Victoria Melo Muñoz Mendoza (b.1940-) is a former politician from Puerto Rico. She is the daughter of the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín. Muñoz Mendoza was the first woman in Puerto Rican history to seek the seat of Governor of Puerto Rico.

Education

Muñoz attended high school in San Juan. She went to the University of Puerto Rico, where she received a degree in Literature in 1958.

Political career

Muñoz Mendoza first became active in politics in 1984 when she made an unsuccesful bid to bacome Mayor of San Juan. In 1986, she was chosen to replace a senator in the Senate of Puerto Rico. She held the seat for seven years, after having been re-elected in 1988.

In 1992, she became the first woman to seek the governorship of Puerto Rico. She was seriously attacked by opposing candidate Pedro Rosselló of the New Progressive Party and ended up losing by a landslide. She retired from politics soon after her electoral defeat.

In 2000, Sila María Calderón was elected Governor of Puerto Rico, becoming the first woman to do so. Muñoz Mendoza vehemently campaigned and endorsed her, fulfilling her dream of having a female Governor.