Resident commissioner of Puerto Rico

The resident commissioner of Puerto Rico (Template:Langx) is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years, the only member of the House of Representatives who serves a four-year term. Because the commissioner represents the entire territory of Puerto Rico irrespective of its population, and is not subject to congressional apportionment like those House members representing the 50 states, Puerto Rico's at-large congressional district is the largest congressional district by population in all of the United States.

Commissioners function in every respect as a member of Congress, including sponsoring legislation and serving on congressional committees, where they can vote on legislation, but they cannot vote on the final disposition of legislation on the House floor. They receive a salary of $174,000 per year and are identified as Member of Congress.

since 2025Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) the commissioner is Pablo José Hernández Rivera of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), the youngest person to hold the post. He is also affiliated with the Democratic Party (D) at the national level.

Other U.S. territories have a similar representative position called a delegate.

History

The United States Congress had seated non-voting "delegates" from various territories since 1794 as the country expanded across North America; these territories were all eventually admitted as states. The position of delegate was a legislative position with a two-year term, just like a member of Congress.

The United States acquired several overseas possessions as a result of the Spanish–American War. While the House of Representatives voted in 1900 for Puerto Rico to select a delegate, Congress instead devised a new form of territorial representative in the resident commissioner. United States senator John Coit Spooner argued that granting a territory a delegate implied that it was on the path to statehood, which he asserted was not guaranteed for the new possessions acquired in the war, such as Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In fact, more than a century later, neither has become a state. (Puerto Rico remains a U.S. territory, while the Philippines became an independent republic in 1946.)

The original resident commissioner positions served a two-year term, though it was later extended to four years starting in 1920. The position also had executive responsibility in addition to legislative ones. The term had been used as to parts of the British Empire (see resident commissioner), but in an almost opposite sense; sent or recognized as the Crown's representative to manage a territory. In the American sense, resident commissioner always refers to a representative of a territory to the national government.

This representation has evolved over time. At first, the resident commissioner could not even be present on the floor of the House of Representatives; floor privileges were granted in 1902. In 1904, the officeholder gained the right to speak during debate and serve on the Committee on Insular Affairs, which had responsibility for the territories gained in the Spanish-American War.

In 1933, Resident Commissioner Santiago Iglesias was appointed to additional committees, and each of his successors has served on other committees also. But only in 1970 did the resident commissioner gain the right to vote in committees, gain seniority, or hold leadership positions.

The present-day resident commissioner, like the delegates from other territories and the District of Columbia, has almost all of the rights of other House members, including being able to sponsor bills and offer amendments and motions. Territorial representatives remain unable to vote on matters before the full House.

The position of resident commissioner in Washington is described as a democratic anomaly and does not meet any of the principles of true political representation. The resident commissioner acts as a case of macro-clientelism between the sole resident commissioner and all Puerto Ricans.

List of resident commissioners of Puerto Rico

Resident commissioners under U.S. colonial administration

No.	Resident Commissioner	Party	U.S. affiliation	Years	Congress	Electoral history
District established March 4, 1901
1	File:Federico Degetau y González.JPG Federico Degetau y González (San Juan)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1905 3 years, 364 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Retired.
2	File:Tulio Larrinaga.jpg Tulio Larrínaga (San Juan)	style="background:Template:Party color" | Unionist		March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1911 5 years, 364 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Retired.
3	File:Luis Munoz Rivera.jpg Luis Muñoz Rivera (San Juan)	style="background:Template:Party color" | Unionist		March 4, 1911 – November 15, 1916 5 years, 256 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Died.
–	Vacant			November 16, 1916 – August 6, 1917	Template:USCongressOrdinal
4	File:Félix Córdova Dávila.jpg Félix L. M. Córdova Dávila (San Juan)	style="background:Template:Party color" | Unionist		August 7, 1917 – April 11, 1932 14 years, 238 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected to finish Rivera's term. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1928. Resigned to become Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.
–	Vacant			April 12, 1932 – April 14, 1932	Template:USCongressOrdinal
5	File:José Lorenzo Pesquera.jpg José Lorenzo Pesquera (Bayamon)	Template:Party shading/Independent | Independent		April 15, 1932 – March 3, 1933 322 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected to finish Dávila's term. Retired.
6	File:Santiago Iglesias.jpg Santiago Iglesias Pantín (San Juan)	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |Coalitionist		March 4, 1933 – December 5, 1939 6 years, 276 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1936. Died.
–	Vacant			December 5, 1939 – December 26, 1939	Template:USCongressOrdinal
7	File:Bolívar Pagán.jpg Bolívar Pagán (San Juan)	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |Coalitionist		December 26, 1939 – January 3, 1945 5 years, 1 day	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Appointed to finish Iglesias Pantín's term. Elected in 1940. Retired.
8	File:Jesus T. Piñero.jpg Jesús T. Piñero Jiménez (Canovanas)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1945 – September 2, 1946 1 year, 242 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1944. Resigned to become Governor of Puerto Rico.

Resident commissioners under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

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U.S. party affiliation

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No.	Resident Commissioner	Party	Affiliation within U.S. politics	Years	Congress	Electoral history
9	File:Antonio Fernos-Isern.jpg Antonio Fernós-Isern (Santurce)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	September 11, 1946 – January 3, 1965 18 years, 23 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Appointed to finish Piñero's term. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1960. Retired.
10	File:Santiago Polanco Abreu.jpg Santiago Polanco Abreu (Isabela)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969 4 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1964. Lost re-election.
11	File:Jorge Luis Córdova Díaz.jpg Jorge Luis Córdova (San Juan)	Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) | New Progressive	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973 4 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1968. Lost re-election.
12	File:Jaime Benítez.jpg Jaime Benítez (Cayey)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1977 4 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1972. Lost re-election.
13	File:Corrada.jpg Baltasar Corrada del Río (Rio Piedras)	Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) | New Progressive	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1985 8 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1980. Retired to run for mayor of San Juan.
14	File:Fuster.jpg Jaime Fuster (Condado)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1985 – March 3, 1992 7 years, 60 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1988. Resigned to become Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.
15	File:Antonio Colorado.jpg Antonio Colorado (San Juan)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	March 4, 1992 – January 3, 1993 305 days	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Appointed to finish Fuster's term. Lost election to full term.
16	File:Carlos Antonio Romero-Barceló.jpg Carlos Romero Barceló (San Juan)	Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) | New Progressive	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001 8 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1996. Lost re-election.
17	File:Anibal Acevedo Vila.jpg Aníbal Acevedo Vilá (Hato Rey)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2005 4 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 2000. Retired to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.
18	File:Fortuno main.jpg Luis Fortuño (Guaynabo)	Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) | New Progressive	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2009 4 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 2004. Retired to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.
19	File:Pedro-Pierluisi-cropped.jpg Pedro Pierluisi (San Juan)	Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) | New Progressive	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2017 8 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2012. Retired to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.
20	File:Jenniffer Gonzalez (cropped).jpg Jenniffer González-Colón (Carolina)	Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) | New Progressive	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	January 3, 2017 – January 2, 2025 8 years	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2020. Retired to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.
21	File:Pablo Hernández Rivera 119th congress.webp Pablo Hernández Rivera (San Juan)	Popular Democratic	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 2025 – present	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 2024.

Recent elections

2000

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2000 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Aníbal Acevedo Vilá		49.34
		Carlos Romero Barceló (incumbent)		45.43
		Manuel Rodríguez Orellana		4.77
Total votes				100.00
	gain from
	hold

2004

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2004 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Luis Fortuño		48.83
		Roberto Prats Palerm		48.26
		Edwin Irizarry Mora		2.89
Total votes				100.00
	gain from
	gain from

2008

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2008 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Pedro Pierluisi		52.70
		Alfredo Salazar		42.27
		Jessica Martinez		1.96
Total votes				100.00
	hold
	gain from

2012

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2012 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Pedro Pierluisi (incumbent)		48.76
		Rafael Cox Alomar		47.47
		Juan Manuel Mercado		2.10
Total votes				100.00
	hold
	hold

2016

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2016 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Jenniffer González-Colón		48.80
		Héctor Ferrer		47.21
		Hugo Rodriguez		2.70
Total votes				100.00
	hold
	gain from

2020

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2020 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Jenniffer González-Colón (incumbent)		40.83
		Aníbal Acevedo Vilá		32.03
		Zayira Jordán Conde		12.89
		Ada Norah Henriquez		7.83
		Luis Piñero González II		6.36
Total votes				100.00
	hold
	hold

See also

• List of United States congressional districts
• Resident Commissioner of the Philippines