Rodríguez González elected mayor of Trujillo Alto in special PDP vote
By The Star Staff
Former Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Sen. Pedro Rodríguez González became the mayor of Trujillo Alto over the weekend when he won the special election to replace José Luis Cruz, who resigned from the job in June after pleading guilty to corruption charges.
Rodriguez Gonzalez said he will start the transition process today.
“This was a democratic exercise that shows that the Popular Democratic Party is solid in Trujillo Alto, since a similar number of people participated in the primary process as did in the last primary process held here,” the mayor-elect said in a written statement. “I appreciate the solid support of all the Trujillo Alto units, the good conduct of our constituents and the courage of the non-winning candidates who came out in support of me once the result was announced. … I was surprised by the organization and the avalanche of populares who showed up at all the electoral units of this municipality, considered a stronghold of the ‘PAVA’ and a historical piece of our founder Don Luis Muñoz Marín. We will go next Monday to the Mayor’s Office to begin the transition process and give a hug to all the fellow employees of the Municipality of Trujillo Alto.”
With a participation of close to 3,500 PDP voters, Rodríguez González received 44% of the votes cast. Frank Alicea, Lourdes Zayas, Daniel Resto and Gabriel Pérez were the other candidates in the special primary, in which 3,471 voters participated. Of the total votes cast, Rodríguez won with 1,530 votes, while Alicea received 785, Zayas 570, Resto 350 and Pérez 230. Only two votes were cast for write-in candidates.
“The PDP people of Trujillo Alto went out to vote and demonstrated once again the strength of our party. Now it is up to Pedrito Rodríguez to take the reins of the municipality for the benefit of all Trujillo,” PDP President José Luis Dalmau Santiago said in a written statement. “My congratulations to the new mayor and my greatest wish for success in his new administration. My thanks also to all the good folks who made themselves available in this election. To the voters of Trujillo Alto and the electoral component, thank you for your commitment to carrying out this event. As I have said before, the new mayor can count on me from the PDP and from the Senate to continue the work for the benefit of Trujillo Alto.”
PDP Secretary General Ramón Luis Cruz Burgos also congratulated the new mayor of Trujillo Alto.
“I am sure that in Trujillo Alto we will have a great mayor for a good period of time, who will return with work the trust placed in him in the polls today by the people of Trujillo,” Cruz Burgos said. “With this election, the PDP shows that it is solid and ready to continue leading Trujillo Alto.”
PDP Electoral Commissioner Ramón Torres lauded the party’s electoral component.
“My thanks once again to our electoral team, who demonstrated their quality and good performance today in Trujillo Alto,” he said. “All polling stations were ready on time and a smooth election was conducted. We have to continue working on the reorganization and the changes that are taking place in the SEC [State Electoral Commission] in the face of new electoral events.”
Zayas, who presides over the municipal assembly in Trujillo Alto, announced that she will resign from her position and from the vice presidency of the PDP.
“I deeply appreciate the thousands of PDP members who have participated in the primary Saturday. The numbers indicate that Pedrito Rodríguez has received the majority of the votes for mayor. My deep gratitude to all those who entrusted their vote to him. To colleagues Frank Alicea and Daniel Resto, my respects for a campaign well done,” Zayas said in a written statement. “I consider it fair that the new mayor has the space to carry out his work and that he forms his team according to his style, and his way of doing politics.”