The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico. Prior to that date, the Governor of Puerto Rico was appointed by either the King of Spain (1510-1898) or the President of the United States (1898–1946).
The first Puerto Rican governors
In 1579,
Juan Ponce de León II became the first
Puerto Rican to assume, temporarily, the governorship of Puerto Rico. He served until the arrival of Jerónimo De Agüero Campuzano, who assumed the governorship of the island that same year.
For several months in 1923, Juan Bernardo Huyke served as interim Governor of Puerto Rico between the administrations of Emmet Montgomery Reily and Horace Mann Towner.
In 1946, President Harry Truman appointed Jesús T. Piñero to the governor's seat. This marked the first time in history that the Government of the United States appointed a native Puerto Rican to hold the highest office on the island. Piñero remained in office until 1948, when Puerto Ricans were allowed to choose their governor for the first time.
In 1948, Luis Muñoz Marín became the first Puerto Rican elected to the governorship of Puerto Rico.
Requirements to hold office
On July 25, 1952, the
Constitution of Puerto Rico was approved by the United States Congress. Section Three of Article IV of the Constitution establishes the requirements that must be met in order to become Governor. The governor must be a
citizen of the
United States, a resident of Puerto Rico for five consecutive years and at least 35 years old at the time of the election.
The Governor serves a four year term which begins on the second day of January after the year of his election and ends on the date his successor takes office. Consecutive service is unlimited, according to the Constitution of the Island. As an example Luis Muñoz Marín, its first elected governor, served for four consecutive terms from 1949 to 1965; the Constitution of the Commonwealth was ratified by the people of Puerto Rico in 1952.
General elections
The Governor is elected by a direct vote from the people. The Constitution states that if the margin of victory of a candidate is less than .5% of the votes a full recount of the election must take place. So far, only in the elections of 1980 and 2004 has a recount taken place.
On the same ballot as the Governor the people vote for the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. This elected official represents Puerto Rico in the Congress of the United States. Candidates for Governor and Resident Commissioner are not paired, meaning that, unlike Presidential elections in the United States (where voters cannot choose between a President from one political party and a Vice President from another party), the people can choose and elect candidates from different parties (which has only occurred in 2004).
Powers of the governor
The Governor is head of the Government of Puerto Rico. He has the power to veto any number of projects that the Puerto Rican Legislature wishes to pass. The Governor also has the power to appoint the members of his cabinet, who in turn must be ratified by the Legislature. The Governor also has the power to appoint Justices to the
Supreme Court and all the lower courts of the island.
The Governor must address the Legislature at the beginning of each year to present two speeches, one is the State of the Commonwealth speech and another in which the Governor presents the "Recommended Budget" for the next fiscal year in which the Governor proposes to the State Legislature a budget for the consideration of said body. He is also the Commander in Chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard and the chief diplomat.
is the oldest Governor's Mansion in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere]]
Succession
Upon the death, resignation, or removal from office (by
impeachment and conviction) of a sitting Governor, the
Secretary of State of Puerto Rico would then take the office of Governor until the end of the four-year term. In case the Secretary of State is unwilling or unable to assume it, the
Attorney General (or, as the position is known, the Justice Department Secretary) would temporarily assume the governorship, followed by the Secretary of the Treasury, the
Secretary of Education, the
Secretary of Labor and Human Resources, the
Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, the
Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce, the
Secretary of Health and the
Secretary of Agriculture, until the Legislative Assembly met to elect by majority vote of all of its members a Governor for the rest of the term. See, Sections 7-10 of Article 4 of the
Constitution of Puerto Rico.
Quincentenary Commission of the Governorship of Puerto Rico
On April 13, 2010, Governor
Luis Fortuño and Secretary of State
Kenneth McClintock signed an Executive Order providing for the celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Governorship of Puerto Rico, recognizing that although it appears that
Juan Ponce de León was appointed in 1508, the first references to him as Governor "of the island of San Juan" (as Puerto Rico was then named) do not appear under King Ferdinand's signature until 1510, according to Puerto Rico's Official Historian, doctor Luis González-Vale. Fortuño appointed Dr. González-Vale to chair the newly-created Quincentenary Commission of the Governorship of Puerto Rico. Members include, among others, Secretary McClintock, Sacred Heart University President José Jaime Rivera, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico President Manuel Fernós, San Juan Mayor
Jorge Santini, Guaynabo Mayor
Hector O'Neill and Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (IPC) Executive Director Mercedes Gómez. The Governor also appointed an advisory board which includes legendary former IPC Executive Director and anthropologist, don
Ricardo Alegría.
Latest election
List of Governors
References
External links
Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico
Category:Executive Branch of the Government of Puerto Rico
