Most voters support statehood for Puerto Rico, and a plurality say the same about the District of Columbia, according to a new poll released on Election Day.
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll found 61% support for making Puerto Rico a state, while only 27% are opposed. The numbers are a bit closer for Washington, D.C., with 46% in favor and 40% opposed.
[PREDICT TUESDAY’S WINNER WITH THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER’S INTERACTIVE ELECTORAL MAP.]
The Constitution created a federal district in Washington, D.C., that is not part of any state. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth whose residents are American citizens, but the island has substantial local autonomy and lacks the voting federal representation afforded to states.
The District of Columbia achieved home rule with an elected mayor and City Council by the 1970s. The city’s residents also vote in presidential elections, with the district having three electoral votes but no voting representation in Congress. The district does send a delegate to the House who can introduce legislation and vote in committee but not on the floor.
Puerto Rico also sends a resident commissioner to Congress who can introduce legislation and vote in committees but not on the House floor. The island’s residents cannot vote in presidential elections, and Puerto Rico has no electoral votes.
Statehood would allow Puerto Rico a vote for the presidency. It would also give both Puerto Rico and the district voting representation in the House and two senators apiece. Supporters also argue it is racially discriminatory to exclude these locales from statehood. Puerto Rico is majority Hispanic, and a plurality of Washington, D.C., residents are black. Some Republicans worry that it will lead to a permanent increase in the number of Democrats in Congress. The district has never voted for a Republican presidential candidate.
Consequently, Democrats overwhelmingly support Puerto Rican statehood by 80 points, 86% to 6%. Independents agree 61% to 18%. But Republicans oppose the idea 61% to 29%, even though the party’s platform has endorsed statehood for Puerto Rico since 1940.
The partisan breakdown is similar for district statehood, which Republicans have more traditionally opposed. Democrats are for it 71% to 16%, while Republicans are against 78% to 13%. Independents are more split, with 45% supporting and 35% opposing.
Statehood for both jurisdictions could become a major issue if Democrats win the White House and both houses of Congress in the election.
The Washington Examiner/YouGov poll was conducted among 1,200 registered voters on Friday, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
