Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos "Tato" García Padilla did not rule out running for the Senate at-large (por acumulación) in the next elections, after receiving the most votes among the five new members elected to the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Board of Governors. He got 5,375 votes at the General Assembly held in Ponce, he said in an interview on the program Normando en la Mañana on NotiUno 630.
Government cannot be a cost to the people.
"It’s a decision I haven’t made, and events like yesterday’s add to one continuing to think about it," he said, adding that "soon we will make decisions and announce them to the country." Asked whether an at-large Senate candidacy would be welcomed by the party base, he answered: "Definitely yes. That is undeniable from what yesterday’s election results show."
On possibly presiding over the Senate if the PPD wins a majority, he said, laughing, that it is not on his mind: "I’m not thinking about positions, I’m thinking about work." García Padilla rejected that backing for veteran figures clashes with the party "refoundation" effort pushed by party president Pablo José Hernández, aimed at younger candidacies, saying there is "a combination of experience" and that he considers himself a young person.
He estimated more than 10,000 people attended the assembly. On governing, he said the cost of operating government and the cost of living must come down: "Government cannot be a cost to the people."