that identified themselves with the PPD and meant a growth of 15% for the pro-sovereignty option in comparison to previous polls held by the station. As H.R. 2499 moved to the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for consideration, Ferrer resumed the lobbying carried in the US House, this time confronting and accusing Pierluisi of including an association option "that references independence". The Resident Commissioner insisted that the definition of "Sovereignty in association with the United States" was directly taken from the PPD's 2008 Programme of Government. The soberanistas addressed the issue on their own in a letter where they opposed the mechanism of H.R. 2499 and requested a Constituent Assembly. During the public hearings, a third of the time was devoted to free association, with Luis Delgado and José Ortiz Daliot serving as representatives for ALAS. The group later noted that none of the Committee's members expressed a posture against the concept. Afterwards, the Committee made a request for information about the viable status options, including a specific inquiry regarding the inclusion of free association. On June 4, 2010, Miranda Marín died from complication of the pancreatic cancer that he suffered. What was a notable blow to the soberanistas within the PPD quickly evolved into another confrontation between factions. Initially the party agreed to avoid a power struggle by supporting the candidature of the late mayor's son, William Miranda Torres. However, PR Rep. José Varela decided to present a candidature and was elected by the Municipal Committee. The decision was criticized since most of the delegates had been named by Varela under Miranda Marín's administration and erupted in protests led by the late mayor's right hand man, Wilfredo Puig. However, Hernández Mayoral supported it claiming that it "[was] a legal matter". Facing the possibility that the division could cost them the next elections, the PPD decided to nullify the vote of the Municipal Committee and hold a special election to fill the vacancy, this despite Hernández Colón's support to uphold the decision. The two were joined by a third candidate, Harry Vega. While Miranda Torres sympathized with the soberanistas, Varela aligned himself with the conservative wing, claiming that he would not allow "[them] to turn Caguas into a bastion for sovereignty". Miranda Torres prevailed in the special election by gathering 71.34% of the votes and shortly afterwards reaffirmed his affiliation to the soberanistas. On June 15, 2010, Fas