Honestly, if you were watching the Puerto Rico elections 2024 from the mainland, you probably missed the earthquake. Not a literal one—the island has enough of those—but a political shift that basically shattered a seventy-year-old two-party ceiling.
For decades, politics in Puerto Rico was a binary choice. You were either a "penepé" (New Progressive Party) or a "popu" (Popular Democratic Party). That’s it. But November 2024 changed the math. While Jenniffer González-Colón secured the governor’s seat, the real story is how close the island came to a total systemic overhaul.
The New Map of Power
Jenniffer González-Colón is now the Governor. She took office on January 2, 2025, after a campaign that was sorta wild from the start. Remember, she didn’t just beat the opposition; she had to take down her own running mate, the sitting Governor Pedro Pierluisi, in a June primary just to get on the ballot. That kind of internal coup is rare, and it set the tone for a high-stakes general election.
But look at the numbers. González won with about 41% of the vote. In the old days, a winner would cruise comfortably with over 50%. The reason she didn't? Juan Dalmau.
Dalmau, leading the "Alianza" (an alliance between the Independence Party and the Citizen Victory Movement), pulled in over 30%. That is massive. For context, the independence movement used to struggle to hit 5%. To see them land in second place, officially pushing the long-standing Popular Democratic Party (PPD) into a humiliating third place, is the political equivalent of a lightning strike.
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Why the Status Vote Felt Different This Time
You can't talk about the Puerto Rico elections 2024 without talking about the plebiscite. This was the seventh time the island voted on its relationship with the U.S., but there was a catch. For the first time, "Territory" (the status quo) wasn't an option on the ballot.
The results were pretty clear, even if the implementation remains stuck in the mud of D.C. politics:
- Statehood: 58.48%
- Sovereignty in Free Association: 29.57%
- Independence: 11.82%
Statehood won. Again. But the drama didn't end with the tally. There was a huge controversy over blank ballots. Thousands of voters, encouraged by the PPD, left that section empty as a protest. If you count those blanks as "none of the above," the statehood majority looks smaller. If you ignore them—which is what the State Elections Commission (CEE) officially did—it’s a landslide.
The Split Ticket Reality
Here is the weird part you’ve gotta understand: Puerto Rico now has a split government. While González (a Republican on the national stage) is Governor, the island elected Pablo José Hernández Rivera as Resident Commissioner. He’s from the PPD and aligns with the Democrats.
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So, Puerto Rico’s only (non-voting) voice in Congress is from the party that just suffered its worst defeat in history at home. It’s a mess. Hernández Rivera is 33, a lawyer, and the grandson of a former governor. He managed to win because he focused almost entirely on economic development rather than the endless status debate. People are tired, man. They want the lights to stay on.
The LUMA Factor
Speaking of lights, you can't ignore the grid. If you want to know why the "Alianza" surged, just look at the power bills. The privatization of the electric grid under LUMA Energy has been, to put it mildly, a disaster for the average person. Constant blackouts and rising rates turned the Puerto Rico elections 2024 into a referendum on daily survival.
González-Colón knew this. She pivoted during the campaign, at one point calling for LUMA’s contract to be cancelled or strictly overhauled, despite her party originally bringing them in. It was a savvy move that likely saved her campaign from the "anti-incumbency" wave that swallowed others.
What Happens Now?
The island is currently navigating a government where the NPP controls the legislature with a supermajority, but the executive branch has to deal with a Resident Commissioner from a different party.
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If you’re looking for the "so what" here, it’s this: Puerto Rico is no longer a two-party island. The 2024 results proved that a third-party coalition can actually compete for the top spot.
Next steps for following the fallout:
- Watch the Federal Response: Keep an eye on how the 119th Congress reacts to the statehood win. With a Republican-controlled Washington and a pro-statehood Republican Governor in San Juan, the "equality" argument might actually get some floor time, though don't hold your breath.
- Monitor the Energy Transition: The Governor has a mandate to fix the grid. If the blackouts continue through 2025, the NPP’s supermajority in the legislature won't mean much in the next cycle.
- Track the Alianza: See if the PIP and MVC stay together. If they do, 2028 could be the year they actually take the Fortaleza.
The old guard survived 2024, but they’ve been put on notice. The "status quo" is dead, even if the "territory" status remains.