The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico provides for the position of Secretary of State

Secretary of State

Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....

 of Puerto Rico who is first in line to exercise the role of acting Governor

Acting governor

An acting governor is a constitutional position created in some U.S. states when the governor dies in office or resigns. In some states, the governor may also be declared to be incapacitated and unable to function for various reasons, including illness and absence from the state for more than a...

 when the Governor is temporarily unavailable, whether because of being away from Puerto Rico or due to another temporary incapacity. The Secretary of State is the only official who can automatically become Governor if the elected Governor is permanently incapable of remaining in office due to death, resignation, or conviction as part of an impeachment process. Prior to the adoption of the local Constitution, the Foraker Act

Foraker Act

The Foraker Act,officially the Organic Act of 1900, is a United States federal law that established civilian government on the island of Puerto Rico, which had been newly acquired by the United States as a result of the Spanish–American War. Section VII of the Foraker Act also established Puerto...

 of 1900 and the Jones-Shafroth Act

Jones-Shafroth Act

The Jones–Shafroth Act was a 1917 Act of the United States Congress by which Puerto Ricans were collectively made U.S. citizens, the people of Puerto Rico were empowered to have a popularly-elected Senate, established a bill of rights, and authorized the election of a Resident Commissioner to a...

 of 1917 provided for the position of Executive Secretary, who carried out the roles assigned to contemporary Secretaries of State.

Since 1952, Secretaries of State have been appointed by the Governor, subject to the advice and consent of both the Senate of Puerto Rico

Senate of Puerto Rico

The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...

 and the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico

House of Representatives of Puerto Rico

The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico...

. A Secretary of State appointed by the Governor while the Legislative Assembly is in recess may take office and serve until the nomination is rejected by any of the legislative chambers or the next legislative regular session ends, whichever happens first.

Secretaries of State of the United States Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in addition to heading the State Department, one of the smallest central government agencies, and exercising the role as the territory's lieutenant governor, are usually assigned additional functions by the Governor. For example, Gov. Luis Muñoz Marín

Luis Muñoz Marín

Don José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician. Regarded as the "father of modern Puerto Rico," he was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. Muñoz Marín was the son of Luis Muñoz Rivera, a renowned autonomist leader...

 had Secretary of State Roberto Sánchez Vilella

Roberto Sánchez Vilella

Roberto Sánchez Vilella was the second Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1965 to 1969. He was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...

, a civil engineer

Civil engineer

A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...

, serve simultaneously as Secretary of Public Works. Gov. Pedro Rosselló

Pedro Rosselló

Pedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D., , is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001...

 had Secretary of State Norma Burgos

Norma Burgos

Norma E. Burgos Andújar is a Puerto Rican politician. She has been a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 2000. She also served as the 17th Secretary of State under Governor Pedro Rosselló .-Early years and studies:...

 serve for several years as Chair of the Puerto Rico Planning Board

Puerto Rico Planning Board

The Puerto Rico Planning Board was created in the 1940s during Rexford G. Tugwell's governorship and is the only state government agency in charge of centralized planning under the American flag...

. Gov. 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,...

's second Secretary of State, Fernando Bonilla

Fernando Bonilla

Fernando J. Bonilla is a Puerto Rican political figure and served as the 21st Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Bonilla also served as the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority....

, also served as Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority

Puerto Rico Ports Authority

The Puerto Rico Ports Authority is a public corporation created by the Legislative Assembly of the United States' Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to develop and operate ports and airports within the Commonwealth...

. However, perhaps no other Secretary of State has been assigned more tasks than 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...

, who served as the incoming Fortuño administration's Transition Committee Chair, coordinated the government's digital TV transition work group, headed the state government's Census 2010 team, chaired the government's 2010 Central and Caribbean Games Coordinating Committee, and chairs the Government Reorganization Committee, among other assignments delegated by Gov. 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...

.

The Department of State is statutorily charged with the operation of Puerto Rico's Trademarks Office, the Corporate Registry, the Commercial Transactions (UCC

UCC

-Law:* Uniform civil code of India, referring to proposed Civil code in the legal system of India, which would apply equally to all irrespective of their religion...

) Registry, the Puerto Rico Office of Protocol, International and Interstate Relations, the Passport Acceptance Offices and providing support to twenty professional examining boards and the Office of the Intellectual Property Registrar. The offices of Puerto Rico's Department of State occupy two historical buildings adjoining Old San Juan's Plaza de Armas

Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is the name for the main square in many Latin American cities. In Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo, and in Central America as Parque Central...

, the "Edificio de la Real Intendencia" and the "Edificio de la Diputación Provincial".

The Secretary of State of Puerto Rico is a member of the National Association of Secretaries of State

National Association of Secretaries of State

The National Association of Secretaries of State , founded in 1904, is the oldest non-partisan professional organization of public officials in the United States, composed of the Secretaries of State of U.S. states and territories. Currently, all secretaries of state, including Washington D.C.,...

, as well as the National Lieutenant Governors Association

National Lieutenant Governors Association

The National Lieutenant Governors Association is the non-profit, nonpartisan professional association for elected or appointed officials who are first in line of succession to the governors in the 50 U.S. states and the five organized territories...

 in his dual role as head of Puerto Rico's Department of State, as well as the islands' lieutenant governor.

Former Secretaries of State of Puerto Rico

Twenty-two men and women have served as Secretary of State since the adoption of the 1952 Constitution.

#	Picture	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
1		Roberto Sánchez Vilella Roberto Sánchez Vilella Roberto Sánchez Vilella was the second Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1965 to 1969. He was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...	1952	1964	PDP/Democrat 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...
2		Carlos J. Lastra	1965	1966	PDP/Democrat 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...
3		Guillermo Irizarry	1966	1969	PDP/Democrat 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...
4		Fernando Chardon	1969	1973	NPP/Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
5		Victor M. Pons	1973	1974	PDP/Democrat 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...
6		Juan A. Albors	1975	1977	PDP/Democrat 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...
7		Reinaldo Paniagua Diez	1977	1979	NPP/Democrat 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...
8		Pedro R. Vazquez Pedro R. Vazquez Pedro R. Vazquez was the 8th Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, having held the position from 1979 until 1981.-References:...	1979	1981	NPP/Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
9		Carlos Quiros	1981	1985	NPP/Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
10		Héctor Luis Acevedo Héctor Luis Acevedo Héctor Luis Acevedo is a politician from Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the son of Héctor N. Acevedo and Toñita, both public servants...	1985	1988	PDP/Democrat 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...
11		Alfonso Lopez Char	1988	1988	PDP/Democrat 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...
12		Sila M. Calderon	1988	1990	PDP/Democrat 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...
13		Antonio J. Colorado Antonio Colorado Antonio J. Colorado Laguna is a lawyer and politician from New York City, U.S.. He served as Secretary of State of Puerto Rico and Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico for the administration of Rafael Hernández Colón.-Biography:...	1990	1992	PDP/Democrat 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...
14		Salvador M. Padilla Escabi Salvador M. Padilla Escabi Salvador Padilla, a native of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico served as Puerto Rico Governor Rafael Hernandez Colon's last Secretary of State from January 1992 to January 2, 1993. He also served as Adjutant General of the Puerto Rico National Guard. He died in 2010....	1992	1992	PDP/Democrat 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...
15		Baltasar Corrada del Rio Baltasar Corrada del Río Baltasar Corrada del Río is a former politician from Puerto Rico. He held various high political offices in the island, including President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, Resident Commissioner , Mayor of the capital city of San Juan , Puerto Rico's 15th Secretary of State and...	1993	1995	NPP/Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
16		Norma Burgos Norma Burgos Norma E. Burgos Andújar is a Puerto Rican politician. She has been a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 2000. She also served as the 17th Secretary of State under Governor Pedro Rosselló .-Early years and studies:...	1995	1999	NPP/Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
17		Angel Morey Angel Morey Angel Morey Santiago served as Chief of Staff to Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Rosselló, during the latter's second term of office...	1999	2001	NPP/Democrat 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...
18		Ferdinand Mercado Ferdinand Mercado Ferdinand Mercado-Ramos is a former Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of State under Governor Sila Calderón from 2001 to 2004. His government service ended after Gov...	2001	2003	PDP/Democrat 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...
19		Jose Izquierdo Encarnacion Jose Izquierdo Encarnacion Engineer José Izquierdo Encarnación served as the 19th Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.Appointed by Puerto Rico Governor Sila Calderón following the resignation of Secretary of State Ferdinand Mercado, he served simultaneously as the United States territory's Secretary of...	2004	2004	PDP/Democrat 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...
20		Marisara Pont Marchese Marisara Pont Marchese Marisara Pont Marchese is a public relations consultant in Puerto Rico who has been active in the Popular Democratic Party and has held several public and partisan offices over the years....	2005	2005	PDP/Democrat 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...
21		Fernando J. Bonilla Fernando Bonilla Fernando J. Bonilla is a Puerto Rican political figure and served as the 21st Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Bonilla also served as the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority....	2005	2009	PDP/Democrat 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...
22		Kenneth D. McClintock	2009	Present	NPP/Democrat 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...