2008 Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico primaries

The 2008 Popular Democratic Party primaries were the primary elections by which voters of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) chose its nominees for various political offices of Puerto Rico for the 2008 general elections. They were held on March 9, 2008. Incumbent Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá faced no opposition for his candidacy, making him the official candidate for the elections.

Popular Democratic Party primaries, 2008

← 2003 March 9, 2008 2012 →

Background

At the time of the primaries, incumbent Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá was allegedly being investigated by federal authorities for allegations of irregularities in his campaign finances. However, despite this, the party supported his candidacy for Governor.

Also, one of the most contested campaigns was the one for Mayor of Ponce, with incumbent Francisco Zayas Seijo facing the former administrator of the city, Carlos Jirau.

Candidates

Senate

At-large

Eduardo Bhatia Juan Cancel Alegría Víctor de la Cruz Landy Fabre Antonio Fas Alzamora Alejandro García Padilla

Sila Mari González Calderón Juan Eugenio Hernández Mayoral Rafael Irizarri Margarita Ostolaza Cirilo Tirado Rivera Roberto Vigoreaux

District

The Popular Democratic Party held primaries on only 4 of the 8 senatorial districts.

Arecibo Wanda Arroyo Javier Cruz María Elena Edgar A. Martínez Francis Rivera Iván Serrano Cordero Mayagüez-Aguadilla Robin H. Montes Sergio Ortíz Omar Soto Enid Toro de Báez

Ponce Modesto Agosto Alicea José Luis Galarza Bruno Ramos José H. Rivera Rafael Santiago Guayama Luis Guillermo Febus Eder Ortíz Ortíz Angel M. Rodríguez

House of Representatives

At-large

Jorge Colberg Toro Ulises Dalmau Héctor Ferrer Brenda López de Arrarás Jeanette Miranda Julio Muñoz Angel Ortíz

Jaime Perelló Coco Ríos Frankie Rodríguez Ramón Ruíz Nieves José Segui Luis Vega Ramos Carmen Yulín Cruz

District

The Popular Democratic Party held primaries on 24 of the 40 representative districts.

District 3 Ruthy Currás Herminio Pagán District 11 Ricky Arrillaga Rafael Hernández District 12 Jorge Avilés Eliezer Burgos Claudio Ferrer, Jr. Remberto Rodríguez District 13 Benny Collazo Felix Pagán Víctor Rodríguez Amadis Ulises District 14 Vángelo Figueroa Felix Rosario Juan R. Torres District 16 Tony Rodríguez Juan Vega Salamanca District 17 Moisés Acevedo Armando Franco Alfredo González Héctor Mol Ibañez District 18 Luis "Chivita" González Concepción Salas Solá María Vargas District 20 Elvin Camacho Luis Ramírez Jorgito Ramos Eduardo Rosado District 21 Naida Mateo Lydia Méndez Silva Rafy Nazario District 22 Juan O. Alicea Georgie González District 23 Wilo Beltrán Rafael A. García

District 24 Ramón Borrero Luis Farinacci Vilma Flores Ferdinand Martínez Vangie Rivera District 25 Edgar Manolo Avilés Jorge Miranda Piro Reyes Víctor Vassallo District 26 John Avilés Juan Carlos Figueroa Gamalier Pagán District 27 Carmen Iris González Carlos Luis Torres Pito Torres District 28 Jorge I. Agosto Frankie Cuadrado Remesal Rosendo Luis Santiago District 29 Félix Agosto Heric Colón José R. Varela District 30 Rey Alomar Eduardo Cintrón Migdalia Díaz Domingo Torres District 33 Héctor Carrasquillo Gilbert District 34 George Soto Juan Pedro District 35 Narden Jaime Espinosa Ricardo Fernández Freddy José Pi Báez José "Tony" Reyes Valentín Valdés William Vázquez District 36 Ricky Abreu Andújar District 37 José Miguel del Valle, Jr. Frankie Guerra

Mayors

The Popular Democratic Party held primaries on 23 of 78 municipalities.

Arecibo Ramón E. Dasta Héctor Rafael Arroyo Eric Bachier Román Ricardo Rivera Canóvanas Moisés Castro Jesús Rosado Cataño Félix Fuentes José Rosario Ceiba Gilberto "Lex" Camacho Humberto González Abimael Portalatín Culebra Alexis Bermúdez Digna Feliciana Fajardo Myrna García Norma Guzmán Florida Johnny de León Yonatan Humacao Joel Rosario Marcelo Trujillo Juana Díaz Luis Angel Cortés Ramón Hernández Torres Lajas César Corales Marcos "Turin" Irizarry Ambrosio Rodríguez Lares Chely Rigo Guilloty

Las Marías Reinaldo González José Javier Rodríguez Las Piedras Nelson Vázquez Roberto Velázquez Loíza Julito Osorio Maricruz Rivera Moca Wilson Acevedo Aida E. González Naranjito Manuel Martínez Moncho Padilla Víctor Manuel Pérez Cheo Rivera Jolly Rivera Ponce Carlos Jirau Francisco Zayas Seijo Rincón Juan D. Elías Carlos López Bonilla Salinas Tony Badé Francisco Colón Abraham López Pedro Santos Trujillo Alto José Luis Cruz Cruz Hiram Utuado Jesús Arce Ramón Collazo Martín Negrón Otilio Plaza Quitín Vieques Víctor Emeric Dámaso Serrano

Results

Senate

At-large

Candidate		Popular vote	Percentage
	Alejandro García Padilla	213,153	14.40%
	Eduardo Bhatia	207,883	14.04
	Juan Eugenio Hernández Mayoral	167,088	11.28
	Sila Mari González Calderón	151,550	10.24
	Antonio Fas Alzamora	133,161	8.99
	Cirilo Tirado Rivera	124,593	8.41
	Roberto Vigoreaux	117,731	7.95
	Margarita Ostolaza	113,663	7.68
	Juan Cancel Alegría	104,373	7.05
	Landy Fabre	84,410	5.70
	Rafael Irizarri	35,284	2.38
	Víctor de la Cruz	27,408	1.85
	Others	350	0.02

District

Arecibo Candidate Popular vote Percentage María Elena Pérez 12,612 21.62% Edgar A. Martínez 11,979 20.54 Iván Serrano 11,415 19.57 Wanda Arroyo 9,771 16.75 Javier Cruz 9,637 16.52 Francis Rivera 2,875 4.93 Others 41 0.07 Mayagüez-Aguadilla Candidate Popular vote Percentage Sergio Ortíz 21,699 33.43% Enid Toro de Báez 20,434 31.48 Robin H. Montes 11,379 17.53 Omar Soto 11,370 17.51 Others 36 0.06

Ponce Candidate Popular vote Percentage José Luis Galarza 19,582 23.95% Rafael Santiago 17,968 21.98 Modesto Agosto Alicea 15,676 19.17 Bruno Ramos 15,621 19.10 José H. Rivera 12,848 15.71 Others 70 0.09 Guayama Candidate Popular vote Percentage Angel M. Rodríguez 29,611 37.64% Eder Ortíz Ortíz 28,736 36.53 Luis Guillermo Febus 20,284 25.79 Others 33 0.04

House of Representatives

At-large

Candidate		Popular vote	Percentage
	Héctor Ferrer	228,098	15.81%
	Jaime Perelló	147,868	10.25
	Brenda López de Arrarás	144,099	9.99
	Jorge Colberg Toro	140,158	9.72
	Carmen Yulín Cruz	133,510	9.26
	Luis Vega Ramos	132,967	9.22
	Ulises Dalmau	101,060	7.01
	Ramón Ruíz Nieves	87,298	6.05
	Angel Ortíz	75,671	5.25
	Julio Muñoz	68,955	4.78
	Jeanette Miranda	59,316	4.11
	José Segui	50,458	3.50
	Frankie Rodríguez	39,007	2.70
	Coco Ríos	33,622	2.33
	Others	392	0.03

Aftermath

Acevedo Vilá's candidacy

Several weeks after the primaries, Incumbent Governor and PPD candidate, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, was officially indicted on 19 counts of campaign finance violations. This put his candidacy in jeopardy, and several candidates where taunted as possible replacements. However, Acevedo Vilá decided to run for reelection, and was openly endorsed by the Party in a massive caucus held at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in April 2008.^[1][2] Acevedo Vilá would lose the 2008 general elections. However, in March 2009, he was found not guilty of all charges by a jury.

Split in Ponce

In the primary for the Mayor of Ponce, incumbent Francisco Zayas Seijo narrowly beat his opponent, former Ponce administrator, Carlos Jirau. Zayas beat Jirau by less than 30 votes.^[3] After the defeat, Jirau appealed the primary claiming there were irregularities in the process. He also started an independent movement called Movimiento Autónomo Ponceño.^[4][5] At the 2008 general elections, both Zayas and Jirau were defeated by the PNP candidate Mayita Meléndez. This was the first time a PNP candidate had won in Ponce in more than 20 years.^[6]

See also

• Puerto Rico portal
• Politics portal

• New Progressive Party primaries, 2008