SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Nov 04, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Early Results Show Luis G. Fortuno Garners Historic Landslide
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico voted today, in what early results show to be record numbers, to elect fiscal and social conservative Luis G. Fortuno as the next governor of Puerto Rico - making him the Island's first Republican governor since 1968.
Fortuno, Puerto Rico's current sole representative in the U.S. Congress, ran in a four-way gubernatorial race as president of the Island's pro-statehood New Progressive Party. His running-mate, Pedro R. Pierluisi, also won, becoming the Island's next representative to Congress.
Preliminary results show Fortuno has won solidly the gubernatorial election by the largest margin in more than 44 years. Popular Democratic Party candidate Anibal Acevedo Vila - Puerto Rico's current governor - running for re-election - conceded defeat at 7:12PM in Puerto Rico.
"This historic victory demonstrates that the people of Puerto Rico want change for progress, and I am fully committed to delivering it," said now Governor-Elect Fortuno. "I have a vision for a stronger, more economically sound and prosperous Puerto Rico, and I am confident that together we will re-energize the Island's economy. The people of Puerto Rico voted to re-instate good government, and my administration will deliver on our promise."
Throughout his campaign, Fortuno proposed a profound reform of the Island's government to transform it into a smaller and more agile facilitator of individuals' initiative that will result in spurring economic growth.
The wave of change chosen by voters in Puerto Rico today bodes well for Puerto Rico's economy as it sends a clear message that the Island is once again open for business under Fortuno's leadership.
A rising star in the Republican Party, Luis Fortuno will continue to work with the GOP leadership to grow and strengthen the party.
LUIS G. FORTUNO BIOGRAPHY
Governor-elect Luis G. Fortuno is the first Republican elected governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico since 1968. Fortuno is also president of the Island's Pro-Statehood New Progressive Part (PNP). In 2005, he was the first Republican elected to Congress, representing the people of Puerto Rico.
A rising star in the Republican Party, Fortuno began his tenure in Congress by being elected Vice-President of his Freshman Class alongside Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. He was also unanimously elected to serve as Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, and is a founding Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus, which strengthens the relationship between the United States and Spain and focuses on political, cultural, economic, commercial, and educational relations between the two countries.
Rep. Fortuno was also appointed to serve on the Executive Committee of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), and is a member of the House Republican Policy Committee.
As the sole representative in Congress to 4 million U.S. citizens residing in the island, Fortuno defended equal rights and parity in federal funding for Puerto Rico. Under his leadership, Puerto Rico received over $7 billion in federal funds, including over $800 million for infrastructure and transportation and the first increase in Medicaid funding in over 9 years.
During the 110th Congress, Rep. Fortuno has served on the Committee on Natural Resources and is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs - a distinction rarely awarded to a Member with only two years in Congress. Rep. Fortuno has also served on the Committee on Education and Labor - Subcommittees on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and Healthy Families and Communities. And he has earned the privilege of serving on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and is assigned to the Subcommittees on Western Hemisphere and Europe.
Before being elected to Congress, Rep. Fortuno was a partner at a San Juan law firm specializing in corporate finance and real estate law. He entered public service in 1993, after being appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico as Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and President of the Hotel Development Corporation. In 1994, he became Puerto Rico's first Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce.
As Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce, Rep. Fortuno was tasked with the development and implementation of large-scale reforms of Puerto Rico's tax, labor, corporate and commercial codes, aimed at facilitating business growth and job creation, reducing bureaucracy, and tax reform. Some of these initiatives included the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code, the revamping of the General Corporations Law, an aggressive investment package to jumpstart the tourism industry, and the largest tax cut in Puerto Rico's history. At the time of Rep. Fortuno's departure from public service, Puerto Rico's unemployment rate had reached its lowest level in over a generation.
Born in 1960, Rep. Fortuno was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He earned a bachelor's degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and obtained his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Virginia Law School. He is married to attorney Luce Vela and has three children.
SOURCE Fortuno 2008
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Fortuño is a Republican delegate to the US Congress
The candidate of the , , was elected the new governor of Puerto Rico in the general elections held on November 4, 2008. Fortuño obtained more than 52% of the votes.

The other candidates were the current governor of Puerto Rico,  of the ,  — the , and  — the .

In addition to obtaining the governor position, the New Progressive Party retained the position of  and won a majority of seats in the . The Puerto Rican Independence Party lost its franchise as a political party because it received less than 3% of the votes, the level required by the electoral law. The results also indicate that the Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party may have lost its franchise too.