Pablo José Hernández Rivera (born May 11, 1991) is a Puerto Rican politician who is the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico.

Early life and education

Pablo José Hernández Rivera is the grandson of the former governor

Rafael Hernández Colón Rafael Hernández Colón (October 24, 1936 – May 2, 2019) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1977 and 1985 to 1993 for a total of three terms. An experienced politician, Hernández held the ...

and his wife

Lila Mayoral Wirshing Lila María Mercedes Mayoral Wirshing (12 May 1942 – 7 January 2003) was the wife of the Governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernández Colón, and was First Lady during his three terms as governor (1973–1977, 1985–1993). Early years and mar ...

. He graduated from Academia del Perpetuo Socorro, earned a bachelor degree from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

, and obtained a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from

Stanford Law School Stanford Law School (SLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Stanford University, a Private university, private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, Stanford Law had an acceptance rate of 6.28% i ...

Career

Hernández Rivera was formerly assistant secretary of federal and international affairs for the Popular Democratic Party. On the federal level, Hernández Rivera is affiliated with the Democratic Party. In November 2024, in an opinion piece in '' The Hill'', he announced that for the first time since 2000, Puerto Rican voters had chosen an opponent of Puerto Rican statehood as their delegate to the United States House of Representatives. In January 2025, Pablo José Hernández Rivera announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) following the resignation of Jesús Manuel Ortiz. On February 2, 2025, he took office as president of his political party, and announced his intention to refound the group, defining it as "realistic, autonomist and centrist". He has advocated for redefining the country's status as a "

commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

" for greater self-governance, federal parity, and a more clear division of powers with the U.S. He agrees with his grandfather, former governor Rafael Hernández Colón, in viewing Puerto Rico as both a homeland and a nation and also rejecting its classification as a colony. According to Jose Pablo Hernandez Rivera, "Having a Republican governor seriously reduces the possibility that President Trump will attack Puerto Rico," after Jennifer Gonzalez-Colón won the 2024 election. In May 2025, Pablo José Hernández Rivera denounced Puerto Rican government officials who did not consult him in Washington, where he held the position of Resident Commissioner. In June 2025, Pablo José Hernández participated in the Puerto Rican parade in New York, United States, which would make him the first resident commissioner in Washington to attend the celebration of Puerto Rican identity in the United States since Aníbal Acevedo Vilá.

Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico

Committee assignments

* Committee on Homeland Security ** Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence ** Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology * Committee on Natural Resources ** Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs ** Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Caucus memberships

Congressional Hispanic Caucus The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is an organization of 38 Democratic members of the United States Congress of Hispanic and Latino descent. The Caucus focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The CHC was fo ...

Early life and education

Career

Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Electoral history

Notes

References

See also