| José Luis Dalmau Santiago | |
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| Member of the Puerto Rico Senate from the At-large district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2009 |
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| Member of the Puerto Rico Senate from the Humacao district | |
| In office 2001-2008 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | September 19, 1966 Caguas, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Popular Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Margie Rosario Lugo |
| Children | José Luis José Juan |
| Alma mater | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (B.A.) Eugenio María de Hostos Law School (J.D.) |
| Profession | Politician, Attorney |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
José Luis Dalmau Santiago (born September 19, 1966) is a Puerto Rican politician and Senator. He is the current Minority Leader for the Popular Democratic Party on the Senate of Puerto Rico.
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José Luis Dalmau was born on September 19, 1966 in Caguas, Puerto Rico to José Luis Dalmau Rodríguez and Diana Iris Santiago Casanova. He finished his elementary and high school studies at the Notre Dame College in Caguas, graduating in 1984. He then completed his Bachelor's degree in Natural Science with a Major in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico. In 1997, he received his Juris Doctor from the Eugenio María de Hostos Law School in Mayagüez.
Dalmau began his political career since he was a teenager when he served as interim president of the Popular Youth in Caguas. After that, he worked for the campaigns of Mayors Angel O. Berríos and then Willie Miranda Marín, as well as the campaigns for the 1993 and 1994 referendums. He also served at the Electoral Colleges during various elections.
From 1991 to 1992, Dalmau served as Special Aide to Speaker of the House José Ronaldo Jarabo, and then as an aide to Representative Juan Corujo Collazo. He also worked as legal counsel to the Office of Legal Affairs of the Municipality of Caguas.
He was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in 2000 at the age of 34, representing the District of Humacao along with his running mate, Sixto Hernández. In 2001 he became Senate Majority Leader during his freshman term under the twelfth President of the Senate, Antonio Fas Alzamora. During that term, he also presided the Commission of Rules and Scheduling, as well as the Housing Commission and the Special Commission for the Legislative Reform.
After the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico's defeat at the 2004, and after his own reelection, he was elected to the role of being the floor leader of the PPD delegation. While a minority in the Senate, his delegation represented the executive branch's interests in that legislative body, after PPD gubernatorial candidate Aníbal Acevedo Vilá narrowly beat former Governor Pedro Rosselló after a hotly contested post-election court challenge.
In 2006, Dalmau's running mate, Hernández, was nominated by Gov. Acevedo Vilá as an appeals judge. After being confired in the Senate, Hernández was replaced by Jorge Suárez Cáceres. Although both were defeated at the 2008 general elections, they gained seats as a result of the Minority Law in the Constitution of Puerto Rico.[1]
José Luis Dalmau is married to Margie Rosario Lugo. They have two children together: José Luis and José Juan.
Several of Dalmau's relatives are also involved in politics. His cousin Juan Dalmau, is one of the leaders of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) and is the current candidate to Governor for that party. Another cousin, Carlos Dalmau, was in charge of Acevedo Vilá's campaign. Another relative was married to former Mayor of Carolina, José Aponte de la Torre. After Aponte's death, he was succeeded by Dalmau's cousin, José Aponte Dalmau. Also, Dalmau's brother, Ulises, competed in the PPD primaries to become Representative At-Large, but failed to be elected.
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