A new poll found Puerto Rico’s statehood is a decisive factor in the Hispanic vote in New York and nationwide.
The McLaughlin and Associates survey showed more than two-thirds of Hispanic voters and Puerto Ricans support statehood as a means of reducing costs for the island territory’s families. Other polls show most American voters support statehood but mostly among Democrats and independents.
Martin Rivera, director of advocacy for the Puerto Rico Statehood Council, said statehood can help with the territory’s Medicaid cliff.
“Puerto Rico is treated differently than the states when it comes to several benefits, including Medicaid, and instead of the amount allotted and the federal matching rate that’s allotted based on poverty level, Puerto Rico gets a block grant,” Rivera explained.
Medicaid is the island’s primary healthcare system, and Puerto Rico’s current $4 billion block grant expires in September 2027. Without congressional action, the funding reverts to baseline levels, dropping federal contributions to less than a quarter of previous funding levels.
Concerns about making Puerto Rico a state include how the U.S. will incorporate the territory’s multibillion-dollar debt into the federal budget and where its five new seats in Congress would come from. Other worries center on how the island’s culture might change but Rivera argued it is unlikely.
“Being Puerto Rican doesn’t leave you once you leave the island; we keep our culture, we keep our language,” Rivera emphasized. “The issue of statehood is not about erasure but it’s about inclusion. It’s about giving Puerto Rico the voice in the chambers that impact the everyday facets of their lives.”
Since 2012, there have been four status votes for Puerto Rico, with statehood winning out among other options. As the election approaches, Rivera sees momentum building again to a point where it could be a key issue in the 120th Congress.
“I do see this issue progressing in the next Congress, being discussed, having hearings on this issue and it even becoming an issue at the presidential level,” Rivera projected. “I have hope there will be progress on this issue, and the voice and the will of the people of Puerto Rico will be heard.”
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.
