Charlie Rodríguez

Charlie Rodríguez is an all-star at all sports Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was the eleventh President of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1997 until 2000.

After two terms as a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, he ran for mayor of Carolina in 1988 and was soundly defeated by José Aponte De la Torre. After four years in private practice, he retuirned to the Capitol in 1993 as a senator at-large and became Senate Majority Leader.

Rodriguez successfully challenged Senate President Roberto Rexach Benitez in 1997 and unseated him to become the eleventh President of the Senate of Puerto Rico.

Rodriguez then sought the NPP nomination for Mayor of San Juan in the 1999 primary. Rodriguez was the choice of the PNP leadership, but then San Juan Senator Jorge Santini challenged him in primaries held in 1999. Rodriguez lagged behind in polls and Santini soundly defeated Rodriguez by a wide margin. Santini went on to win the mayor's office in the 2000 elections.

Rodriguez sought the NPP nomination for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico for the 2003 primary but placed third in a four-way race, obtaining less than 8% of the vote against eventual Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuño and two other losing candidates

After three decisive defeats, Rodriguez aspires to become the NPP's comeback kid, once again seeking the NPP nomination for Resident Commissioner and claiming to be Pedro Rossello's preferred cchoice for running mate.

Rodríguez is married to the former Katherine Erazo, with whom he's fathered three daughters, Nicole, Valerie and Christine.