Biden garners 91% of Democratic primary vote in PR

President Joe Biden speaks about his administration’s economic policies in Philadelphia on Oct. 13, 2023. (Kent Nishimura/The New York Times)

By The Star Staff

Jessika Padilla Rivera, the alternate chairwoman of the State Elections Commission, and Charlie Rodríguez, the Democratic Party president in Puerto Rico, announced Monday that with 100% of the polling stations counted in the Democratic Presidential Primary on the island, President Joe Biden had won 91.31% of the votes cast.

Padilla Rivera said it now remains to count the votes cast by hand, which will begin today.

Rodríguez expressed satisfaction with the result of the vote because, he said, it demonstrates the gratitude on the part of Puerto Rico Democrats toward the president.

“Biden has achieved overwhelming support [from] the Democratic electorate in Puerto Rico and it is no wonder,” he said. “He has been a very consistent president, very loyal and very attentive to the needs of our people.”

He added that, with the primary result, the Puerto Rican delegation, which consists of 65 delegates, will be fully committed to Biden’s certification as the Democratic Party nominee for president at the annual convention in Chicago in August.