Pedro Pierluisi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pedro Pierluisi
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| Governor of Puerto Rico | |
| In office January 2, 2021 – January 2, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Wanda Vázquez Garced |
| Succeeded by | Jenniffer González |
| In office August 2, 2019 – August 7, 2019 De facto |
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| Preceded by | Ricardo Rosselló |
| Succeeded by | Wanda Vázquez Garced |
| Secretary of State of Puerto Rico | |
| In office July 31, 2019 – August 2, 2019 Acting |
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| Preceded by | María Marcano de León (acting) |
| Succeeded by | María Marcano de León (acting) |
| Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Luis Fortuño |
| Succeeded by | Jenniffer González |
| Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico | |
| In office January 2, 1993 – January 2, 1997 |
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| Governor | Pedro Rosselló |
| Preceded by | Héctor Rivera Cruz |
| Succeeded by | José Fuentes Agostini |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Pedro Rafael Pierluisi
April 26, 1959 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | New Progressive |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic |
| Spouses | María Rojo (1981–1998) María Carrión (2007–2019) Fabiola Ansótegui (m. 2024) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | José Jaime Pierluisi (brother) |
| Education | Tulane University (BA) George Washington University (JD) |
Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia (born April 26, 1959) is a lawyer and politician from Puerto Rico. He served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 2021 to 2025. Before that, he was the island's representative in the U.S. Congress. He also held important roles like Secretary of Justice and acting Secretary of State for Puerto Rico.
Pierluisi is a member of the New Progressive Party in Puerto Rico and the Democratic Party in the United States. He believes Puerto Rico should become a U.S. state. In 2024, he lost the primary election to run for governor again.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pedro Pierluisi was born on April 26, 1959, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents are Jorge Pierluisi Díaz and Doris Urrutia. He went to high school at Colegio Marista Guaynabo and finished in 1977.
He then studied at Tulane University, earning a degree in American History in 1981. After that, he went to George Washington University Law School. He earned his law degree in 1984. While in college, he was active in student groups that supported Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. state. He also worked as an intern for Puerto Rico's representative in Congress.
Professional Career
After finishing law school, Pierluisi worked as a lawyer in Washington, D.C. from 1984 to 1990. He then practiced law in Puerto Rico until 1993.
Political Career
Secretary of Justice
In 1993, Pedro Rosselló became Governor of Puerto Rico. He chose Pedro Pierluisi to be the Secretary of Justice for Puerto Rico. This is like being the chief lawyer for the government. The Puerto Rican legislature approved his nomination without any objections.
As Secretary of Justice, Pierluisi worked with the U.S. government. He helped with efforts that led to a major crime control law in 1994. He finished his term as Secretary of Justice in January 1997.
Resident Commissioner
On May 18, 2007, Pedro Pierluisi announced he would run for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. This person represents Puerto Rico in the U.S. Congress. They can speak and work on committees but cannot vote on final laws.
In the 2008 elections, Pierluisi won by a large number of votes. He served as Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner from 2009 to 2017. While in Congress, he worked with the House Democratic Caucus. He also supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
As Resident Commissioner, Pierluisi worked to help Puerto Rico. He introduced a bill to let Puerto Rico hold a vote on its political future. This vote would help decide if Puerto Rico should become a U.S. state, remain a territory, or become independent. He also tried to allow Puerto Rico's government-owned companies to file for bankruptcy, which they could not do at the time. In 2013, he introduced a bill to make Puerto Rico a state.
In 2015, Pierluisi decided to run for Governor of Puerto Rico. However, he lost in the primary elections in 2016 to Ricardo Rosselló.
Brief Time as Governor in 2019
In August 2019, Pedro Pierluisi briefly served as the governor of Puerto Rico for five days. The previous governor, Ricardo Rosselló, resigned after many protests. Rosselló nominated Pierluisi to be the Secretary of State, which is the next person in line to become governor.
Pierluisi was sworn in as acting Secretary of State. Then, when Rosselló resigned, Pierluisi became governor. However, the Senate of Puerto Rico had not yet fully approved his nomination as Secretary of State. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico later ruled that his swearing-in as governor was not constitutional because he had not been fully confirmed by both parts of the legislature. Because of this, he was governor for only a short time.
2020 Elections
On August 16, 2020, Pierluisi won the primary election for the New Progressive Party's candidate for governor. He defeated the sitting governor, Wanda Vázquez Garced.
On November 3, 2020, Pedro Pierluisi was elected as the Governor of Puerto Rico. He received about 32.9% of the votes.
He took the oath of office on January 2, 2021. There was a private ceremony first, followed by a public ceremony at the Capitol of Puerto Rico. The event had fewer people than usual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor of Puerto Rico
As Governor, Pedro Pierluisi continued to support Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. state. He vetoed a bill that would have stopped an election for people to advocate for statehood in the U.S. Congress.
In January 2021, Governor Pierluisi declared a state of emergency because of a rise in violence against women. He ordered that a public prosecutor always be present in domestic violence cases to help victims.
He also addressed issues with ferry services to the islands of Vieques and Culebra. He said the emergency for these services would continue until 2022, when the ferry service would become private.
During his time as governor, there was a disagreement about his choice for Secretary of Education. The House of Representatives did not approve his nominee, so he withdrew the nomination.
The Governor also supported a contract with LUMA Energy to manage Puerto Rico's electricity grid. He said this would not raise electricity costs and was best for the island's future.
In February 2023, Pierluisi asked the U.S. Senate to approve a bill for a vote in Puerto Rico. This vote would let people choose between becoming a U.S. state, becoming independent, or having a free association with the U.S. In June 2024, he had another hearing in the Senate about a similar bill.
2024 Elections
On March 20, 2022, Governor Pedro Pierluisi announced he would run for a second term. He said that Puerto Rico was moving forward and that he would defeat the other party.
However, on June 2, 2024, Pedro Pierluisi lost the primary election to Jenniffer González Colón. This means he will not be the New Progressive Party's candidate for governor in the next election.
Personal Life
Governor Pierluisi has four adult children: Antonio, Miguel, Rafael, and Jacqueline. He also has five grandchildren.
He has been married three times. His first marriage was to María Eugenia Rojo, with whom he had his children. They divorced in the late 1990s. He then married María Elena Carrión in 2007, and they divorced in 2019. He is currently married to attorney Fabiola Ansótegui. They got married in December 2024.
Pierluisi's father, Jorge Pierluisi, was the Secretary of Puerto Rico's Housing Department from 1977 to 1985. His brother, José Jaime Pierluisi, was an economic advisor to a former governor. His sister, Caridad Pierluisi, has served as an advisor to him during his time as governor.
Honors
