Lawmakers seek to create lieutenant governor post

Rep. José “Conny” Varela Fernández

By THE STAR STAFF

Popular Democratic Party Rep. José “Conny” Varela Fernández and New Progressive Party (NPP) Rep. José “Pichy” Torres Zamora have introduced a measure that would create the position of lieutenant governor in Puerto Rico, to be elected by direct popular vote.

If the concurrent resolution is approved, the question of whether a lieutenant governor should be elected will be presented to voters in a referendum. The lieutenant governor must be a member of the same party as the governor. In the case of independent candidates for governor, the candidate would also need to name a running mate for the lieutenant governor position.

“After the crisis we faced in 2019, when Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigned and there was no Senate-confirmed secretary of state, the need for a swift and smooth succession to the governorship became clear,” Varela said. “Our experience during the summer of 2019 showed us that when the secretary of justice, who had not been vetted by voters or elected to any position, became governor, we needed to ensure that anyone who occupies the governorship would be vetted by voters and committed to the platform of the party that elected them.”

Torres Zamora, the NPP majority leader in the House of Representatives, said he is “convinced that creating the position of an elected lieutenant governor alongside the governor is necessary to modernize the Constitution.”

“If the position of governor were to become vacant, the public would feel more assured knowing that the successor is someone who has also gone through a rigorous election process,” he said. “Additionally, the possibility of separating the election of the resident commissioner into a single ballot could be considered.”

The proposed amendment would assign the elected lieutenant governor the leadership of the Department of State, along with all the powers and responsibilities associated with it, as well as any other duties or functions designated by the governor. Electing a lieutenant governor would align Puerto Rico with at least 42 U.S. states that elect their own lieutenant governors. If the concurrent resolution is approved, the amendment will be submitted to the public in a referendum to be held by Dec. 31, 2026, at the latest.

“By creating the position of lieutenant governor, we can also avoid the situation we recently encountered, where there was a vacancy in gubernatorial succession, and the Senate refused to confirm the governor’s nominee for secretary of state,” noted Varela, a former vice speaker of the House. “The second nominee was not confirmed until the last day of the legislative session. We believe this amendment would benefit the country by preventing such controversies in the future.”