Republicans can win Hispanic voters back, starting with mainland Puerto Ricans | Opinion

When the election returns came in from New Jersey and Virginia in November, one thing stood out: the Republican Party is losing ground with Hispanic voters in places where it used to be competitive.

That’s a wake-up call. But it’s also a reminder that there’s one Hispanic community where Republicans still have a real opening — Puerto Rican voters on the mainland. And, as the GOP looks ahead to the 2026 midterms, there’s a straightforward path to winning their trust: take seriously what Puerto Ricans themselves say is their top concern and show real leadership where others have failed.

This summer, President Trump took the first step to exert that leadership when he dismissed five members of Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB). But the job is far from over. To protect Puerto Rico’s future — and to show Puerto Rican voters that Republicans are listening — the president must now take the next step: appoint new members who are committed to transparency, accountability and delivering results for Puerto Rican families, not for Wall Street law firms.

The FOMB was created by Congress in 2016 with a clear mission: guide Puerto Rico out of fiscal crisis and back onto stable footing. Instead, it has become the most expensive, least effective experiment in federal “oversight” in recent memory.

After eight years, Puerto Rico is still mired in the longest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. The lights still go out regularly. Businesses and families still struggle to keep generators fueled. And billions of federal dollars set aside for reconstruction after Hurricane Maria remain tied up in red tape.

Power outages on the island are 7.8 times more frequent and last 13.2 times longer than the U.S. average — and it’s been getting worse, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. On New Year’s Eve 2024, 90% of the island went dark. Families celebrating in San Juan used phone flashlights just to keep kids safe while their food spoiled. That blackout alone cost tens of millions.

Months later, another outage hit 1.4 million customers, halting small businesses, shutting down restaurants and forcing hospitals to rely on backup generators. Economists estimate every island-wide blackout drains $70–$150 million from the economy. It’s always the mom-and-pop shops, the corner stores and the working families who take the biggest hit.

Meanwhile, what has the FOMB been doing?

Burning through $2 billion on consultants, lawyers and advisors — many charging $1,000 an hour, which is what the average Puerto Rican makes in a week — with nothing to show for it. They’ve turned Puerto Rico into a cash machine for Manhattan law firms while families sweat through blackouts.

And a new poll demonstrates just how angry Puerto Rican voters are about what’s happening on their home island. In a new Quantas Insights poll of Puerto Ricans living in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 95% rated the island’s electrical system as “poor,” and a majority said they personally know someone who’s been hurt by the ongoing failures. Nearly everyone — 93% — said the FOMB’s director should be fired, and 83% said Trump should make fixing the grid a top priority. Even more telling, half said they would be more likely to support Republicans if Trump and congressional Republicans lead the effort to rebuild Puerto Rico’s power system.

After disappointing GOP performances with Hispanic voters in recent months, those numbers should jump off the page. Puerto Rican voters are saying exactly what they want. Republicans have an opportunity to earn their trust by stepping up where Washington has dragged its feet for nearly a decade.

Puerto Rico can’t wait. The president should quickly appoint new FOMB members who will cut the gravy train, unlock FEMA dollars and rebuild a functioning grid. These appointees should be outsiders, not part of the Wall Street-consultant class. They should be accountable to the people. And they should measure success by one simple standard: keeping the lights on.

Puerto Rican families — and the voters Republicans hope to win back — are watching.

Julio Fuentes is president and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.