If you were watching the news late into the night this past November, you probably saw a lot of blue and green flashing across the screen. People are calling it a political earthquake, and honestly, they aren't exaggerating. For decades, Puerto Rico has been a two-party town. You were either with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP) or the pro-status quo Popular Democratic Party (PPD). That was basically it.
But the latest puerto rico election results just blew that old playbook into tiny pieces.
The Big Winner and the Massive Upset
Jenniffer González-Colón is officially the next Governor of Puerto Rico. She pulled in 39.45% of the vote. Now, in a typical U.S. state race, 39% might seem low, but in a five-way scrap like this, it’s enough to clinch the win. She’s a Republican and a die-hard statehood supporter. She actually beat the sitting governor, Pedro Pierluisi, in a primary before even getting to the general election. That's a huge deal. It’s the first time in 20 years that a governor hasn't been able to secure their party's backing for a second term.
But here’s the real kicker. The person who came in second wasn't from the "other" big party.
Juan Dalmau, representing La Alianza (an alliance between the Independence Party and the Citizen Victory Movement), grabbed about 33% of the vote. Let that sink in. A candidate running on a pro-independence platform just beat out the traditional PPD powerhouse for the runner-up spot. The PPD's Jesús Manuel Ortiz ended up in third with roughly 21%.
This is a total vibe shift. People are tired. They’re tired of the power outages—LUMA Energy is basically a bad word on the island right now—and they're tired of feeling like the old parties are just two sides of the same coin. Dalmau’s performance shows that the "third way" isn't just a dream anymore; it’s a massive voting bloc.
The Split Ticket Nobody Expected
You might think a PNP governor means a PNP sweep, right? Nope. Puerto Ricans decided to get fancy with their ballots this year. While González-Colón won the governor’s seat, the race for Resident Commissioner (the island’s non-voting representative in Congress) went the other way.
Pablo José Hernández Rivera from the PPD won that seat. He’s 33, a lawyer, and the grandson of a former governor. He beat the PNP's William Villafañe by about 10 percentage points. This creates a "split ticket" at the very top of the government. You’ve got a pro-statehood Republican governor and a pro-commonwealth Democrat representing the island in D.C.
Good luck getting those two to agree on a lunch order, let alone a status strategy.
The Legislative Balance
The PNP did manage to take back control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, which gives González-Colón a bit of a tailwind. Thomas Rivera Schatz is likely heading back to the Senate President seat, and Johnny Méndez is looking at the Speaker's gavel again.
But even here, things aren't "normal." Because of a specific quirk in the Puerto Rican Constitution called the "Minority Protection Clause," more seats were actually added to the legislature to ensure that the smaller parties have a voice. It’s a safety valve that keeps one party from having absolute, unchecked power when the opposition gets crushed in the districts.
The Status Vote: Does it Actually Matter?
Along with picking leaders, people voted on a seventh (yes, seventh) referendum about the island's political status. The options were Statehood, Independence, and Free Association.
📖 Related: Susie Wiles and Project 2025: What Most People Get Wrong
- Statehood: 56.82%
- Free Association: 29.57%
- Independence: 11.82%
Statehood won. Again. It’s won the last four times this has been on the ballot.
But here is the nuance most national news outlets miss: this vote was "non-binding." That’s a fancy way of saying it’s a giant poll that the U.S. Congress can legally ignore. And they usually do. Since the "status quo" (staying a territory) wasn't even on the ballot this time, the PPD told its followers to leave the ballot blank or boycott it. Over 165,000 people did exactly that.
So, while 56% looks like a majority, the debate over whether it’s a "true" mandate is going to rage on for another four years.
Why These Results Actually Happened
It wasn't just about the status of the island. Honestly, it was about the electricity. And the schools. And the hospitals.
The puerto rico election results reflect a population that has been through Maria, earthquakes, a pandemic, and a bankruptcy board (FOMB) that has been cutting budgets for years. When the lights go out five times a week, you stop caring as much about the "big" political questions and start caring about who can actually fix the grid.
💡 You might also like: What Really Happened With the Brian Thompson Killed Video
Jenniffer González-Colón campaigned as a change agent, even though she was part of the sitting administration. She managed to distance herself from Governor Pierluisi’s unpopularity. Meanwhile, Juan Dalmau tapped into a younger generation that is less afraid of the "independence" label and more afraid of the island becoming unlivable.
What Happens Now?
The transition is already moving. González-Colón was sworn in on January 2nd. Her first big challenge? The energy crisis. She’s promised to hold LUMA Energy accountable, but that’s easier said than done when you're dealing with decades of infrastructure decay.
She also has to figure out how to work with Pablo José Hernández in Washington. If they can’t find common ground, Puerto Rico’s voice in Congress is going to be a muddled mess of conflicting signals.
Actionable Insights for Following the Aftermath:
- Watch the LUMA Contract: This was the #1 issue for voters. If the new governor doesn't make a major move on the power grid in the first 100 days, her honeymoon period will end fast.
- Monitor the Resident Commissioner’s D.C. Moves: Since Pablo José Hernández is a Democrat and the Governor is a Republican, see if they can co-sponsor any legislation for the island. If they can't even sit in a room together, expect four years of gridlock.
- Track the Legislative Minority: With third-party members like those from Proyecto Dignidad and the PIP holding seats, watch how they use their leverage. They can't pass bills alone, but they can certainly block them.
- Don't hold your breath for Statehood: Even with the "Yes" vote, the U.S. Congress is currently divided. Without a clear, bipartisan push from D.C., the referendum results will likely remain a symbolic victory rather than a practical one.
The 2024 results proved that the old era of Puerto Rican politics is dead. What comes next is a lot messier, a lot more diverse, and—hopefully—a lot more focused on the actual needs of the people living on the island.
To stay updated, keep an eye on the Comisión Estatal de Elecciones (CEE) for any final precinct adjustments and follow local journalists like those at El Nuevo Día who are tracking the transition committees' every move. The real work is just beginning.
Next Steps:
To get a deeper sense of how this will affect federal funding, you should look into the specific budget priorities González-Colón has outlined for the 2025 fiscal year. I can help you find those details or look into the specific legislative bills being drafted by the new majority in the House.