Puerto Rico Statehood party members chose Luis Fortuno (R) as their candidate for Governor in this November's general election in the island's pro-Statehood party primary on Sunday March 9th. Preliminary results show Fortuno defeated former two-time Governor and sitting Senator Dr. Pedro Rossello (D) by almost 60 percent to 40 percent to become the pro-Statehood New Progressive Party candidate for Governor. Pro-Statehood Democrat Pedro Pierluisi defeated fellow Democrat veteran Statehooder activist and former Puerto Rico Senator Charlie Rodriguez to become the pro-Statehood candidate for Resident Commissioner. The New Progressive Party is the pro-Statehood political party in Puerto Rico and is a joint party of Puerto Rico's Republicans and Democrats united in the quest for Statehood for Puerto Rico.

Fortuno is widely recognized as having robustly advanced self-determination legislation in the U.S. Congress as Puerto Rico's sole elected representative in the nation's Capitol since his election in 2005. Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in Congress is Puerto Rico's non-voting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. In contrast, if Puerto Rico were an incorporated state it would have as many as six representatives with full voting rights in the House. Under the current Commonwealth status, Puerto Rico has no representation in the U.S. Senate but would have two fully participating Senators under Statehood.

Fortuno first introduced the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2006 and again co-sponsored the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2007 in the 110th Congress last year. The 2006 legislation gained significant support in the House with 111 sponsors, as has the corresponding bill in the 110th Congress introduced in 2007. The legislation currently boasts 130 sponsors. Fortuno also ensured corresponding legislative projects in the U.S. Senate where legislation has gained 15 supporters in both the 109th and 110th Congress.

Senate supporters of S. 2661 in 2006 included Senators Martinez of Florida (sponsor) Allen of Virginia, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Nelson of Florida, Allard of Colorado, Bayh of Indiana, Graham of South Carolina, Hatch of Utah, Landrieu of Louisiana, Salazar of Colorado, Carper of Delaware, Hagel of Nebraska, Kerry of Massachusetts, Santorum of Pennsylvania and Craig of Idaho. The Puerto Rico Democracy Act was reintroduced in 2007 for the 110th Congress, by Senators Salazar of Colorado, Martinez and Nelson of Florida, Akaka and Inouye of Hawaii, Bayh of Indiana, Carper of Delaware, Craig of Idaho, Kerry of Massachusetts, Landrieu of Louisiana, McCain of Arizona, Nelson and Hagel of Nebraska, Stevens of Alaska and Brownback of Kansas. Notably Hawaii and Alaska were the two most recently admitted States of the Union in 1950 and 1952 respectively.

In media interviews the day following his primary triumph, Candidate for Resident Commissioner Pierluisi gave assurances that he would most certainly continue to press for congressionally-sanctioned self-determination and Statehood for Puerto Rico.