| Jenniffer A. González Colón | |
|---|---|
| 29th Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2009 |
|
| Governor | Luis Fortuño |
| Preceded by | José Aponte Hernández |
| At-Large Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Melinda Romero Donnelly |
| Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the 4th District | |
| In office February 28, 2002 – January 1, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Edison Misla Aldarondo |
| Succeeded by | Liza Fernández Rodríguez |
| Vice-Chairwoman of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office May 9, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Miriam J. Ramírez de Ferrer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jenniffer Aydin González Colón San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | New Progressive Party Republican Party of Puerto Rico |
| Alma mater | University of Puerto Rico |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Jenniffer A. González Colón (born August 5, 1976) is a Puerto Rican politician who serves as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, a commonwealth with the United States.[1] She is affiliated with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (NPP) and the United States Republican Party. She also serves as Vice-Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico and Vice-Chairwoman of the New Progressive Party.[2]
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González was first elected to the House of Representatives in a special election held on February 24, 2002, to fill the vacancy left by former House Speaker Edison Misla Aldarondo, after his resignation as Representative from San Juan's 4th District due to being convicted and sentenced to nearly six years in prison for extortion, money laundering and obstruction of justice. She was the first female elected representative of San Juan's Fourth District and the youngest member of the 14th Legislative Assembly. Previous to being elected as Representative, González served as Chairwoman of the San Juan New Progressive Party Youth Organization and was very active in the Pro-Statehood Students movement while attending college.
González was re-elected in the 2004 Puerto Rico General Elections, this time as an At-Large Representative. She served as Chairwoman of the House Government Affairs Committee, and as ranking member of the Budget, San Juan Development, Women's Affairs, and Internal Affairs Committees, as well as the Joint Commission for the Revision of the Civil Code of Puerto Rico.
González,at the age of 32,was elected House Speaker by members of her New Progressive Party delegation during a caucus held on November 7, 2008, thereby defeating incumbent House Speaker José Aponte Hernández in his bid for re-election to that post. She thus became the youngest and second woman in Puerto Rican history to be elected Speaker of the House, and the third to hold that seat.
As Speaker, González has had to deal with several scandals related to several representatives. In all cases, she has deferred to the Ethics Committee to handle them, and has stood by the Committee's findings. In 2010 she supported the recommendations that Rep. Iván A. Rodríguez Traverzo (NPP-16) be impeached and expelled from the House of Representatives for charges that he had solicited bribes, but on the day that the vote to do so was on the House Floor, Rodríguez resigned. Several days later, Rodríguez withdrew his resignation, and on January 2011, the House voted for his expulsion, making him the first member of the House in more than seventy years to be expelled.
Several weeks later, the Ethics Committee recommended the expulsion of Rep. Luis E. Farinacci Morales (PDP-At Large)for charges that he had threatened the life of his wife's parents. Similar to what had happened in Rodríguez's case, Farinacci resigned his post on the day that House was going to vote for his expulsion.
González faced a tremendous blow when Rep. Rolando Crespo Arroyo, the House Mayority Leader, tested positive for the use of cocaine, on a routine drug test ordered by the Speaker. Crespo resigned, making him the first legislator in Puerto Rican history to so for testing positive for the use of illegal drugs.
There are three more House members, Rep. Carmen Y. Cruz Soto (PDP-At Large), Rep. Rafael Hernández Montañez (PDP-At Large), and House Minority Whip, Rep. Luis R. Torres Cruz (PDP-2) who are being currently investigated, either by the Ethics Committee or the Special Independent Prosecutor's Office.
As Vice Chairwoman of the New Progressive Party, she has been charged with organizing a massive educational campaign on statehood for Puerto Rico.[2] She is also a member of the Party's Directory or governing body.
| House of Representatives
Special Election to fill 4th District vacancy (February 24, 2002)[3] |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| PNP | Jenniffer A. González Colón | 1,143 | 33.1% | |
| PNP | Julio Lebrón | 689 | 16.1% | |
| PNP | Roberto Acevedo | 662 | 15.5% | |
| PNP | Víctor Parés | 587 | 13.7% | |
| PNP | Virgilio Meléndez | 497 | 11.6% | |
| PNP | Julio F. Fernández | 225 | 5.3% | |
| PNP | Johnny Colón | 144 | 3.4% | |
| PNP | Yiya de Jesús | 43 | 1.0% | |
| Totals | 4,271 | 100% | ||
| At-Large House of Representatives
General Election (2004)[4] |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Puerto Rican Independence | Víctor García San Inocencio | 186,197 | 9.73% | |
| PNP | Iris M. Ruiz Class | 150,596 | 7.87% | |
| PNP | José F. Aponte Hernández | 149,745 | 7.82% | |
| Popular Democratic | Ferdinand Pérez Román | 149,008 | 7.78% | |
| PNP | Jenniffer A. González Colón | 148,785 | 7.77% | |
| PNP | Rolando Crespo Arroyo | 146,795 | 7.68% | |
| PNP | María L. Ramos Rivera | 145,497 | 7.60% | |
| PNP | José Chico Vega | 144,553 | 7.55% | |
| Popular Democratic | Héctor Ferrer Ríos | 138,663 | 7.24% | |
| Popular Democratic | Carlos Vizcarrondo Irizarry | 137,445 | 7.18% | |
| Popular Democratic | Jorge Colberg Toro | 134,334 | 7.02% | |
| Popular Democratic | Julia Torres de Vargas | 132,786 | 6.94% | |
| Popular Democratic | José E. Vélez | 132,236 | 6.91% | |
| Totals | 1,914,522 | 100% | ||
| At-Large House of Representatives
General Election (2008)[5] |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Popular Democratic | Héctor Ferrer Ríos | 166,126 | 8.87% | |
| PNP | Jenniffer A. González Colón | 161,116 | 8.61% | |
| PNP | Rolando Crespo Arroyo | 154,631 | 8.26% | |
| PNP | María L. Ramos Rivera | 152,188 | 8.13% | |
| PNP | José F. Aponte Hernández | 151,612 | 8.1% | |
| PNP | Iris M. Ruiz Class | 146,751 | 7.84% | |
| PNP | José Chico Vega | 146,739 | 7.84% | |
| Popular Democratic | Luis Vega Ramos | 128,992 | 6.89% | |
| Popular Democratic | Brenda López de Arrarás | 128,603 | 6.87% | |
| Popular Democratic | Jaime Perelló Borrás | 128,486 | 6.86% | |
| Popular Democratic | Carmen Y. Cruz Soto | 126,126 | 6.74% | |
| Popular Democratic | Jorge Colberg Toro | 124,446 | 6.65% | |
| Puerto Rican Independence | Víctor García San Inocencio | 93,816 | 5.01% | |
| Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico | Haydée Colón Cardona | 11,043 | 0.59% | |
| Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico | William Lourido | 10,941 | 0.58% | |
| Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico | Iris Miranda | 8,156 | 0.44% | |
| Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico | Héctor Varela | 6,320 | 0.34% | |
| Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico | Néstor A. Suro | 6,249 | 0.33% | |
| Totals | 1,942,973 | 100% | ||
| House of Representatives of Puerto Rico | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edison Misla Aldarondo |
Puerto Rico House of Representatives, 4th district 2002-2005 |
Succeeded by Liza Fernández Rodríguez |
| Preceded by Melinda Romero Donnelly |
Puerto Rico House of Representatives, At-large district 2005-present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by José Aponte Hernández |
Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives 2009–present |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Miriam J. Ramírez de Ferrer |
Vice-Chairwoman of the New Progressive Party 2009-present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Jorge Santini Padilla |
Vice-Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico 2007-present |
Incumbent |
|
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