1948 Puerto Rican general election

1948 Puerto Rican general election

November 2, 1948
Gubernatorial election
 
Nominee Luis Muñoz Marín Martin Travieso Francisco Susoni
Party Popular Democratic PEPPSPRP Independence
Popular vote 392,386 182,977 65,351
Percentage 61.24% 28.56% 10.20%

Results by municipality
Marín:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Travieso:      50–60%

Governor before election

Jesus T. Piñero

Elected Governor

Luis Muñoz Marín
Popular Democratic

Resident Commissioner election
 
Nominee Antonio Fernós-Isern Luis A. Ferré Rafael Arjona-Siaca
Party Popular Democratic PEPPSPRP Independence
Popular vote 392,033 180,513 66,141
Percentage 61.38% 28.26% 10.36%

Results by municipality
Fernós-Isern:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

General elections were held in Puerto Rico on November 2, 1948. Prior to the elections, amendments to the Jones–Shafroth Act of 1917 had made the Governor of Puerto Rico an elected position, the governor having previously been appointed by the President of the United States; outgoing governor Jesús T. Piñero had been appointed by Harry S. Truman.

The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) formally distanced itself from the independence movement in a statement by its gubernatorial candidate Luis Muñoz Marín. The Republican Union Party changed its name to the Statehood Party, the former Liberal Party changed its name to the Reformist Party, and the Socialist Party ran alone in this election. Martín Travieso ran for governor on a coalition ticket for the Statehood, Socialist and Puerto Rican Reformist parties.

Muñoz Marín won the gubernatorial elections with 61% of the vote, becoming the first popularly elected governor of Puerto Rico.