It should be clear to everyone by now that Puerto Rico will be a swing state — a purple state, if you will — and that Puerto Rico voters will align with the national party which is best able to express their hopes and views. We can see this not only from the fact that the two main elected officials, the governor and the resident commissioner, have been from different national parties for many years, but also from the fact that these positions have been held by members of both parties over those years. But are Puerto Rico voters liberal or conservative?
Right now, voting on the Island focuses on status options rather than on traditional national party divisions. Among Puerto Ricans who identify with one party or another, the choice may reflect views on status or preference for a particular candidate. Once Puerto Rico is a state, though, it may come down to which party best reflects the views of the residents of Puerto Rico.
So are Puerto Rico voters liberal or conservative?
Polling
The majority of people living in Puerto Rico identify as Catholic, with the next largest group representing evangelical Protestants. Both these groups are more likely to be associated with conservative views than with liberal views.
This aligns with the answers Pew Research received in their most recent poll of political views in Puerto Rico:
- 77% said abortion should be illegal most or all of the time.
- 55% said same-sex marriage should not be legal.
These results are very different from the answers of Puerto Ricans born in the states and living in a state. Only 42% of these respondents said abortion should be illegal and only 29% opposed gay marriage.
A Gaither International survey found that 72% of Puerto Ricans supported prayer in schools, 88% wanted to see less government spending and lower taxes, and only 29% favored legalizing marijuana. All of these positions are considered socially conservative, and the proportions of Puerto Ricans holding these positions are much higher than the numbers seen in the states.
Laws
Abortion is legal in Puerto Rico, as long as it is conducted to “preserve the health or life” of the mother. If that is not the motive for performing an abortion, it is a crime. In practice, this generally means that abortion is readily available on the Island. However, the exception about preserving the health of the mother was added to a law which originally made all abortions illegal.
Girls 15 and under cannot receive an abortion without parental permission, according to a new law. And there have been four laws restricting abortion proposed in the past year, though none has passed and been implemented.
Public opinion on LGBTQ lifestyles is generally less positive in Puerto Rico than in states, with 37% accepting gay rights and 34% disapproving. Same-sex couples may adopt but are not included in family leave laws. Same-sex marriage is legal in Puerto Rico as in all of the states, under the Supreme Court decision of 2015.
In sum, Puerto Rico residents tend to be more socially conservative than people in the states. In both cases, there are people representing all the shades of the political spectrum.However, it should be clear that the idea of Puerto Rico as a state causing Congress to be more liberal cannot be supported by facts. Statehood for Puerto Rico is a question of justice, national security, and the prestige of the United States. Reach out to your legislators and ask them to get on the right side of history, supporting statehood for Puerto Rico.
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