House Government Commission to report favorably on nominations to Puerto Rico State Elections Commission

The House Government Commission on April 7, 2025, heard presentations from Jorge Rafael Rivera Rueda and Cindy Ilianzanri Casiago, nominees to lead the Comisión Estatal de Elecciones (State Elections Commission), and said it will prepare a report recommending their confirmation to the full House of Representatives.

Rivera Rueda told commissioners he was designated by Governor Jennifer González Colón on April 2, 2025, and delivered a summary of his legal, academic and public-service background, including roles in the Office of the Electoral Comptroller and as a superior court judge. He described priorities should he be confirmed, saying the agency must "realizar una evaluación exhaustiva sobre la organización y ejecución de las pasadas elecciones generales" to identify deficiencies and consider assigning additional economic, technological and human resources. Rivera added: "El pueblo de Puerto Rico exige y se merece un sistema electoral transparente, donde su derecho constitucional voto sea resguardado." ("The people of Puerto Rico demand and deserve a transparent electoral system, where their constitutional right to vote is safeguarded.")

Cindy Ilianzanri Casiago delivered a personal memorial summarizing roughly three decades in public service, including administrative roles in education, regulatory work with the island's dairy industry, and judicial experience presiding over domestic-violence dockets and a recently created mental-health specialty court. In closing she asked for the commission's consent and pledged to carry out the responsibilities of the office if confirmed: "Si este honroso cuerpo tiene presentar su consentimiento a esta nominación, les garantizo que cumplir—1 la encomienda..." ("If this honorable body gives its consent to this nomination, I guarantee I will carry out the assignment...").

Several representatives on the commission spoke in support of the nominees and indicated they had no further questions after the presentations. A commission member said the panel would prepare and submit a report to the House plenary recommending confirmation of both nominees; the transcript records the committee stating "estamos recomendando al pleno de la cámara su confirmación" and that the full chamber would vote later the same day. The committee did not record a roll-call vote on the floor of the committee during the excerpted proceedings.

Both nominees referenced prior work tied to statutory frameworks: Rivera Rueda described drafting internal regulations and enforcement actions under Ley 22 de 2011 governing campaign-finance oversight; Casiago described implementing court and administrative reforms tied to Puerto Rico's mental-health law (referenced in the transcript as "ley 408").

Next steps: The commission will file a report to the full House recommending confirmation; the transcript indicates the House planned to vote on the nominations later that day. The transcript excerpt does not record the House plenary vote or a committee roll-call tally.