Migdalia Padilla Alvelo was born on January 18, 1948, in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, the second daughter of her parents Adrián Padilla (R.I.P.) and Monserrate Alvelo (R.I.P.). In 1973, she married Luis M. Huertas Abreu, and they formed a family with their children José Julián, Luis Carlos, Migdalia, and Lorna Marie. This family has grown over the years, filling her home with 11 grandchildren and 2 great-granddaughters. She attended elementary, intermediate, and high school in the public school system of the Municipality of Barranquitas. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in School Administration and Supervision. A teacher by profession, she decided to enter politics under the New Progressive Party for the primary process in 1999. In May 1999, she was sworn in as Senator for the District of Bayamón and has currently held the position for the past 24 years. During her years as Senator for the District of Bayamón, she has chaired important committees such as: Banking Committee (2001-2004), Committee on Education, Finance, and Legislative Grants (2009-2012), Committee on Finance and Legislative Grants (2013-2016), and the Committee on Finance, Budget, and PROMESA (2025–). She has been a member of various committees during her tenure as Senator, including: Education, Finance, Family Affairs, Economic Development and Planning, Labor, Veteran Affairs, Women’s Affairs, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Human Rights and Labor Affairs, Ethics, Government, Tourism, and Culture. In her political career, she was the first woman to chair the Finance Committee for three terms. She has stood out in the analysis of the Government of Puerto Rico’s expenditure budgets; she is the author of the Early Retirement Law; and she has collaborated on projects addressing the Internal Revenue Code and Industrial Incentives. Currently, she is the Chairwoman of the Finance, Budget, and PROMESA Committee of the Senate of Puerto Rico; she also chairs the Special Joint Commission on Legislative Funds for Community Impact; and she is a member of the Tax Reform Committee created by the Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Jenniffer González Colón. Her vision throughout her career is to work for the island’s working class as well as for all taxpayers.