Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos "Tato" García Padilla announced his candidacy for an at-large (por acumulación) seat on the Governing Board of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), as part of the party’s reorganization ahead of the 2028 general elections. García Padilla will appear as candidate number 9 on the ballot at the PPD General Assembly, to be held Sunday, October 11, in Ponce.
"I decided to take this step because I understand it is time to contribute. I don’t aspire to occupy a chair; I aspire to work," he said, adding that he wants to offer the party the experience gained from years of administering, facing crises, making decisions and listening daily to people’s needs. The mayor argued that the party’s reorganization should combine generational renewal with the experience of those who have held administrative and public-policy responsibilities in municipalities.
"Mayors know Puerto Rico’s reality from the street," he said, citing residents who turn to them when water or power goes out, when a family needs help or a merchant seeks to grow a business. García Padilla also backed PPD president and Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera, whom he called "my candidate," praising his push for change and for opening spaces to discuss the party’s future, while saying the work cannot rest on his shoulders alone.
He said the 2028 discussion should include public-policy proposals on electric power, water, education, housing, security, economic development and municipal fiscal conditions.