Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson endorsed statehood for Puerto Rico at a Sunday campaign event on the island, CNN reported yesterday. "In a Carson administration, I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts to secure this important step in Puerto Rico's history — establishing Estado 51," said the retired neurosurgeon. Carson traveled to the island territory to address a statehood advocacy group convention. The campaign estimated that 3,500 people attended the New Progressive Party rally. “[M]y campaign is built around the premise of 'We the People,' and through such lens, I view the statehood question in Puerto Rico as settled," Carson said, referring to a 2012 referendum in which a majority of island voters backed making Puerto Rico the 51st state. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has called on Congress to give the economically struggling island "a fair shot at success" by allowing it to file for chapter 9 bankruptcy — a lifeline that is supported by former Gov. Jeb Bush but opposed by Sen. Marco Rubio.
