Senate of Puerto Rico

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Senate of Puerto Rico Senado de Puerto Rico
Type
Type	Upper house
Leadership
President of the Senate	Thomas Rivera Schatz, (PNP) since 2009
Majority Leader	Roberto Arango, (PNP) since 2009
Minority Leader	José Luis Dalmau Santiago, (PDP) since 2005
Structure
Members	27
Political groups	New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
Election
Last election	November 4, 2008
Meeting place
Capitol of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Web site
http://www.senadopr.us/en/

The Senate of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Senado de Puerto Rico) is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an additional eleven senators are elected at-large.

The Senate, along with its members and staff, are housed in the eastern half of the Capitol Building, the Rafael Martinez Nadal Senate Annex Building, the Luis Muñoz Marín Office Building, the Antonio R. Barceló Building, the Luis A. Ferré Building and the Ramón Mellado Parsons Office Building.

Contents 1 Composition 1.1 Latest election 2 Summary of the November 4, 2008 elections 3 Current members of the Puerto Rico Senate 3.1 Notable former Senators 3.2 Former Senators 4 Presidents of the Puerto Rico Senate 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Composition

In order to elect the members of the Senate, Puerto Rico is divided into eight senatorial districts:

• San Juan
• Bayamón
• Arecibo
• Mayagüez-Aguadilla
• Ponce
• Guayama
• Humacao
• Carolina

For each one of these districts, the people of Puerto Rico elect two Senators. In addition, the people are allowed to vote for one Senator at-large of their preference. The eleven Senators at-Large with the majority of votes integrate the rest of the Senate.

Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico states that no person can be a member of the Senate unless he or she:

• is capable of reading and writing in either Spanish or English;
• is a citizen of the United States;
• has resided in Puerto Rico for at least two years immediately prior to the date of his election or appointment;
• is over thirty years of age.

Puerto Rico

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Puerto Rico

Constitution United States Constitution Puerto Rico Constitution Executive Government Governor: Luis Fortuño (PNP)(R) Executive departments Public corporations Legislature Legislature: 16th Senate President of the Senate: Thomas Rivera Schatz Vice President of the Senate: Margarita Nolasco Majority Leader: Roberto Arango Minority Leader: Jose Luis Dalmau Santiago House of Representatives Speaker: Jenniffer González Majority Leader: Rolando Crespo Minority Leader: Héctor Ferrer Ríos Judiciary Judiciary Supreme Court Elections Elections Political Parties New Progressive Party Popular Democratic Party Puerto Rican Independence Party Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party Divisions Municipalities Federal Relations Federal representation United States House of Representatives Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Pedro Pierluisi (PNP)(D) Politics of the United States Insular Cases

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[edit] Latest election

[edit] Summary of the November 4, 2008 elections

Party		Pre-Election Seats	District Votes	District Seats	% of Votes	At-Large Votes	At-Large Seats	% of Votes	+/-	Total
	New Progressive	17	1,576,542	16	47.4	913,907	6	48.4	+5	22
	Popular Democratic	9	1,566,217	0	47.1	818,770	5	43.4	-4	5
	Puerto Rican Independence	1	76,555	0	0.2	82,577	0	4.4	-1	0
	Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico	0	79,386	0	0.2	37,457	0	2.1	0	0
	Independent	0	-	0	0.0	16,269	0	0.9	0	0
	Others	0	1,572	0	0.0	549	0	0.0	0	0
Total		27	3,300,272	16		1,869,529	11			27

The Senate is currently composed of 22 members elected under the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (NPP), and nine members elected under the pro-status quo Popular Democratic Party (PDP). Current leadership is as follows:

• Secretary Manuel A. Torres - Acting President of the Senate
• Senator Thomas Rivera Schatz - Incoming President
• Senator Margarita Nolasco Santiago - Incoming President Pro Tem
• Senator Roberto Arango - Senate Majority Leader
• Senator José Luis Dalmau Santiago - Senate Minority Leader
• Senator Eduardo Bhatia - Senate Minority Whip

The Office of Legislative Services is currently headed by Francisco Domenech, while Eliezer Velázquez currently serves as Superintendent of the Capitol.

[edit] Current members of the Puerto Rico Senate

At Large Senators'

• Luz Arce Ferrer (1997-present) NPP-At Large
• Norma Burgos Andújar (2001-present) NPP-At Large
• Antonio Fas Alzamora (1981-present) PDP-At Large (former President of the Senate)
• Sila María González Calderón (2005-present) PDP-At Large
• Juan Eugenio Hernández Mayoral (2005-present) PDP-At Large
• Thomas Rivera Schatz (2009-) NPP-At Large
• José Luis Dalmau Santiago (2001-present) PDP-At Large (add-on)

District Senators

• Roberto Arango Vinent (2005-present) NPP-San Juan
• Migdalia Padilla Alvelo (2000-present) NPP-Bayamón
• Carmelo Ríos Santiago (2005-present) NPP-Bayamón
• José Emilio González Velázquez (2005-present) NPP-Arecibo
• Luis Daniel Muñiz (2005-present) NPP-Mayagüez-Aguadilla

• Héctor Martínez Maldonado (2005-present) NPP-Carolina
• Lornna Soto Villanueva (2005-present) NPP-Carolina

[edit] Notable former Senators

• Rubén Berríos Martínez (1973-1977,1985-1989,1993-2000) PIP-At Large (long-time political activist for the Puerto Rican independence movement, current president of the PIP party)
• Luis A. Ferré (1977-1984), former Governor
• Fernando Martín García (1989-1993,2001-2005) PIP-At Large
• Kenneth McClintock (1993-2008) "NPP-At Large" (Thirteenth President of the Senate 2005-2008)
• Luis Muñoz Marín (1941-48, 1965-70), former Governor
• Victoria Muñoz Mendoza (1986-1993) PDP-At Large (daughter of Luis Muñoz Marín, former gubernatorial candidate)
• Luis Negrón López, former PDP gubernatorial candidate, Senate Majority Leader and Vice President
• Héctor O'Neill García (1989-1993) NPP-Bayamón (current mayor of Guaynabo)
• Ramón Luis Rivera Cruz (1993-2001) NPP-Bayamón (current mayor of Bayamón)
• Jorge Santini Padilla (1997-2001) NPP-San Juan (current mayor of San Juan)
• Ruth FernándezPDP-At Large (Puerto Rican Singer)

[edit] Former Senators

The following is a list of former Senators of Puerto Rico, along with their years of service and the senatorial district they represented.

New Progressive Party Carmen Luz Berríos Rivera (1997-2001) Guayama Norma Carranza de León (1993-2001,2003-2005) Arecibo David Cruz Vélez (1989-1993) At Large Carlos Dávila Pérez (1997-2001) Humacao Francisco González Rodríguez (1997-2001) San Juan Roger Iglesóias (1993-2001) Carolina Luisa Lebrón Burgos (1993-2000) Carolina Miguel Loiz Zayas (1993-1997) Humacao Danny López Soto (1976-1984)Carolina Víctor Loubriel Ortiz (Jan. 2-4 2005) Arecibo Víctor Marrero Padilla (1993-2000) Arecibo Aníbal Marrero Pérez (1984-2000) Bayamón Héctor Martínez Colón (1969-1973) "Ponce" José Enrique Meléndez Ortiz (1993-2001) Guayama Luis Felipe Navas de León (1993-2000) Humacao Nicolás Nogueras Cartagena (1973-1985, 1989-1996) At Large Sergio Peña Clos (1981-2005) At Large Oreste Ramos Díaz (1977-1997) San Juan Roberto Rexach Benítez (1985-1998) At Large Charles Rodríguez Colón (1993-2001) At Large Rafael Rodríguez González (1993-1997) Mayagüez-Aguadilla Enrique Rodríguez Negrón (1989-2001) At Large Rolando Silva Iglesias (1981-1996) San Juan Angel Tirado Martínez (2000-2001) Arecibo Freddie Valentín Acevedo (1993-1997) NPP-At Large Luis Felipe Vázquez Ortiz (1996-1997) San Juan Dennis Vélez Barlucea (1993-1997) Ponce Eduardo Zabala Velázquez (1993-1997) Ponce

Popular Democratic Party Eduardo Bhatia Gautier (1997-2001, 2009-) At Large Elsie Calderón de Hernández (1985-1993) Carolina Juan Cancel Ríos (1969-1976) "Arecibo" Juan Cancel Alegría (2001-2005) Carolina Miguel Deynes Soto (1973-1993) Mayagüez-Aguadilla Carlos García Goyco (1965-1968) "San Juan" Velda González de Modestti (1981-2005) At Large Ana Nisi Goyco Graciani (1981-1993) Ponce Miguel Hernández Agosto (1970-1997) At Large Sixto Hernández Serrano (2001-2006) Humacao Rafael Irizarry (2000-2005) Mayagüez-Aguadilla Luis Izquierdo (1981-1993) At Large Américo Martínez (1981-1993) Arecibo Yasmín Mejías Lugo (2001-2005) Carolina Jorge Orama Monroig (1989-1992) Ponce José Ortiz Daliot (2001-2005) San Juan Margarita Ostolaza Bey (2001-2005) San Juan Mercedes Otero de Ramos (1993-2001) At Large Joaquín Peña Peña (1985-1993) Carolina Roberto Prats Palerm (2001-2005) At Large Jorge Alberto Ramos Comas (1997-2000) Mayagüez-Aguadilla Marco Antonio Rigau (1989-1997) At Large Gilberto Rivera Ortiz (1970-1993) Humacao Juan Rivera Ortiz (1973-1993, 1996-1997) Guayama Julio Rodríguez Gómez (2002-2005) Arecibo Maribel Rodríguez Hernández (2001-2002) Arecibo Rafael Rodríguez Vargas (2001-2005) Arecibo Edgardo Rosario Burgos (1989-1993) Arecibo Jesús Santa Aponte (1977-1993) Humacao Cirilo Tirado Delgado (1989-1997) Guayama Roberto Vigoreaux Lorenzana (2001-2005) PDP-At Large

Puerto Rican Independence Party Manuel Rodríguez Orellana (2000-2001) At Large

[edit] Presidents of the Puerto Rico Senate

Rafael Martínez Nadal (1933-1941) Third President of the Senate

Luis Muñoz Marín (1941-1948) Fourth President of the Senate

Samuel R. Quiñones (1949-1968) Fifth President of the Senate

Rafael Hernández Colón (1969-1972) Sixth President of the Senate

Juan Cancel Ríos (1973-1976) Seventh President of the Senate

Luis A. Ferré (1977-1980) Eighth President of the Senate

Miguel Hernández Agosto (1981-1992) Ninth President of the Senate

Roberto Rexach Benítez (1993-1996) Tenth President of the Senate

Charlie Rodríguez (1997-2000) Eleventh President of the Senate

Antonio Fas Alzamora (2001-2004) Twelfth President of the Senate

Kenneth McClintock (2005-2008) Thirteenth President of the Senate

Thomas Rivera Schatz (2009- ) Fourteenth President of the Senate-Elect

[edit] See also

• 15th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico

[edit] External links

• The Puerto Rican Senate official site (Spanish)
• The Puerto Rican Senate official site (English)
• The Office of Legislative Services / Oficina de Servicios Legislativos (Spanish)
• The Office of Legislative Services / Oficina de Servicios Legislativos (English)

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