Puerto Rico’s Democratic Party chair, Luis Dávila Pernas, and Republican Party chair, Ángel Cintrón, acknowledged on Wednesday the size of the Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections, while offering different readings of its causes and what it means for the island. Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday, a setback for President Donald Trump.
Speaking on El Nuevo Día’s Lo de Hoy, Dávila Pernas called it a "historic night" and cited Democratic wins in traditionally Republican states such as Kansas and Iowa. He said Democrats must balance oversight of the Trump administration with the issues that won them the election: the economy, cost of living and health costs. He was optimistic Congress could address Puerto Rico’s federal Medicaid funding, since the current financing agreement expires next year, though he said getting it through committees and the full chamber and into budget legislation is a challenge.
He credited Puerto Rican voters in Florida’s Osceola and Orange counties with a decisive role in Democratic Rep. Darren Soto’s win. He also said Puerto Rico’s appearance in the U.S. election debate, after figures like Elon Musk warned a Democratic win could ease statehood admission, is an opportunity to put status back on the federal agenda.
Cintrón said he had expected a close race and even thought Republicans could keep the Senate. He attributed the result mainly to the economy, saying "the pocketbook weighed more," and cited inflation tied to the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz, including higher diesel and farm chemical costs hitting rural Republican voters. He said the Republican Party must do an objective self-examination.