Melinda Romero Donnelly

Melinda Romero was born on October 8, 1971, to then-mayor of San Juan and future Governor of Puerto Rico, Carlos Romero Barceló, and Kate Donnelly. Her great-grandfather is Antonio R. Barceló, first President of the Senate of Puerto Rico. She is the youngest of four siblings.

In 1993, Melinda Romero was selected vice-president of the Youth Organization of the New Progressive Party (PNP) in San Juan.

In 1995, Melinda Romero ran for Representative and won the primary for District 1. She was elected in the 1996 general elections with a 53.8% of the votes.[http://www.ceepur.org/cgi-bin/legislatura.pl?voto=dr01&1996=on Elecciones Generales de 1996] {{webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20041023013504/http://www.ceepur.org/cgi-bin/legislatura.pl?voto=dr01&1996=on |date=2004-10-23 }} on CEEPUR After being sworn in, she took over the Commission of Youth Affairs and Public Safety, San Juan Development, and Legislative Internships.

While serving as a representative, Romero also ran for President of the PNP Youth Organization in 1998, being the first legislator to occupy that position. For the 2000 general elections, she presented her candidacy for Representative At-Large and ended up being the representative with most votes among her fellow PNP candidates, and the second one with most votes among all candidates.[http://www.ceepur.org/elecciones2000/escrutinio/representantes.html Elecciones Generales 2000: Escrutinio de Representantes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108234749/http://www.ceepur.org/elecciones2000/escrutinio/representantes.html |date=2012-01-08 }} on CEEPUR

In 2003, she decided not to seek reelection due to personal and health problems. Aside of her health, Romero decided to spend more time with her children in the wake of her divorce.{{cite news|url=http://corp.primerahora.com/archivo.asp?guid=D70E207E71624563B4BA0697CF5F1438&year=2003&keyword=|title=Melinda Romero se quita "un peso de encima"|publisher=Primera Hora|last=Garzón|first=Irene|date=September 13, 2003|access-date=November 27, 2011|archive-date=April 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425233859/http://corp.primerahora.com/archivo.asp?guid=D70E207E71624563B4BA0697CF5F1438&year=2003&keyword=|url-status=dead}}

In 2008, Romero sought the vacancy left by Jorge de Castro Font in the Senate of Puerto Rico. She received the support of several leaders of the party, namely Representative Albita Rivera, and Mayor of Toa Baja and vice-president of the Mayors Federation, Aníbal Vega Borges.{{cite news|url=http://www.elnuevodia.com/Xstatic/endi/template/imprimir.aspx?id=526475&t=3|title=Crece el respaldo a Melinda para senadora|publisher=El Nuevo Día|date=February 2, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029214108/http://www.elnuevodia.com/Xstatic/endi/template/imprimir.aspx?id=526475&t=3|archive-date=October 29, 2013}} After an internal process, Romero Donnelly was chosen for the seat. She was sworn in on June 15, 2009, in a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol of Puerto Rico.{{cite news|url=http://www.elnuevodia.com/juramentamelindaalsenado-580952.html|title=Juramenta Melinda al Senado|publisher=El Nuevo Día}}{{cite news|url=https://www.adendi.com/archivo.asp?Xnum=580952&year=2009&mon=6|title=Juramenta Melinda al Senado|publisher=El Nuevo Día|last=Muñiz|first=Alba|date=June 15, 2009}}

In 2012, Romero won another PNP primary being the third candidate for the Senate with most votes.{{cite web|url=http://64.185.222.182/cee_events/PRIMARIAS_LOCALES_2012_PNP_ESCRUTINIO_2_37/ESCRUTINIO_2_57/DEFAULT.HTML |title=Primarias Locales PNP |publisher=CEEPUR.org |date=July 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105101445/http://64.185.222.182/cee_events/PRIMARIAS_LOCALES_2012_PNP_ESCRUTINIO_2_37/ESCRUTINIO_2_57/DEFAULT.HTML |archive-date=January 5, 2013 }} However, she was defeated in the general elections of 2012.{{cite web|url=http://64.185.222.182/REYDI_Escrutinio12/index.html#es/pic_bar_list/SENADORES_POR_ACUMULACION_ISLA.xml |title=Elecciones Generales 2012 |publisher=CEEPUR.org |date=December 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804221854/http://64.185.222.182/REYDI_Escrutinio12/index.html |archive-date=August 4, 2013 }}

After leaving her seat, Romero started working as a journalist for the Caribbean Business. In an interview, she said she would cover news related to the Legislature and municipalities.{{cite news|url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/nota/melindaromeroahoratrabajaracomoreportera-773602/|title=Melinda Romero ahora trabajará como reportera|publisher=Primera Hora|date=January 24, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.caribbean-business.net/search_results.php?search=MELINDA+ROMERO&button=|publisher=Caribbean Business|access-date=June 13, 2016}}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 2014, Romero announced her intentions of running for mayor of her hometown of Dorado. However, she was defeated in the 2016 primaries by Waldemar Volmar Méndez.{{cite web|url=http://primarias2016.ceepur.org/PRIMARIAS_LOCALES_2016_PNP_50/Noche_del_Evento_73/index.html#es/map/ALCALDES_Mapa_Municipios_.xml/detail/ALCALDES_DORADO.xml|title=Primarias 2016: Alcaldía de Dorado|publisher=CEEPUR.org}}{{cite news|url=http://www.wapa.tv/noticias/decision2016/cantante-waldemar-volmar-mendez-derrota-a-melinda_20131122274474.html|title=Cantante Waldemar Volmar Méndez derrota a Melida|publisher=WAPA.tv}}

Melinda Romero has been married twice. She had two children with second husband, William Fuentes: Kathleen Nicole (born March 28, 1998) and Christopher Alexander (born August 28, 2000). She separated from Fuentes in March 2002, and the couple was divorced in June 2003.

In 2002, she and her son, Christopher, presented health issues that prevented her from attending her job. She was originally diagnosed with viral meningitis, but the diagnose was later changed to encephalitis. After tests were done at the University of Johns Hopkins Hospital, doctors recommended that she submit to treatment for pain control. The symptoms of her illness were painful headaches and disorientation.

Health issues forced her to not seek reelection for her position as member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2004. She instead dedicated time to improve her health and spend more time with her family.

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• [http://www.senadopr.us/senadores/HONMELINDAKROMERODONNELLY/Pages/default.aspx Biografía de Melinda Romero] on SenadoPR

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{{s-ttl|title=U.S. Shadow Senator (Seat 1) from Puerto Rico|years=2021–present|alongside=Zoraida Buxó}}

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{{Puerto Rico political officials}}

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Category:1971 births

Category:Living people

Category:New Progressive Party members of the Senate of Puerto Rico

Category:New Progressive Party members of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico

Category:Puerto Rican people of Catalan descent

Category:Puerto Rican Roman Catholics

Category:Puerto Rican women in politics

Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico

Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico