Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)

The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, or Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), is a political party that supports Puerto Rico remaining a territory of the United States instead of pursuing statehood. The party was founded in 1938 by a former member of the Liberal Party, which ceased to function two years later. The PPD has been one of the major parties of Puerto Rico since becoming a US territory, and as of 2021, held the majority in the legislative branch, while the New Progressive Party (PNP) held the governor’s seat. However, in 2025 the PPD lost its majority and the PNP gained the majority of seats. PNP favors statehood, while another established party, the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), is an advocate for independence.

Background

Prior to the sixteenth century, Puerto Rico was inhabited by the native Taíno population for more than one thousand years. Explorer Christopher Columbus claimed the Caribbean island for Spain on his visit in 1493, calling it San Juan Bautista. The first European settlement, Caparra, was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de León. In 1521, the bayside settlement was renamed Puerto Rico, meaning “rich port,” a name that was gradually associated with the entire island. The port city later was renamed San Juan. The Taíno people were mostly wiped out by smallpox, while others were enslaved in mines or as construction labor. Spain later transported enslaved Africans to Puerto Rico to meet labor demands.

Spain continued to rule the island for centuries, even as other Spanish colonies in South America were demanding independence. The push for independence prompted a short-lived rebellion in Lares, Puerto Rico, in 1868. Thirty years later, the island was occupied by US forces during the Spanish-American War. After the conflict ended, Spain gave up Puerto Rico, as well as Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines. The US military established an interim government on Puerto Rico.

US Congress passed the Foraker Act, which established a civil government on the island as of 1900. All Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship with the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917. Congress passed an act in 1948 allowing Puerto Ricans to elect a governor, and four years later, the US territory officially became a commonwealth. This permitted the island to create a constitution and be self-governing. Puerto Ricans can also elect a representative in Congress, who does not have voting powers, and can vote in presidential primaries. The commonwealth is not part of the electoral college, so its residents cannot vote in the presidential general election.

Overview

The Popular Democratic Party was founded in 1938 by former Liberal Party member Luis Muñoz Marín, and defectors from the Unionist Party. Marín was born in San Juan a few months before the US occupation of the island. His father was involved in politics and served as the non-voting member in Congress, known as the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, from 1910 to 1916. Because his father spent a great deal of time in Washington, DC, Marín was educated in the United States. He moved back to Puerto Rico in 1926 and became editor of the La Democracia newspaper. He was elected to the Puerto Rican Senate in 1932 as a member of the Liberal Party. He was an advocate of independence from the United States, which was at odds with his party’s platform, resulting in his expulsion. When the PPD gained power in 1940, Marín served as president of the Senate until 1948. Contrary to his previously stated position, he came out against independence. When Congress passed the Elective Governor Act, Marín ran for governor. He was subsequently elected and served four consecutive terms from 1949 to 1965.

The PPD was founded as a center-left party, but in the early twenty-first century it described itself as centrist. The party was in favor of Puerto Rico remaining a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States. Puerto Ricans voted on the island’s status as a commonwealth in 1967, 1993, and 1998, with the majority repeatedly voted to maintain that status. However, the results of a 2012 referendum found the opposite to be true, with a majority in favor of statehood. This result was repeated in a 2017 referendum, but the historically low turnout of 23 percent of voters led many to question the accuracy of the result.

As of January 2025, the PPD was not the majority party in the Senate with five of the twenty-seven seats. Prior to the 2024 election, the PPD held the majority, but PPN gained seats in the 2024 election that gave them the majority. The PPD also held thirteen of the fifty-one seats in the House of Representatives. The PPD began 2021 with a legislative majority but not the governorship, which was held by Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia of PNP, who defeated five opponents on the ballot. By 2025 PPD held neither the governorship nor the legislative majority. A slate of newly created parties, primarily supported by younger voters, also won a smattering of seats in the 2020 election, and collectively took about 30 percent of all votes. However, by the 2024 election most seats were dominated by the two main parties.

The November 2024 election was notable for the resulting power shift of Congress as well as the seventh nonbinding referendum on Puerto Rico’s status as a commonwealth. For the fourth time, the majority of voters, 57 percent, were in favor of statehood. The 2025 election further empowered the growing Citizens Victor Movement as their candidate came in second place for the governorship. This marked a large change in the country's politics, which had been dominated primarily by the two largest parties for several decades.

Bibliography

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