As Puerto Rico Prepares for GOP Primary, Statehood Question Takes Center Stage

The Takeaway

On Sunday, citizens of Puerto Rico will have the opportunity to weigh in on the Republican nomination for president of the United States. Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth without full voting privileges in Congress or a vote for president in the general election. But 20 delegates are up for grabs this weekend, and GOP presidential hopefuls have descended on the islands to fight for supporters.
One major question has come up continuously throughout the week of campaigning: How do candidates feel about the status of Puerto Rico’s statehood? Notably, Rick Santorum said: “There are other states with more than one language, like Hawaii, but to be a state of the United States, English must be the principal language.” Sara Murray, reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has been covering the campaigning in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She joins us along with Frances Negrón-Muntaner ­, a filmmaker, author, and Columbia University professor from Puerto Rico.

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