Pedro Pierluisi

Pedro Pierluisi is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney serving as the Governor of Puerto Rico since January 2021. A member of the New Progressive Party and the Democratic Party, he previously served as the Resident Commissioner from 2009 to 2017. His tenure has focused on post-Hurricane Maria reconstruction, economic development, and advocating for political status resolution.

Early life and education

Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia was born on April 26, 1959, in the Santurce district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the son of Jorge Pierluisi Díaz, a prominent attorney, and Luz M. Urrutia. He completed his secondary education at the Academia del Perpetuo Socorro in Miramar. For his undergraduate studies, he attended Tulane University in New Orleans, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1981. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. in 1984.

Legal and political career

After law school, Pierluisi began his legal career as an associate at the Washington, D.C. law firm Steptoe & Johnson. He returned to Puerto Rico in 1987, joining the Commonwealth's Department of Justice as an assistant to the Solicitor General. In 1991, he was appointed Deputy Attorney General by Governor Rafael Hernández Colón. Under Governor Pedro Rosselló, he served as the Secretary of Justice from 1993 to 1996, overseeing major litigation and serving as the government's chief legal officer. He later practiced law privately at the firm O'Neill & Borges.

In 2008, he was elected as the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, representing the island in the United States House of Representatives. During his four terms, he served on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Ethics Committee, advocating for statehood and economic aid. Following his congressional service, he was elected President of the New Progressive Party in 2017. He briefly served as Secretary of State and succeeded to the governorship for five days in August 2019 after Governor Ricardo Rosselló's resignation, but the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico ruled his succession invalid, leading to the ascension of Wanda Vázquez Garced.

Governorship of Puerto Rico

Pierluisi was elected Governor in the 2020 general election, defeating Carlos Delgado Altieri of the Popular Democratic Party and taking office on January 2, 2021. His administration has been defined by managing recovery funds from Hurricane Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing the implementation of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) fiscal plan, and negotiating with the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico. Key initiatives have included infrastructure projects, efforts to privatize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), and implementing the Medicaid funding expansion. His term has also seen protests and political challenges, including disputes with the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico.

Political positions and views

A staunch advocate for statehood, Pierluisi has consistently pushed for Puerto Rico's admission as the 51st state of the United States. He supported the Puerto Rico Status Act in Congress and has lobbied for equal treatment in federal programs like Medicare and Supplemental Security Income. Economically, he supports pro-business policies, public-private partnerships, and restructuring the island's debt under PROMESA. On social issues, he aligns with the national Democratic Party, supporting LGBT rights and access to abortion. He has maintained a close working relationship with the Biden administration, particularly on disaster relief and healthcare funding.

Personal life

Pedro Pierluisi is married to attorney María Elena Carrión, daughter of former Supreme Court of Puerto Rico Chief Justice José Trías Monge. The couple has four children: Pedro, Juan, Inés, and Guillermo. His sister, Jenniffer González, is the current Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico and a former President of the New Progressive Party. He is a practicing Roman Catholic and resides at the La Fortaleza executive mansion in Old San Juan.

Category:Governors of Puerto Rico Category:Resident Commissioners of Puerto Rico Category:1959 births Category:Living people