Gubernatorial elections were held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Puerto Rico, concurrently with the election of the Resident Commissioner, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the mayors of the 78 municipalities, as well as the election events of a status referendum and a presidential straw poll. As a candidate in the 2024 general elections, the winner was elected to serve a four-year term from January 2, 2025 to January 2, 2029.
Two parties filed to hold a primary election: the New Progressive Party and the Popular Democratic Party. Incumbent New Progressive Party Governor Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia ran for re-election to a second term in office, but lost the PNP primary to Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon. The Popular Democratic Party nominated Jesús Manuel Ortíz, a member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican Independence Party and Citizens' Victory Movement formed an electoral alliance, with both parties agreeing to support former member of the Senate of Puerto Rico, Juan Dalmau. However, since all registered parties are required to nominate a candidate for governor, Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana nominated dummy candidate Javier Córdova Iturregui. Project Dignity nominated San Sebastián mayor Javier Jiménez.
González Colón ultimately won the general election. This was the first Puerto Rico gubernatorial election since 1952 in which a candidate from the Independence Party finished second in a gubernatorial race, the first time since 1964 in which the incumbent governing party was re-elected after two terms in office, and the second time Puerto Rico has elected a female governor. This election also saw the Popular Democratic Party lose control of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and finish third for the first time in its entire history in a gubernatorial election, albeit retaining a majority of mayoral races and flipping the office of Resident Commissioner.
Parties New Progressive primary On March 20, 2022, during the New Progressive Party's general assembly, governor Pedro Pierluisi announced that he would run for a second term. In an interview on August 28, he reaffirmed the press that he would be in fact running again, stating that "Puerto Rico is moving forward and there is no one who can stop us" and that they were "going to beat the PDP". Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón won the primary against Governor Pierluisi, becoming the first-ever female gubernatorial nominee for the New Progressive Party.
Candidates Nominee
Jenniffer González Colón, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
Eliminated in primary
Pedro Pierluisi, incumbent governor
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error PedroPierluisi JennifferGonzález Colón Others UndecidedPasquinesPasquines 22–30 May 2024 483 (RV) – 63% 35% 1% 1%Noticel and Atlas IntelNoticel and Atlas Intel 8–12 October 2023 2,350 (A) ± 2.0% 50.4% 42.4% – 6.1%El Nuevo Día and The Research OfficeEl Nuevo Día and The Research Office 31 January – 5 February 2023 ≈400 (A) ± 6.0% 25% 64% 3% 3%
Results
Popular Democratic primary After suffering defeat in the 2020 elections, the Popular Democratic Party suffered a major divide on opinions, from the topic of abortion to what political status should the party pursue in the case of an 8th plebiscite. Some like the former party president José Luis Dalmau say that the party should keep supporting the current political status (ELA), while others within the party like former territorial senator Marco Rigau Jiménez stated that the party should move towards Free Association.
On June 16, 2022, while criticizing the party president José Dalmau, Morovis mayor Carmen Maldonado González challenged him, and announced that she would be running for governor. Later, on October 17, she officialized her candidacy in a press conference. Afterward, on January 18, 2023, she stated that she would run for president of the party. On May 7, after coming last on the presidency election, she conceded and announced that she would instead be running for re-election.
Territorial senator Juan Zaragoza Gómez announced his candidacy for governor during a press conference on September 13, 2022, saying that "If God gives me health, I'm going there". Zaragoza previously had announced that he would run for governor in the 2020 primary, before withdrawing his candidacy to run as territorial senator at-large.
Candidates Nominee Jesús Manuel Ortiz, territorial representative and president of the PPD
Eliminated in primary Juan Zaragoza, at-large territorial senator and former Puerto Rico Secretary of Treasury
Withdrawn Carlos Delgado Altieri, former mayor of Isabela and nominee for governor in 2020 Carmen Maldonado González, mayor of Morovis
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Jesús ManuelOrtiz CarlosDelgado Altieri José LuisDalmau JuanZaragoza Luis JavierHernández CarmenMaldonado González OthersUndecided / AbstainEl Nuevo Día and The Research OfficeEl Nuevo Día and The Research Office 24–29 October 2023 ≈1,000 (A) ± 6.0% 30% 26% 17% 13% 13% – – 1%Noticel and Atlas IntelNoticel and Atlas Intel 8 – 12 October 2023 ≈2,350 (A) ± 6.0% 42.6% 16.4% 5.6% 3.8% 17.3% – – 14.4%El Nuevo Día and The Research OfficeEl Nuevo Día and The Research Office 31 January – 5 February 2023 ≈400 (A) ± 6.0% – 28% 24% 19% 4% 8% 6% –
Results
Alianza de País (MVC-PIP Alliance) The Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) and Citizens' Victory Movement (MVC) have formed an alliance for the 2024 elections. MVC has agreed to support PIP's nominee, Juan Dalmau Ramírez. However, Puerto Rico law requires all parties to nominate a candidate for governor, so MVC nominated Javier Córdova Iturregui as a placeholder candidate.
PIP nominee Juan Dalmau Ramírez, former at-large territorial senator and nominee for governor in 2020
MVC nominee Javier Córdova Iturregui, university professor, union leader, and perennial candidate
Endorsements
Project Dignity Candidates Ada Norah Henriquez, who ran for resident commissioner in 2020, announced on 23 May 2023, while on the La Trinchera podcast that "we are going to aspire for the executive."
César Vázquez Muñiz, the president of the party and the nominee for governor in 2020, announced on 27 May 2023, while at a protest asking for the resignation of the Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico Domingo Emanuelli, that he would be running again for governor, stating that "What you see is not asked". He later dropped out to run for territorial senate in the Bayamón district.
Javier Jiménez Pérez, mayor of San Sebastián del Pepino, who switched to Proyecto Dignidad earlier, announced his intention to run. This was further confirmed by a party assembly that certified the party will hold primaries to select the candidate.
Henriquez announced in December 2023 that she would run as an independent, leaving Jiménez as the only candidate seeking the PD nomination.
Nominee Javier Jiménez, mayor of San Sebastián and president of Project Dignity
Withdrawn César Vázquez Muñiz, former president of Project Dignity and nominee for governor in 2020 (ran for territorial senate) Ada Norah Henriquez, attorney and nominee for resident commissioner in 2020 (ran as a write-in candidate)
Declined Joanne Rodríguez Veve, at-large territorial senator (endorsed Jiménez)
Endorsements
Independents Disqualified Victor Luis Medina Cruz, physician Ada Norah Henriquez, attorney and Project Dignity nominee for resident commissioner in 2020 (running as a write-in candidate) Carlos Cintrón Rivera
General election
Debate Dates Location González-Colón ManuelOrtiz Dalmau Jiménez LinkOctober 2, 2024WAPA StudiosGuaynaboParticipantParticipantParticipantParticipant YouTube
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Colón (PNP) Jesús ManuelOrtiz (PPD) JuanDalmau (PIP) JavierJiménez (PD) UndecidedAtlasIntelAtlasIntelNovember 1–4, 20244,914 (LV)± 1.0%36%20%35%8%2%Lit Data PRLit Data PRNovember 1–4, 2024800 (A)± 3.39%39.89%16.01%34.55%9.55%—El Nuevo Día/The Research OfficeEl Nuevo Día/The Research Office October 29 – November 1, 20241,000 (LV)37%22%29%7%5%Lit Data PRLit Data PROctober 25 – November 1, 2024800 (A)± 3.39%35%15%34%8%9%38%16%36%10%PasquinesPasquinesOctober 21 – November 1, 2024(A)37%23%31%7%3%IZQ StrategiesIZQ Strategies October 14–31, 20241,651 (LV)± 3.0%35%17%37%7%4%Bacon ResearchBacon Research October 25–29, 2024807 (LV)± 3.0%32%18%25%7%17%Lit Data PRLit Data PROctober 18–25, 2024800 (A)± 3.39%32%14%30%7%17%38%17%36%9%Consultoría Académica e Investigación Social LLCConsultoría Académica e Investigación Social LLCOctober 10–22, 2024784 (V)38%17%30%13%2%Lit Data PRLit Data PROctober 11–18, 2024800 (A)± 3.39%34%13%28%6%18%Gaither InternationalGaither InternationalOctober 1–16, 20241,109 (A)± 2.94%31%18%29%8%14%Lit Data PROctober 4–11, 2024800 (A)± 3.39%34%17%26%5%18%Bacon ResearchBacon Research October 3–10, 2024807 (LV)± 3.0%33%20%20%7%20%Lit Data PRLit Data PRSeptember 27 – October 4, 2024800 (A)± 3.39%30%13%25%4%28%El Nuevo Día/The Research OfficeEl Nuevo Día/The Research OfficeSeptember 28 – October 2, 20241,000 (RV)± 3%37%22%25%9%7%Lit Data PRLit Data PRSeptember 21–27, 2024800 (A)35%12%21%5%26%Lit Data PRLit Data PRSeptember 5–20, 2024800 (A)34%10%21%5%30%Consultoría Académica e Investigación Social LLCConsultoría Académica e Investigación Social LLCAugust 31 – September 3, 202437%23%25%12%3%Gaither InternationalGaither InternationalJune 23 – July 8, 20241,109 (A)± 2%43%14%23%9%10%El Nuevo Día/The Research OfficeEl Nuevo Día/The Research OfficeFebruary 20–25, 20241,000 (V)38%30%10%8%14%AtlasIntelAtlasIntelFebruary 15–22, 20242,200 (V)33%20%25%8%16%
Results
See also 2024 United States gubernatorial elections
Notes
Partisan clients
References