This article lists political parties in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
has a '
first past the post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
' electoral system, in which a voter can vote by
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
, by candidate or both. To qualify as an official political party (and thus be able to appear on the printed state electoral ballot), a party must meet the criteria set forth by th
Puerto Rico Electoral Law
This list sorts political parties either alphabetically or by date of founding.
Registered parties
Present
As of 2020, Puerto Rico has five registered electoral parties:
Past – under U.S. sovereignty
The existing parties in Puerto Rico at the time of change of sovereignty in 1898 reinvented themselves into parties with by-laws, platforms and ideologies consistent with the new political reality brought about by the change of sovereignty. The ''Barbosistas'', followers of Jose Celso Barbosa and mostly aligned with Partido Autonomista Ortodoxo, formed the ''
Partido Republicano Puertorriqueño
Partido Republicano Puertorriqueño (English: Puerto Rican Republican Party) was a political party founded in Puerto Rico on July 4, 1899. The party dissolved in 1924 when it split into two factions, both factions forming alliances with other lo ...
'', while the ''Muñocistas'', followers of Luis Muñoz Rivera and mostly aligned with Partido Liberal Puertorriqueño, formed ''
Partido Federal''.
Past – under Spain sovereignty
There were no political parties in Puerto Rico until 1870.
Bolivar Pagan states the following were the political parties in Puerto Rico during the years of Spanish sovereignty.
[Bolivar Pagan. ''Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956).'' San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. pp. 11–15.]
Unregistered parties
A number of unregistered political parties and organizations exist in Puerto Rico outside of the electoral arena. These organizations span the entire political spectrum:
*
Hostosian National Independence Movement
The Hostosian National Independence Movement ( es, Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano, MINH) is a leftist and pro-independence organization in Puerto Rico. As of 2015, Julio Muriente is known to be the leader.
History
The MINH was ...
(MINH) – (Umbrella organization in favor of pro independence and nationalist movements) – ''Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano''
* Pro ELA – In favor of a
freely associated republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
status.
*
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico ( es, Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, PNPR) is a Puerto Rican political party founded on September 17, 1922, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its primary goal is to work for Puerto Rico's independence. The P ...
*
Socialist Front – An umbrella of socialist organizations.
*
Socialist Workers Movement – Socialist Revolutionary organization, with strong bases in the trade union and student movement
Bandera Roja – Periodical, in Spanish*
United Statehooders – ''Estadistas Unidos''.
Affiliates of federal-level United States parties
Unlike the political parties listed above, which are eligible for registration with the ''Comisión Estatal de Elecciones'' (CEE) upon fulfilling CEE requirements, the following parties exist as affiliates of American parties and participate in the U.S. primaries of the corresponding American parties at the federal level. Also, unlike the Puerto Rican political parties above, all of which are based in Puerto Rico, these parties are headquartered in mainland United States.
*
Democratic Party of Puerto Rico – (Spanish: ''Partido Demócrata de Puerto Rico'') is the Puerto Rico affiliate of the U.S. national Democratic Party.
*
Libertarian Party of Puerto Rico – (Spanish: ''Partido Libertario'') is a Puerto Rico affiliate of the U.S. national Libertarian Party
*
Republican Party of Puerto Rico
The Republican Party of Puerto Rico ( es, Partido Republicano de Puerto Rico) is the local affiliate of the national United States Republican Party in Puerto Rico. The affiliation started in 1903. The party does not participate in the November ...
– (Spanish: ''Partido Republicano de Puerto Rico'') is the Puerto Rico affiliate of the U.S. national Republican Party
See also
*
*
Politics of Puerto Rico
The politics of Puerto Rico take place in the framework of a Democracy, democratic republic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States Congress as an Territories of the United States, organized uninc ...
*
Political party strength in Puerto Rico
The political party strength in Puerto Rico has been held by different political parties in the history of Puerto Rico. Today, that strength is primarily held by two parties, namely:
* The New Progressive Party (PNP in Spanish) which holds ...
*
Elections in Puerto Rico
Elections in Puerto Rico are guaranteed by Article Six of the Constitution of Puerto Rico and the Electoral Code of Puerto Rico for the 21st Century Act. All processes are overseen and managed in whole by the Puerto Rico State Elections Commiss ...
*
Puerto Rican Independence Movement
Throughout the history of Puerto Rico, its inhabitants have initiated several movements to obtain independence for the island, first from the Spanish Empire from 1493 to 1898 and since then from the United States.
A spectrum of pro-autonomy, p ...
Notes
References
External links
Party sites
New Progressive Party (PNP)Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico (PRPR)Commonwealth Elections Commission of Puerto Rico(''see:'' General Information)
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico (PPD)Socialist Workers Movement (MST)Republican Party of Puerto Rico
Miscellaneous links
CIA World Factbook: Puerto RicoPuerto Rican Politics Portal
{{Puerto Rican topics
Political parties
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
*
Political parties in Puerto Rico
This article lists political parties in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico has a 'first past the post' electoral system, in which a voter can vote by party, by candidate or both. To qualify as an official political party (and thus be able to appear on the ...
+Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...