Roberto Prats
Encyclopedia
Roberto Prats Palerm is a former Senator of Puerto Rico, a lawyer
, and a former candidate for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
in the elections of 2004
. He is affiliated and a member of the Governing Board of the Popular Democratic Party
and chairman of the Democratic Party (United States)
in Puerto Rico.
in 1990. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Interamerican University School of Law.
. He worked closely with Sila M. Calderón, then Mayor of San Juan
, being the city's Public Affairs
and Federal Relations Advisor.
In the 2000 elections, Prats was elected as an at-large Senator, becoming the youngest at-large member that year of the Puerto Rican Senate. During his tenure, Prats pushed legislation that sought to help low-income people, environmental statutes and transportation legislation, and was considered a consensus-builder.
In 2003, Sila M. Calderón announced she would not seek a second term as Governor
. The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
was chosen to run for Governor in the elections of 2004. Senator Roberto Prats became the Popular Democratic Party's nomineee for Resident Commissioner for the upcoming elections, which he lost to Luis Fortuño
.
Prats got a big boost for his congressional campaign, when the Democratic National Committee
Chairman Terry McAuliffe
endorsed him in March 2004. He subsequently was elected State Chair of the Democratic Party in Puerto Rico, a position he currently holds, under DNC Chairmen Howard Dean
, with whom he also has a close relationship, and Tim Kaine
, the current governor
of Virginia
.
One of Puerto Rico's "superdelegates", Prats announced his support in January 2008 of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
's presidential bid and serves, along with Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock
, as co-chair of her Hispanic Leadership Council, in spite of his former running mate's (Gov. Acevedo Vilá's) endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama
. Prats and McClintock co-chaired Clinton's successful June 1, 2008 primary campaign in the U.S. territory.
In 2009, Prats was elected a member of the DNC's Executive Committee.
In November 2010, he coauthored a book on the 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign in Puerto Rico with current Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock
.
, Aguilar, a subsidiary of Editorial Santillana, First edition in Spanish (200pp), 2010, ISBN: 978-1-60484-744-4
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and a former candidate for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years...
in the elections of 2004
Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004
The Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004 took place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2004. After a count by the State Commission of Elections, the winner was inaugurated to a four-year term as Governor of Puerto Rico on January 2, 2005....
. He is affiliated and a member of the Governing Board of the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
and chairman of the Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in Puerto Rico.
Education
Prats received his Bachelor's Degree in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1990. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Interamerican University School of Law.
Political career
Prats began working in his early twenties with the Government of Puerto RicoGovernment of Puerto Rico
The Government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution...
. He worked closely with Sila M. Calderón, then Mayor of San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, being the city's Public Affairs
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
and Federal Relations Advisor.
In the 2000 elections, Prats was elected as an at-large Senator, becoming the youngest at-large member that year of the Puerto Rican Senate. During his tenure, Prats pushed legislation that sought to help low-income people, environmental statutes and transportation legislation, and was considered a consensus-builder.
In 2003, Sila M. Calderón announced she would not seek a second term as Governor
Governor of Puerto Rico
The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
. The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,...
was chosen to run for Governor in the elections of 2004. Senator Roberto Prats became the Popular Democratic Party's nomineee for Resident Commissioner for the upcoming elections, which he lost to Luis Fortuño
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
.
Prats got a big boost for his congressional campaign, when the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
Chairman Terry McAuliffe
Terry McAuliffe
Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffe is a longtime leader and political advisor for the United States Democratic Party. He served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. He served as Co-Chairman of President William Jefferson Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and also...
endorsed him in March 2004. He subsequently was elected State Chair of the Democratic Party in Puerto Rico, a position he currently holds, under DNC Chairmen Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, with whom he also has a close relationship, and Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
, the current governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
One of Puerto Rico's "superdelegates", Prats announced his support in January 2008 of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
's presidential bid and serves, along with Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
, as co-chair of her Hispanic Leadership Council, in spite of his former running mate's (Gov. Acevedo Vilá's) endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Prats and McClintock co-chaired Clinton's successful June 1, 2008 primary campaign in the U.S. territory.
In 2009, Prats was elected a member of the DNC's Executive Committee.
In November 2010, he coauthored a book on the 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign in Puerto Rico with current Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
.
Publication
• Te Quiero Puerto Rico - Primaria Presidencial Demócrata 2008, Co-author with Kenneth McClintockKenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
, Aguilar, a subsidiary of Editorial Santillana, First edition in Spanish (200pp), 2010, ISBN: 978-1-60484-744-4
External links
- Biography @ Prats campaign website - official site, in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. - Biography at the Senate of Puerto Rico - official site of the Senate, in Spanish.