Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson will say that Puerto Rico should become a state Sunday at a rally on the island.
The retired pediatric neurosurgeon will be speaking at an event for Ricky Rossello, who is running for governor as a candidate of the pro-statehood party,
BuzzFeed News reports.
Endorsing statehood for the U.S. commonwealth was a condition for Carson speaking at the event, according to BuzzFeed. Rosello is challenging incumbent Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla.
Two of Carson's rivals, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, have previously said they support Puerto Rican statehood, if residents support it.
Bush and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton have endorsed bankruptcy protections for the island, but Rubio does not.
Puerto Ricans cannot vote in next year's presidential election, but 23 delegates will be awarded on the March 13 primary, BuzzFeed reports.
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