Coamo mayor García Padilla says he may seek Senate seat
Cites strong party support
By THE STAR STAFF
Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos “Tato” García Padilla signaled Monday that he is weighing a run for a Senate at‑large seat in the 2028 elections, acknowledging that the strong support he received during the Popular Democratic Party’s (PDP) General Assembly has prompted him to consider the move.
García Padilla, who secured 5,375 votes, which was the highest total among the five newly elected members of the PDP Governing Board, discussed his political future during a radio interview (“Normando en la Mañana” on NotiUno 630).
“It’s a decision I have not made, and events like yesterday’s certainly push one to keep thinking,” he said.
The mayor added that any decision “will be announced to the country soon.”
Asked whether the political party’s base would welcome his candidacy for an at‑large Senate seat, García Padilla was unequivocal: “Definitely yes. It’s undeniable based on the results collected yesterday.”
The seven-term mayor dismissed speculation about whether he might seek the Senate presidency if the PDP wins a majority in the next election cycle. Laughing, he said the idea “is not on my mind right now,” emphasizing that his focus remains on “work, not positions.”
García Padilla, 59, also rejected the notion that support for veteran party figures conflicts with the “refoundation” effort led by PDP President Pablo José Hernández Rivera, who has promoted younger candidates. He argued that the party is embracing a balance of experience and renewal.
“I consider myself a young person in the middle of a working process,” he said.
The mayor estimated that more than 10,000 people attended Sunday’s assembly in Ponce, describing the event as evidence of a “strong, militant party” energized ahead of the 2028 elections.
Discussing his broader vision for government, García Padilla said Puerto Rico must reduce the cost of operating public agencies and lower the cost of living for residents.
“The government cannot be a cost for the people. The government has to be the facilitator for people to live better,” said the older brother of former governor Alejandro García Padilla and younger brother of former University of Puerto Rico president Antonio García Padilla. “In Puerto Rico, the government is very expensive to operate.”
