The 2019 PNP Special Elections for 2/6 of 2017-2021 Senate At Large Seats were a competitive clown car contest that saw frm. Ricky Rosselló Chief of Staff William Villafañe and frm. Carolina VIII Senator Héctor Martínez clinch seats in the territorial senate, barely a few months after the Verano '19
Following the resignations of Margarita Nolasco Santiago (PNP-D) to head the Puerto Rico Automobile Accident Compensation Administration and Zoé Laboy (PNP-D) to become chief of Staff to Governor Wanda Vázquez the PNP held these two special elections as one (due to the structure of the At-Large primary system)
In it, multiple significant candidates ran — in addition to the two above, in order of results, the candidates were
Future Senator & then UPI Aguadilla professor Keren Riquelme
Future Senator, Police Sergeant, and vice president of the Association of Organized Police Gregorio Matías Rosado
former Guayama Mayor Glorimari Jaime
Western PNP Youth leader Marcos Fabián González
Gurabo Community Leader Michael López Saldaña
Lawyer Lcdo. Alba Iris Calderón Cestero
Former PNP HD-29 Representative Pedro Banchy Cintrón (2005-2013)
Undersecretary for Housing under Pedro Rosselló: Alfredo Ocasio
Caguas PNP Municipal Chair Roberto López
Department of Transportation employee Gladys Díaz
Former PPD HD-11 Representative Javier García Cabán (2001-2009)
Citizen Armando Rodríguez Santoni
Lawyer Lcdo. Daniel Russe
former PNP Cayey Mayoral candidate Wilson Colón Rivera
While both of the winners were somewhat controvercial — William Villafañe had been in the infamous RickyLeaks chat, though he left the admin over a year before the scandal occured, and Héctor Martinez had been convicted, and aquitted of corruption charges — the biggest issue in the special election was
Villafañe, on the eve of the primary, stating that he would challenge then Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz for the Senate Presidency.
This fact was likely due to Villafañe's loyalty to Ricky Rosselló — who Schatz + House Speaker Johnny Méndez (and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González) forced out of La Fortaleza with the cover of the Verano '19 protests.
In doing so, Schatz ended up (privately) supporting Keren Riquelme, and opposing Villafañe — however, due to Villafañe and Héctor Martínez being the most well-known candidates (and Villafañe still having support from the Rossellista section of the party) both of them were able to prevail
Héctor Martínez would serve in the senate until the end of 2020 due to losing renomination in the 2020 PNP primaries, while William Villafañe would retire to run for resident Commissioner in 2024, losing to now-PR Rep. Pablo José Hernández Rivera