Puerto Rico Moves Up Primary

WASHINGTON — The Democratic Party on Monday approved Puerto Rico's proposal to scrap its caucus and hold a presidential primary on June 1.

A primary will give more voters a chance to take part in the nominating process, said Puerto Rico Democratic Chairman Roberto Prats. He said caucuses were fine in previous years, when the party nominee was settled by the time Puerto Rico voted and the only task was to choose delegates to the national convention.

"Now it's different," Prats told the Democratic National Committee's rules panel in a conference call. "This is the first time in decades that Puerto Rico will be participating in an event of this magnitude."

Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are locked in a historic fight for the nomination that could last all the way to the national convention this summer in Denver. Puerto Rico will have 55 delegates at stake in its primary, and will award them proportionally.

Only three remaining states, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Indiana, have more Democratic delegates up for grabs.

Obama leads in the race for the nomination, with 1,620 delegates, including endorsements by superdelegates, the elected and party leaders who automatically attend the convention. Clinton has 1,499 delegates, according to the latest tally by The Associated Press.

Clinton's campaign announced Monday that her husband, former President Clinton, will campaign for her in Puerto Rico early next month.

Prats said Puerto Rican supporters of both candidates backed the primary.

Puerto Rico's original plan called for selecting delegates at caucuses June 7. However, after the DNC approved the plan in December, it was discovered that the date was typo and should have read June 1, DNC officials said.

The new date means Montana and South Dakota will hold the party's last nominating contests, on June 3.

Comments

[talkingwolfwoman]

P R has 55 delegates not 87

[melann830]

Viva Puerto Rico Y Viva Hillary Clinton!!

[JadedAggie]

Puerto Rico makes the new argument in the Clinton campaign seem odd. Trying to argue the electoral college as a measure while arguing the importance of Puerto Rico puts you into a significant pickle.

[TheRebel82]

Only in the democratic party does a country like Puerto Rico which isnt a state get to have delegates in a primary. It's ridiculous. They cant even vote in a general election.

This whole democratic party primary rules MUST BE REFORMED after this year.

[melann830]

Now I will invoke the four letter word and forgive me HuffPo but these asses you allow to post deserve it. You Mother Fu---ker! Those men and women die in wars to protect you and your freedoms. You have the inner makings of a racist and should be outed for such beliefs.

[TheRebel82]

I'm just sayin' they arent a state. Why have so much power over our political process? And by the way, i'm not racist. I'm a hispanic man myself.

[BrianMT]

I feel for people in Florida and Michigan, to some extent, I do. It's a lousy scenario. But rewarding Floridians and Michiganders who couldn't or wouldn't keep their representatives from defying party rules in a quest for $$...this disenfranchises ME, as well as the other 48 states worth of us who played by the rules.

Here in Montana, a bill was introduced last year to do the exact same thing, move our primary up from June 3 (when it "would never count") to February or March. And it was shot down. Not by some incomprehensible back-room party process, but by people -- the citizens of the state -- playing an active role in state government.

At the end of the day, folks in Florida and Michigan had control over this to the same extent they have control over every other decision their representatives make.

[DefendOurConstitution]

I predict Obama and Clinton will split PR vote close to even say 30-25 for Clinton (at most).

[Thatcher]

Would a PR caucus have benefitted Obama? Yes. However, a primary doesn't necessarily hurt PR Obama. He is endorsed by the Governor of Puerto Rico.

[UrbanInterloper]

Cool. Now if Puerto Rico could either be given statehood or independence, we'd be getting somewhere.

[ApolloniaCreed]

... and since this will come down to superdelegates, why would they even consider the vote in PR? they can't vote in the gereral... so, it won't make a damn bit of difference. Sad, but true.

[Ginko]

so now you don't think Puerto Rico's primary votes should count? Unbelievable. Their votes COUNT because Primary votes COUNT. Or at least they used to before Obama and his blind mice followers came along.

HORRAY FOR PUERTO RICO
for having a primary, caucus votes are undemocratic

[ApolloniaCreed]

I've been asking ya'll to report this for weeks! And my comments never even got posted...

[Sylmason]

Ditto.

[PeopleFirst]

Has anybody seen the YouTube video, "The SHOCKING video that Hillary doesn't want you to see" yet????? She's nothing but a liar and a fraud and this video shows the true Hillary. EVERYONE should be researching her to expose her for what she is!!!

[PTTY]

[huffhuffpass]

AHH Puerto Rico our 51st State....wait a minute....

[mhopgood123]

I happen to be from Puerto Rico and the fact is, island puertorricans can't even vote on the general election. Are Americans aware of that? I don't even know how we are allowed to vote in primaries if we don't even have congressional representation(we have a non-voting congressman in Washington, I worked for one, once) and don't vote in general election,unless we are residents iin the mainland USA.So this primary is really uninmportant even if Hillary wins large.

[Ginko]

That makes no sense, of course their votes in the primary count. Especially this year. I am sure there will be MANY proud Puerto Ricans voting and it won't be for Barack.

[DefendOurConstitution]

The Governor is for Obama and that carries a lot of weight in PR.