Paul Frymer, professor of politics and CSDP faculty associate, is quoted in The Washington Post's analysis of how the capitol breach and Democratic control of the Senate will affect likelihood of D.C. and Puerto Rican statehood. He points out the clear racial undertones to opposing statehood, since Puerto Rico is primarily Hispanic and Washington is 46 percent Black. Race, Frymer said, also loomed large in many of the nation’s previous statehood debates, namely for states with large Native American populations such as Oklahoma and New Mexico.

The Republican Party is at a crossroads right now, and one direction would be to push much harder on Puerto Rican outreach. Is Biden going to see this as a moment of great opportunity in pushing a strong agenda, or is he going to see this as a point of caution?