Puerto Rican Residents’ Donations to US Politicians on the Rise

Recent election donations surpassed those made in 2018 by almost $2 million. Congress members involved in decision-making related to issues that affect Puerto Rico received the most donations.

Donations from Puerto Rican residents to US political parties and Congress members have increased by 60% since the 2018 midterm elections.

Typically, residents from the island donate during the presidential elections. This motivates the candidates to visit the island when they are campaigning, as was the case in 2008 with former president Barack Obama and vice president Hillary Clinton, who were the Democratic candidates.

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Between 2019 and 2020, the island’s residents donated more than $8.4 million during the presidential elections.

Data from the Federal Electoral Commission (FEC) shows that interest in the midterm elections is on the rise since residents of Puerto Rico donated over $4.22 million to federal political committees during the 2021 and 2022 electoral period. There were close to 50,000 individual contributions. This represents $1.6 million more than the amount donated between 2017 and 2018.

El Nuevo Día highlights that among the 20 largest donors are eight people who reside on the island under the statute of Law 20/22 that grants generous tax incentives.

In fact, the largest donor was Brock Pierce, a cryptocurrency mogul, who ran and then dropped out of the race for the US Senate in Vermont, last year.

Data from OpenSecrets.org, a nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics, shows that during the 2022 electoral cycle the Democratic party got more donations from residents in Puerto Rico than the Republican party. The Democratic party raised $1,723,333 (60.73%), while the Republican party raised $625,515 (22.04%).

As for Congress members, those involved in decision-making related to issues that affect Puerto Rico, such as the extension of supplemental Medicaid and status, received more donations.

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Tim Ryan (D-OH), US Senate candidate for Ohio and former US representative, was the candidate who received the most contributions, with $127,817 raised during the 2021-2022 term. Ryan was vocal in demanding help for Puerto Rico after the devastating passage of Hurricane María in 2017.

Ryan is followed by Sen. Robert Menéndez (D-NJ), who received $111,300. Menéndez is part of the US Senate Committee On Finance, which makes decisions about Medicaid.