Senator-elect Milagros Ortíz Bosch for Santo Domingo in an interview with Ana Mitila Lora of the Listín Diario said she would like to preside the Senate. In practice, the individual parties within the Senate meet and vote on who should be the president, and then present the candidate for approval by the party leaders. 60-year old Ortíz Bosch was the senator that received the most votes in the past congressional elections. In a recent survey, she was voted the most popular Dominican politician, above leader of her party Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez and President Leonel Fernández. If elected, which is likely, it would be the first time that a woman presides over the Senate. Several other senators-elect would like to be preside the Senate, including many, whom like Ortíz Bosch, were re-elected to their posts in the Senate. Ortíz Bosch won the right to contend for senator in a party primary. Her contenders were Enmanuel Esquea and Antonio Najri. Ortíz Bosch began her career in politics as right hand of her uncle, Juan Bosch, at the time president of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano. He had just returned from exile in 1962. With time, she strengthened her relations with Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez and chilled her relations with her uncle. When her uncle left the party to found his own, Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (today in power), in 1973, Ortíz stayed with the PRD. In the 1990 elections, when congressional and presidential elections were still held concurrently, she received more votes for senator of Santo Domingo than the PRD candidate to president, Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez.
