Traffic safety commissioner to resign to run for Senate

Traffic Safety Commission Executive Director Luis Rodríguez Díaz

By The Star Staff

Luis Rodríguez Díaz, the current executive director of the Traffic Safety Commission (CST by its Spanish initials), announced Thursday that he will file his candidacy for the Senate for the District of Carolina in December within the framework of the New Progressive Party (NPP) Convention.

“With the genuine desire to contribute to the development, progress and social justice of the region, I decided to file a Senate candidacy for Carolina for the NPP,” Rodríguez Díaz said in a written statement.

Rodríguez Díaz revealed that he will submit his resignation as executive director of the CST on Oct. 30 to ensure an orderly transition. The law requires that the resignation of an agency head occur 30 days before filing a candidacy with the State Elections Commission.

“October 30 is the most sensible date to resign and ensure a transition that does not harm CST services,” he said.

In March, the Government Ethics Office confirmed that Rodríguez Díaz can carry out activities related to his political aspirations outside working hours, according to opinion CE-23-284.

“My track record and experience in various public offices are what I offer to all citizens of the district,” Rodríguez Díaz said.

The Carolina Senate District covers the northeastern corner of the island and includes 10 municipalities, including Trujillo Alto, Carolina, Río Grande, Ceiba, Fajardo and Vieques. Currently representing the district are Sens. Marissa Jiménez Santoni of the NPP and Javier Aponte Dalmau, the Popular Democratic Party majority leader in the upper chamber.