Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
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Secretary of State of Puerto Rico | |
---|---|
Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico | |
Succession | First |
Salary | $90,000 (set by statute) USD[1] |
Website | www.estado.pr.gov |
The secretary of state of Puerto Rico (
Administratively, the post differs to other similar titles in U.S. politics. Namely, that in contrast to lieutenant governors, the secretary is not elected by the people. He is instead appointed by the governor with advice and consent from both the Senate and House of Representatives. In addition, the secretary does not have any role whatsoever in the state legislature, in contrast to lieutenant governors. Unlike secretaries of state in other U.S. jurisdictions, the secretary of state of Puerto Rico does not take part in the elections process. That responsibility falls into the State Commission on Elections.
Yet, the post does have some similarities to other U.S. secretaries of state. For example, the secretary of state of Puerto Rico is also the chief clerk of the commonwealth and the primary custodian of important records. The secretary promulgates all Puerto Rican laws after the governor signs them and keeps records of them online and offline. They also keeps record of business charters, professional licenses, trademarks, and other documents. Civil acts like marriage licenses, birth certificates, and adoption and divorce decrees, however, are kept in record by the
In summary, the secretary of state of Puerto Rico is, by law, the chief clerk, the acting governor, and the officer in charge of the commonwealth's foreign relations. Because of these responsibilities, the post is typically occupied by a highly competent individual with some degree of veterancy, starting with Roberto Sánchez Vilella in 1952. This cadre has led citizens and politicians alike to hold secretaries of state in high esteem regardless of their political affiliation.
Appointment and gubernatorial succession
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The secretary of state is first in line to exercise the role of
Since 1952, secretaries of state have been appointed by the governor, subject to the advice and consent of both the Senate of Puerto Rico and the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. A secretary of state appointed by the governor while the legislative assembly is in recess may take office as a recess appointment and serve until the nomination is rejected by any of the legislative chambers or the next legislative regular session ends, whichever happens first.
Additional delegated duties
Secretaries of state of the United States Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in addition to heading the State Department, one of the smallest central government agencies, and exercising the role as the territory's lieutenant governor, are usually assigned additional functions by the governor. For example, Gov.
The secretary of state of Puerto Rico is a member of the National Association of Secretaries of State,[2] as well as the National Lieutenant Governors Association[3] in his dual role as head of Puerto Rico's Department of State, as well as the islands' lieutenant governor.
Traditionally, gubernatorial inaugural ceremonies are initiated by the outgoing administration's secretary of state who, prior to the ceremonial swearing-in of the new governor, will turn over the master of ceremonies role to the secretary of state–designate, symbolizing the orderly transition from one administration to another.[4]
Turn-over
Secretaries of state of Puerto Rico, once confirmed by both houses of the Legislature, do not serve for a fixed term but at the pleasure of the governor. Over 68 years, the U.S. territory has had 30 individuals serve in that position, for an average 2.2 years in service. However, if the 12-year term of the first secretary, Gov. Muñoz-Marín's only one is not taken into account, the average length of Sec. Sánchez-Vilella's successors falls to only 1.8 years.
After Sánchez-Vilella's 12 years in office, Puerto Rico's second-longest serving secretary of state was Norma Burgos under Gov.
List of secretaries
# | Image | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Party | Affiliation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Roberto Sánchez Vilella | 1952 | 1964 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
2 | Carlos J. Lastra | 1965 | 1966 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
3 | Guillermo Irizarry | 1966 | 1969 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
4 | Carlos Fernando Chardón | 1969 | 1973 | PNP
|
Republican | |
5 | Víctor Pons | 1973 | 1974 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
6 | Juan A. Albors | 1975 | 1977 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
7 | Reinaldo Paniagua Diez | 1977 | 1979 | PNP
|
Democratic | |
8 | Pedro R. Vazquez
|
1979 | 1981 | PNP
|
Democratic | |
9 | Carlos S. Quirós | 1981 | 1985 | PNP
|
Republican | |
10 | Héctor Luis Acevedo | 1985 | 1988 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
11 | Alfonso Lopez Chaar | 1988 | 1988 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
12 | Sila María Calderón | 1988 | 1990 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
13 | Antonio J. Colorado | 1990 | 1992 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
14 | Salvador M. Padilla Escabi | 1992 | 1992 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
15 | Baltasar Corrada del Rio
|
1993 | 1995 | PNP
|
Republican | |
16 | Norma Burgos | 1995 | 1999 | PNP
|
Republican | |
17 | Angel Morey | 1999 | 2001 | PNP
|
Democratic | |
18 | Ferdinand Mercado | January 2, 2001 | October 8, 2004 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
19 | Jose Izquierdo Encarnacion | October 8, 2004 | January 2, 2005 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
20 | Marisara Pont Marchese | January 2, 2005 | March 1, 2005 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
21 | Fernando J. Bonilla | March 2005 | January 2, 2009 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
22 | Kenneth D. McClintock
|
January 2, 2009 | January 2, 2013 | PNP
|
Democratic | |
23 | David Bernier | January 2, 2013 | October 30, 2015 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
24 | Víctor Suárez Meléndez[a] | November 1, 2015 | January 2, 2017 | PPD
|
Democratic | |
25 | Luis G. Rivera Marín
|
January 2, 2017 | July 16, 2019 | PNP
|
Republican | |
26 | Pedro Pierluisi |
July 31, 2019 | August 2, 2019 | PNP | Democratic | |
27 | María Marcano de León |
August 4, 2019 | December 19, 2019 | PNP | [Unknown] | |
28 | Elmer Román[5][b] | December 20, 2019 | August 23, 2020 | PNP | Republican | |
29 | Raúl Márquez Hernández[6] |
August 30, 2020 | January 2, 2021 | PNP | Republican | |
30 | Larry Seilhamer Rodríguez | January 2, 2021 | May 25, 2021 | PNP | Republican | |
– | Félix Rivera Torres Acting |
May 25, 2021 | July 12, 2021 | PNP | ||
31 | Omar Marrero
|
July 12, 2021 | present | PNP |
Notes
- ^ Javier González served as acting secretary of state after Bernie's resignation and until Suárez' appointment.
- ^ Position remained vacant until Román's appointment.
References
- ^ "Compensation of Secretaries". Lexis. Secretary of State of Puerto Rico and LEXISNEXIS of Puerto Rico, Inc. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
- ^ "NASS". www.nass.org. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "NLGA - National Lieutenant Governors Association". Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ "Toma de Posesión de Alejandro García Padilla, Gob. de Puerto Rico COMPLETA". YouTube. 2014-11-12. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ^ "Hon. Elmer Román" (PDF). camarapr.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ "Gobernadora nombra a Raúl Márquez Hernández como nuevo secretario de Estado". noticel.com (in Spanish). 31 August 2020.
External links
- www.estado.pr.gov - official site (in Spanish)