It is one of those trivia questions that catches people off guard. You are sitting at a bar or scrolling through a news feed, and someone asks: "Wait, who is the president of Puerto Rico 2024?" You might start thinking of names you’ve heard in the news lately—maybe Pedro Pierluisi or Jenniffer González-Colón. But there is a massive catch.
Puerto Rico doesn't actually have its own president.
Because Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, the President of the United States is the one who holds that title. So, for the vast majority of 2024, the "president" of Puerto Rico was Joe Biden. Following the November 2024 elections and the subsequent transition into 2025, that mantle shifted to Donald Trump. It is a weird, somewhat lopsided reality for the 3.2 million American citizens living on the island. They have a president they can't actually vote for in the general election.
The weird truth about who is the president of puerto rico 2024
If you live in San Juan, Ponce, or Mayagüez, your head of state is the person sitting in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. In 2024, that person was Joe Biden. Even though Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens by birth, the U.S. Constitution only allows citizens living in the 50 states (and D.C. via the 23rd Amendment) to cast electoral votes for the presidency.
Basically, Puerto Ricans participate in the primaries—they help pick the nominees—but when the big show happens in November, their ballots for president are "symbolic."
In the 2024 symbolic vote held on the island, Kamala Harris actually "won" the preference of the local voters, but it didn't change a single thing in the Electoral College. It's a frustrating point for many. Honestly, it’s one of the main reasons the "statehood vs. independence" debate never truly dies down.
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If there’s no local president, who runs the island?
While the U.S. President is the head of state, the day-to-day operations, the local laws, and the police are managed by the Governor of Puerto Rico. This is where the names you probably recognize come into play.
For almost all of 2024, Pedro Pierluisi was the governor. He’s been a fixture in island politics for years, a member of the New Progressive Party (PNP) who also identifies as a Democrat on the national stage. But 2024 was a brutal year for him politically.
In June 2024, Pierluisi lost his own party's primary. It was a bit of a shocker. He was defeated by his own running mate from the previous election, Jenniffer González-Colón.
The 2024 election shake-up
Jenniffer González-Colón is a name you should get used to. Before winning the governorship, she served as the Resident Commissioner—Puerto Rico's only (non-voting) representative in the U.S. Congress. She is a staunch Republican and a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, which makes for an interesting dynamic given the friction between the island and the federal government in recent years.
On November 5, 2024, she won the general election with about 39% of the vote. It wasn't a landslide, but in a multi-party system, it was enough to secure her spot as the next leader of the island. She officially took the oath of office on January 2, 2025, replacing Pierluisi.
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- Joe Biden: President of the U.S. (and PR) for most of 2024.
- Donald Trump: President-elect during late 2024; current President.
- Pedro Pierluisi: Governor of Puerto Rico throughout 2024.
- Jenniffer González-Colón: Won the 2024 gubernatorial election; current Governor.
The Resident Commissioner: A lonely job in D.C.
Since González-Colón moved from Congress to the Governor's mansion (La Fortaleza), her old job needed filling. That went to Pablo José Hernández Rivera of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD).
His job is unique. He sits in the U.S. House of Representatives, can speak on the floor, and can vote in committees. But when the bells ring for a final vote on a bill? He has to sit it out. It is a strange, half-measure of representation that perfectly illustrates the island's "commonwealth" status.
Why the status vote in 2024 matters
While people were searching for who is the president of puerto rico 2024, the people on the island were voting on something much bigger: their future.
Alongside the candidates, there was a plebiscite on the ballot. Voters had to choose between three paths:
- Statehood
- Independence
- Independence with Free Association
For the first time, "keeping things the way they are" (the current territorial status) wasn't even an option on the ballot. Statehood won again, taking about 57% of the vote. But here is the kicker: these votes are non-binding. Only the U.S. Congress has the power to actually admit a new state or grant independence.
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Despite the clear "Yes" for statehood, the island remains in a sort of political purgatory.
Does it actually matter who the president is?
You bet it does. The U.S. President oversees the federal agencies that provide billions in disaster relief (FEMA), healthcare funding (Medicaid), and nutrition assistance (NAP).
We saw how much it mattered after Hurricane Maria. The relationship between the island's leadership and the White House can be the difference between a fast recovery and years of red tape. With Jenniffer González-Colón now in La Fortaleza and Donald Trump back in the White House, the political alignment is closer than it has been in years. Both are Republicans. Both have a history of working together, even if the relationship between the Trump administration and the island has been rocky at times.
What you need to know going forward
If you are trying to keep track of who is in charge, don't look for a "President of Puerto Rico." Look at the Governor and the U.S. President.
The political landscape of the island is shifting. The traditional two-party dominance of the PNP and PPD is cracking. In the 2024 election, a pro-independence candidate named Juan Dalmau finished in a strong second place, which would have been unthinkable a decade ago. It shows that people are tired of the status quo.
Actionable Insights for Following Puerto Rican Politics:
- Watch the Federal Budget: Keep an eye on how the Trump administration handles the remaining Hurricane Maria and Fiona recovery funds. This is the biggest leverage point for the island's economy.
- Monitor the Resident Commissioner: Pablo José Hernández Rivera is a Democrat, while Governor González-Colón is a Republican. This "split ticket" at the top could lead to some friction in how Puerto Rico lobbies Washington.
- Statehood Legislation: Look for the "Puerto Rico Status Act" in Congress. Even though the island voted for statehood in 2024, the bill faces a massive uphill battle in the U.S. Senate.
- Local Infrastructure: The privatization of the power grid (LUMA Energy) remains the biggest hot-button issue for locals. Whoever is in power—governor or president—will be judged by whether the lights stay on.
Puerto Rico's political identity is a complex puzzle. It is a place where you are an American citizen, governed by an American president, yet you live in a system that feels fundamentally different from the 50 states. Whether that changes in the coming years depends less on who the president is and more on whether Congress finally decides to listen to the votes cast in the Caribbean.