Conny Varela
Conny Varela | |
|---|---|
| File:Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives José Manuel "Conny" Varela Fernández.jpg | |
| Speaker pro tempore of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives | |
| In office January 2, 2021 – January 2, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Pichy Torres |
| Succeeded by | Angel Peña Ramírez |
| Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the 32nd district | |
| Assumed office January 2, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Luis Hernández Santiago |
| Member of the Municipal Assembly of Caguas, Puerto Rico | |
| In office 1993-1996 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Manuel Varela Fernández February 13, 1954 |
| Party | Popular Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Puerto Rico (BA) University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD) |
José Manuel "Conny" Varela Fernández (born February 13, 1954) is an American politician who serves in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico from the 32nd district since 1997. Speaker pro tempore from 2021 to 2025.
Early life and education
[edit | edit source]José Manuel Varela Fernández was born in Cayey, Puerto Rico, on February 13, 1954, and has lived in Caguas, Puerto Rico, since 1976. He attended Miguel Meléndez Muñoz High School and Colegio Católico Notre Dame. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974, and from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where he was class president as a freshman, with a Juris Doctor in 1977.[1]
Career
[edit | edit source]Legal
[edit | edit source]Varela worked for the Puerto Rico Department of Justice during his senior year at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. He was a partner at Varela & Varela from 1977 to 1996. At Puerto Rico Junior College he was criminology professor in 1978, and a commercial law and political science professor at Caguas City College from 1979 to 1980. From 1989 to 1991, Varela worked as a legal advisor to the Government Commission of the House of Representatives.[1]
Political
[edit | edit source]In 1993, Varela became a municipal legislator in Caguas. He was elected to the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico from the 32nd district in 1996.[1]
During Varela's tenure in the house he has served on the Criminal Law, Municipal Affairs, and Retirement Systems committees. He was chair of the Government Commission and vice president of the Finance Commission.[1]
William Miranda Marín, the mayor of Caguas, died in 2010. Varela ran for the mayoralty and defeated Marín's son William Miranda Torres. The Popular Democratic Party's municipal committee voted 35 to 30 in favor of Varela. As Varela was leaving the committee he was attacked by a crowd throwing bottles.[2][3] However, his election was not certified due to irregularities and annulled.[4][5]
In September 2025, Varella, along with progressive José Pichy Torres Zamora, introduced a legislative measure to create the position of vice governor in Puerto Rico.[6]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Varela is married and is the father of three children.[1]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d e House of Representatives of Puerto Rico.
- ^ Rivera 2010.
- ^ Primera Hora 2010.
- ^ Marrero 2010.
- ^ Hernández & Rosario 2010.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Works cited
[edit | edit source]News
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Web
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External links
[edit | edit source]- José "Conny" Varela on CamaraDeRepresentantes.org
- José "Conny" Varela Profile on WAPA-TV