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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLeading governor candidate in Puerto Rico wants US statehood
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A passionate advocate for making Puerto Rico the 51st U.S. state appears poised to become the next governor of the territory, giving a boost to a movement that has been gaining momentum amid the island's economic woes.
Ricardo Rossello, a scientist and the son of a former governor of the island, is expected to win Tuesday largely due to widespread public anger over the decade-long recession and a corruption scandal that has left the party of his main opponent in disarray.
But Rossello intends to make joining the union the central focus of his administration if he takes office. "We're going to fight for statehood," he said.
The 37-year-old candidate, who has spent more than a quarter of his life on the U.S. mainland and flies an American flag outside his home near San Juan, sees statehood as the key to reviving an island that is such an economic basket case that Congress imposed a fiscal oversight board this year in exchange for helping the territory's government dig out from $70 billion in public debt.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article112291372.html
Foggyhill
(1,060 posts)Proud liberal 80
(4,167 posts)Not with standing that it also means 2 more democratic senators, and 1 Democrat representative.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)2 Democratic senators and 5 Democratic reps.
It would be right around 7 electoral votes if it joined the union as the 51st.
7 EV's right into the Democratic firewall.
It would then take 273 EV's to win the presidency.
I can't wait to fly a 51 star flag!