 PNP22 PPD1 PPD2 PPD3 PPD4 PPD5
PPD6 PPD7 PPD8 PPD9

Senate composition as a result of the elections

PPD1 PPD2 PPD3 PPD4 PPD5 PPD6 PPD7 PPD8 PPD9
PPD10 PPD11 PPD12 PPD13 PPD14 PPD15 PPD16 PPD17 PPD18
PNP1 PNP2 PNP3 PNP4 PNP5 PNP6 PNP7 PNP8 PIP1

Results

Senators at-large

2012 Senators at-large[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Progressive Party (PNP) Thomas Rivera Schatz 154,983 8.66 +0.07
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Eduardo Bhatia 149,781 8.37 +1.64
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Angel Rosa 139,132 7.78
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Antonio Fas Alzamora 138,275 7.73 +0.82
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Rossana López 136,914 7.65
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Aníbal José Torres 131,216 7.34
New Progressive Party (PNP) Larry Seilhamer 129,918 7.26
New Progressive Party (PNP) Itzamar Peña Ramírez 127,529 7.13 -0.23
New Progressive Party (PNP) Margarita Nolasco 127,049 7.10 -0.74
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) María de Lourdes Santiago 126,635 7.08 +2.23
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Cirilo Tirado Rivera 126,489 7.07 +0.35
New Progressive Party (PNP) Melinda Romero 126,122 7.05
New Progressive Party (PNP) Lucy Arce 123,542 6.91 -1.03
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) José "Che" Paraliticci 10,905 0.61
Independent Herminio Pagán Calderín 9,133 0.51
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT) Ineabelle Colón 7,878 0.44
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR) Carmen M. Sánchez Betancourt 2,987 0.17
Total votes 1,788,619 100

Incumbent at-large senators Kimmey Raschke and José Emilio González (from the PNP) were defeated in the primaries held earlier in the year. Also, senator Alejandro García Padilla was running for Governor for the PPD, while Norma Burgos was running for Mayor of Caguas for the PNP. Senators Sila María González Calderón and Juan Eugenio Hernández Mayoral decided not to run for reelection.

After the election, two at-large incumbents from the PNP (Lucy Arce and Melinda Romero) lost, while the PPD managed to seat all their candidates to senators at-large. Also, María de Lourdes Santiago (from the PIP) regained a seat after losing her seat in the previous election.

Although the PPD won a majority of seats, the candidate with the most votes was the incumbent President of the Senate Thomas Rivera Schatz (from the PNP). PPD candidate Antonio Fas Alzamora won his tenth consecutive term as senator, becoming the longest tenured legislator in the island.[2] On the other hand, candidates Angel Rosa, Rossana López, and Aníbal José Torres (from the PPD) won seats for the first time.

I - San Juan

District I - San Juan[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) José Nadal Power 98,225 24.69
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Ramón Luis Nieves 96,378 24.22
New Progressive Party (PNP) Zoé Laboy 90,102 22.64
New Progressive Party (PNP) Liza Fernández 88,633 22.27
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Héctor J. González Pereira 7,530 1.89 +0.35
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Angel Alicea Montañez 6,969 1.75
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT) José "Pepe" Córdova 3,646 0.92
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) Isabel Borrás Marín 3,310 0.83
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR) Fred Guillont Juarbe 877 0.22
Total votes 397,907 100

PNP candidate Liza Fernández had been elected to the House of Representatives in the 2008 elections, but had won a special election to fill the vacant left by the resignation of Senator Roberto Arango. Zoé Laboy was running for the first time after serving as Secretary of the Department of Corrections in the 90s. The two candidates of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), José Nadal Power and Ramón Luis Nieves were also newcomers. After the election, Nadal Power and Nieves won the two district seats that had been in control of the New Progressive Party (PNP) for two consecutive terms.

II - Bayamón

District II - Bayamón[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Progressive Party (PNP) Migdalia Padilla 106,133 25.73 -2.31
New Progressive Party (PNP) Carmelo Ríos 106, 125 25.73 -1.90
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Miguel Reyes Dávila 90,123 21.85
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) José Orlando Muñoz 89,939 21.80
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Víctor M. Caraballo 6,494 1.57
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) José A. Ojeda Santos 5,806 1.41
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) Carlos Alberto Velázquez 2,598 0.63
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT) Ruth E. Arroyo Muñoz 2,559 0.62
Total votes 412,484 100

III - Arecibo

District III - Arecibo[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Progressive Party (PNP) Angel "Chayanne" Martínez 117,857 24.68 -1.53
New Progressive Party (PNP) José "Joito" Pérez 117,297 24.56
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Wanda Arroyo 114,871 24.06
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Rubén Soto 112,674 23.60
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Jaime Bonel González 5,314 1.11 +0.23
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Luis Cruz 5,142 1.08
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) Rafael Capella Angueira 1,735 0.36
Total votes 477,521 100

IV - Mayagüez

District IV - Mayagüez[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) María Teresa González 125,353 26.55
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Gilberto Rodríguez 121,396 25.71
New Progressive Party (PNP) Luis Daniel Muñíz 105,666 22.38 -3.31
New Progressive Party (PNP) Evelyn Vázquez 103,042 21.82 -3.59
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Orlando Ruíz Pesante 5,594 1.18
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Samuel Soto Bosques 5,483 1.16 -0.57
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) Alberto O. Lozada Colón 1,461 0.33
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT) Edwin Morales Pérez 1,112 0.24
Total votes 472,183 100

V - Ponce

District V - Ponce[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Ramón Ruiz 113,499 24.43
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Martín Vargas Morales 112,974 24.32
New Progressive Party (PNP) Luis Berdiel 111,806 24.07 -1.44
New Progressive Party (PNP) Eliezer Velázquez 111,454 23.99
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Luis Enrique Martínez 6,246 1.34
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Javier Maldonado Mercado 5,972 1.29
Total votes 464,546 100

VI - Guayama

District VI - Guayama[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Miguel Pereira 122,184 25.10
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Angel M. Rodríguez 120,336 24.72 +1.99
New Progressive Party (PNP) Carlos Torres Torres 114,916 23.60 -1.59
New Progressive Party (PNP) Miguel Rodríguez 113,877 23.39
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Edny Ramírez Pagán 5,287 1.20
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) José Enrique Laboy Gómez 5,758 1.18
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) Roberto Colón Ocasio 1,127 0.23
Independent Benjamín "Bengie" León 200 0.04
Total votes 486,845 100

VII - Humacao

District VII - Humacao[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) José Luis Dalmau 117,610 26.37 +2.65
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Jorge Suárez 114,165 25.60 +2.88
New Progressive Party (PNP) José Ramón Díaz 98,361 22.06 -2.02
New Progressive Party (PNP) Luz M. Santiago 97,800 21.93 -2.14
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Maritza Algarín Sepúlveda 5,552 1.24
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Juan "Cholo" Lebrón 5,081 1.14 +0.18
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) Vilma Calderón Jiménez 2,417 0.54
Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT) Carlos R. Mercado Cotto 1,378 0.31
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR) José Luis "Tito" Dones 797 0.18
Total votes 445,970 100

VIII - Carolina

District VIII - Carolina[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Pedro A. Rodríguez 101,391 25.53
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Luis Daniel Rivera 100,080 25.20
New Progressive Party (PNP) Lornna Soto 91,216 22.97 -1.88
New Progressive Party (PNP) Roger Iglesias 86,584 21.80 -1.10
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Pedro José "Pepe" Alvarez 5,378 1.35 -1.75
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Dwight Rodríguez Orta 5,302 1.34 +0.36
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) Guillermo Sosa Rodríguez 2,217 0.56
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR) Fabiola Carrasquillo 1,309 0.33 -1.46
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR) Edwin M. González 1,134 0.29
Total votes 397,097 100

References

  1. "Senadores por Acumulación". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-16. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  2. Rivera, Daniel (May 29, 2012). "Un legislador a la antigua". El Nuevo Día.
  3. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial San Juan I". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  4. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Bayamón II". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  5. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Arecibo III". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  6. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Mayagüez IV". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  7. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Ponce V". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  8. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Guayama VI". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  9. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Humacao VII". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  10. "Senadores por Distrito, Resultados Distrito Senatorial Carolina VIII". State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. 2012-11-09. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.

See also

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