Jenniffer González-Colón facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jenniffer González-Colón
Official portrait, 2016
Governor of Puerto Rico
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2, 2025
Preceded by	Pedro Pierluisi
20th Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
In office January 3, 2017 – January 2, 2025
Preceded by	Pedro Pierluisi
Succeeded by	Pablo Hernández Rivera
Chair of the Puerto Rico Republican Party
In office November 15, 2015 – May 7, 2021
Preceded by	Carlos Méndez
Succeeded by	Ángel Cintrón
Minority Leader of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives
In office January 12, 2013 – January 2, 2017
Preceded by	Luis Raúl Torres
Succeeded by	Tatito Hernández
29th Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives
In office January 2, 2009 – January 2, 2013
Preceded by	José Aponte Hernández
Succeeded by	Jaime Perelló
Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the at-large district
In office January 2, 2005 – January 2, 2017
Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the 4th district
In office February 28, 2002 – January 2, 2005
Preceded by	Edison Misla Aldarondo
Succeeded by	Liza Fernández Rodríguez
Personal details
Born	Jenniffer Aydin González Colón (1976-08-05) August 5, 1976 (age 48) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Political party	New Progressive
Other political affiliations	Republican
Spouse	José Yovin Vargas ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2
Residence	La Fortaleza
Education	University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (BA) Interamerican University of Puerto Rico (JD, LLM)

Jenniffer Aydin González Colón (born August 5, 1976) is a politician from Puerto Rico. She became the Governor of Puerto Rico in 2025. Before that, she served as the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2025. The Resident Commissioner is like a special representative for Puerto Rico in the United States Congress.

González-Colón has also held important leadership roles in the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP) and the Republican Party. She was the leader of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico. She also served as the Speaker and Minority Leader in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. She is the second woman elected to be Governor of Puerto Rico. She is also the first and only woman to be elected as Resident Commissioner.

Early Life and Education

Jenniffer González was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her parents were Jorge González and Nydia Colón. She finished high school at University Gardens High School. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras. During her college years, she was the executive director of the Young Republican Federation of Puerto Rico.

She also studied law and earned two advanced law degrees (a Juris Doctor and an LL.M.) from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law.

Political Career Beginnings

Serving as a Representative

González first became a member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico in February 2002. She won a special election for the 4th District of San Juan. She was the first woman to be elected from that district. She was also the youngest person in the 14th Legislative Assembly. Before this, she was active in youth politics. She led the San Juan New Progressive Party Youth Organization. She also supported the idea of Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. state while in college.

She was re-elected in 2004 as an at-large representative. This means she represented the whole island, not just one district. She led the House Government Affairs Committee. She also worked on committees for the budget, women's affairs, and reviewing laws.

Becoming Speaker of the House

In the 2008 elections, González was re-elected again. She received many votes from her party. At 32 years old, she was chosen by her party to be the Speaker of the House. This made her the youngest person ever to be Speaker in Puerto Rico's history. She was also the third woman to hold this important position.

Leading the Republican Party

In November 2015, Jenniffer González was chosen to lead the Republican Party of Puerto Rico. She had been the party's vice-chair for eight years. She took over from Carlos Méndez. Important leaders like former Governor Don Luis A. Ferré and Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa had held this position before her.

In September 2023, she announced she would run for Governor of Puerto Rico in the 2024 elections.

Serving as House Minority Leader

In 2012, González was re-elected once more. She received the most votes overall, even though her party lost the majority of seats. On election night, she was chosen to be the minority leader for her party. This meant she led the party members who were not in control of the House.

Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico

The Resident Commissioner represents Puerto Rico in the United States Congress. This person can speak in Congress and work on laws, but cannot vote on the final passage of bills.

Elections for Resident Commissioner

2016 Election

In September 2015, González announced she would run for Resident Commissioner. She wanted to take over from Pedro Pierluisi. She teamed up with Ricardo Rosselló, who was running for governor. Many polls showed her as a very popular politician.

On June 5, 2016, González won her party's primary election by a large margin. She received 70.54% of the votes. This made her the first woman from the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico to be nominated for the Resident Commissioner seat.

On November 8, 2016, González was elected Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. She received 48.77% of the votes. She became the first woman and the youngest person to represent Puerto Rico in the U.S. Congress. The Resident Commissioner seat was created 116 years earlier, in 1900.

In Congress, González worked on bills related to veterans, health, and tax relief for Puerto Rico. She was a member of several important committees. These included the Natural Resources Committee, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and the Small Business Committee.

After Hurricanes Irma and María hit Puerto Rico in 2017, she spent a lot of time helping with recovery efforts. She visited Puerto Rico multiple times with other members of Congress. She also joined the President on Air Force One to see the damage.

For the 116th Congress, she served on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She continued to focus on helping Puerto Rico recover from natural disasters. This included the hurricanes and an earthquake in January 2020.

2020 Election

Working on Committees

In Congress, Jenniffer González-Colón served on several important committees. These committees help create and review laws.

• Committee on Natural Resources (She was a Vice Ranking Member for Insular Affairs)
  • Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
  • Subcommittee on Health and Technology
• Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation

Joining Caucuses

She was also part of several caucuses. A caucus is a group of members of Congress who share similar interests or goals.

• Republican Main Street Partnership
• House Baltic Caucus
• Congressional Western Caucus
• Climate Solutions Caucus
• Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus (co-chair)
• Republican Governance Group
• Problem Solvers Caucus
• Rare Disease Caucus

Governor of Puerto Rico

González-Colón decided to run for Governor of Puerto Rico in 2024. She challenged the current governor, Pedro Pierluisi. She won the primary election with 54.57% of the votes. This made her the first woman to be the New Progressive Party's candidate for governor. On November 5, 2024, Jenniffer González won the election and became the Governor of Puerto Rico.

She was sworn into office as Governor of Puerto Rico on January 2, 2025. She is the second woman elected to this position and the third woman to serve as governor.

Political Beliefs

Jenniffer González is known for supporting Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. state. She also believes in small government and supporting businesses. She is considered a conservative politician.

She has also worked with politicians from different parties. For example, she was one of three Republican members of the House to support the Equality Act. This bill aims to prevent discrimination and ensure equal rights for all people.

After an event at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, she spoke out against the violence.

Personal Life

In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, González announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

In 2022, González shared that she was dating José Yovin Vargas, who was a medical student. They met in La Parguera, Lajas, Puerto Rico. The couple got married on August 6, 2022, in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Many political figures attended their wedding. On February 16, 2024, González gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

See also

In Spanish: Jenniffer González para niños

• History of women in Puerto Rico
• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of Hispanic Americans in the United States Congress
• Women in the United States House of Representatives