In 1995 , he returned to Puerto Rico , and ran for mayor of Aguadilla at the 1996 general elections . He has been reelected in 2000 , 2004 , 2008 , 2012 and 2016 . In the 2008 elections , he received almost 70 % of the votes . His margin of victory was one of the largest among elected mayors in that election . He was the president of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico from 2007 to 2015 and president of the Puerto Rico Mayors Federation . In 2012 , Méndez endorsed the nomination of Mitt Romney for president of the United States in the 2012 Republican National Convention . After 24 years as mayor , Méndez announced he would not seek re-election in 2020
2012 Republican National Convention
2012 Republican National Convention
Carlos Méndez Martínez