Party leaders of the Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico Majority and Minority Leaders are Puerto Rican Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minorities respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. By rule, the Presiding Officer gives the Majority Leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate. The Majority Leader customarily serves as the chief representative of his or her party in Senate.
Current floor leaders
The Senate is currently composed of 18 senators from the Popular Democratic Party, 8 senators from the New Progressive Party and one senator from the Puerto Rican Independence Party.The incumbent floor leaders are PPD Majority Leader Aníbal José Torres and PNP Minority Leader Larry Seilhamer.
List of party leaders
The "Majority" column indicates which party was the majority in the Senate, while the opposing column indicates the minority. The PIP is usually a minority.Senate | Dates | PNP Leader | Majority | PPD Leader | PIP Leader |
1st | 1949–1953 | PPD Maj → | N/A | ||
2nd | 1953–1957 | Miguel Angel García Méndez | Gilberto Concepción de Gracia | - | |
3rd | 1957–1961 | Miguel Angel García Méndez | Luis Negrón López | N/A | - |
4th | 1961–1965 | N/A | - | ||
5th | 1965–1969 | Luis Negrón López | N/A | - | |
6th | 1969–1973 | Hipólito Marcano | N/A | - | |
7th | 1973–1977 | José Menéndez Monroig | Rubén Berríos | - | |
8th | 1977–1981 | Nicolás Nogueras | ← PNP Maj | Miguel Hernández Agosto | N/A |
9th | 1981–1985 | PPD Maj → | Gilberto Rivera Ortiz | - | N/A |
10th | 1985–1989 | Roberto Rexach Benítez | Gilberto Rivera Ortiz | Rubén Berríos | - |
11th | 1989–1993 | Gilberto Rivera Ortiz | Fernando Martín García | - | - |
12th | 1993–1997 | Charlie Rodríguez | ← PNP Maj | Miguel Hernández Agosto | Rubén Berríos |
13th | 1997–2001 | José Enrique Meléndez | Antonio Fas Alzamora | - | - |
14th | 2001–2005 | Kenneth McClintock | PPD Maj → | José Luis Dalmau | Fernando Martín |
15th | 2005 | Jorge de Castro Font | ← PNP Maj | José Luis Dalmau | - |
15th | 2005–2009 | Margarita Nolasco | María de Lourdes Santiago | - | - |
16th | 2009–2011 | Roberto Arango | N/A | - | - |
16th | 2011-2013 | Larry Seilhamer | N/A | - | - |
17th | 2013–2017 | Larry Seilhamer | PPD Maj → | Aníbal José Torres | María de Lourdes Santiago |
18th | 2017–present | Carmelo Ríos | ← PNP Maj | Eduardo Bhatia | Juan Dalmau |
Senate | Dates | PNP Leader | Majority | PPD Leader | PIP Leader |