This year’s primary season may give Puerto Rico a glimpse of the political influence it could look forward to if it ever decided to resolve its political status by becoming a state of the Union. With the race between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton so close, the island territory of Puerto Rico with its 64 – more than similarly sized South Carolina (54), Oklahoma (45), or Connecticut (60) – may end up deciding who could be the next President of the United States. According to well-known political analyst Michael Barone, “Puerto Rico is likely to have more leverage in Democratic National Convention votes than any single state, no matter how large.” This is because the delegation is likely to deliver all its votes for the leading candidate. Moreover, the June 7th primary is the last in the country and the candidate who wins the territorial delegates may decide the winner. (more…)