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Gubernatorial election | |||||||||||||||||
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U.S. House delegate election | |||||||||||||||||
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 Results by electoral district: Eni Faleomavaega: 45–50% 50–55% 55–60% 60–65% 65–70% 70–75% 80–85% Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen: 50–55% 55–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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General elections were held inAmerican Samoa on November 4, 2008, to elect a governor, members of the House of Representative, and a delegate to theUnited States House of Representatives, as well as a referendum on a legislative override of the governor's veto. The elections were held as part of the wider2008 United States general election.
In the gubernatorial election no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the first round, resulting in arunoff election between the top two candidates on November 18, which was won by the incumbent governorTogiola Tulafono.[1]
Incumbent U.S. House delegateEni Faleomavaega, who affiliates with theDemocratic Party was also re-elected.
GovernorTogiola Tulafono andLieutenant GovernorIpulasi Aitofele Sunia announced their intent to seek re-election on May 10, 2008.[2] Their formal announcement, which Tulafono called "the worst kept secret of this season," took place before a crowd of approximately three hundred supporters at the Tradewinds Hotel inTafuna.[2]
Afoa Moega Lutu formally announced his own candidacy for Governor of American Samoa at a campaign rally at the same Tradewinds Hotel on May 17.[3] The rally consisted of about seven hundred Lutu supporters.[3] Lutu promised to tackle a number of issues if elected governor, includingcorruption, rising food and energy prices and theeconomy.[3]
Utu Abe Malae and his running mate,Nua Mailo Saoluaga, formally announced their candidacy on June 10 at a gathering at the Maliu Mai Beach Resort inPago Pago.[4]
This is not the first time that Tulafono and Lutu faced each other in agubernatorial election. Tulafono defeated Lutu in the2004 gubernatorial runoff election with 56 percent of the total vote to Lutu's 44 percent.[3] Lutu also fell short in his bids for Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa in the 1996 and 2000 elections, losing both times to Tulafono.[5]
The President of theAmerican Samoa Senate,Lolo Moliga, also originally announced his intention to run for governor as well. However, Lolo withdrew from the race on June 13, just two months into his campaign, citing existing commitments to his extended familyclan.[6] He also noted the need to prevent divisiveness within the families of the Manu'a islands, where many of the gubernatorial and Lt. governor candidates have ancestral ties.[6]
Four of the 2008 candidates for governor or lieutenant governor in the 2008 election either were from or had ancestral ties to theManu'a Islands.[6] Those with Manu'a ancestry are incumbent Lt. GovernorIpulasi Aitofele Sunia, lieutenant governor candidateVelega Savali, and both members of the gubernatorial team ofUtu Abe Malae and his running mate,Nua Mailo Saoluaga.[6]
Thedeadline to register as a candidate for governor in the current election was September 1 at 16:30.[6] An official list of the four teams was released by the election office the following day.[7]
All elections in American Samoa are officially non-partisan, but Tulafono and Sunia identify with theDemocratic Party.[11]
There were 54 candidates vying for the 20 elected seats in theAmerican Samoa House of Representatives.[12] All seats in the House are up for election in 2008. Every incumbent member of the House sought re-election, except forGaoteote P. Gaoteote who is retiring.[12] The only member who ran unopposed was Rep.Agaoleatu Charlie Tautolo.[12]
Ten term incumbentDelegateEni Faleomavaega, a Democrat, sought an 11th term.[13] He was challenged byRepublicanAumua Amata Coleman and IndependentRosie F. Tago Lancaster.[14]
A referendum to allow thelegislative override of thegovernor'svetoes was also on theballot.[15]
TheAmerican Samoa Fono passed the proposal giving itself the authority to override a veto by theGovernor of American Samoa.[15] The proposal was then submitted to the Governor's office to be forwarded to the American Samoa election office as a referendum.[15] The referendum will ask voters to agree to amend theConstitution of American Samoa to give the Fono, rather than theUnited States Secretary of the Interior, the power to override a veto by the Governor.[15]
Currently, a veto can only be overridden by theUnited States Secretary of the Interior, who is based inWashington D.C.[15] Any veto powers bestowed on the Fono would require a two-thirds majority in both theAmerican Samoa House of Representatives and theAmerican Samoa Senate before becoming law.[15]
| Candidate | Running mate | First round | Second round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Togiola Tulafono | Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia | 5,117 | 41.24 | 6,590 | 56.45 |
| Utu Abe Malae | Nua Mailo Saoluaga | 3,881 | 31.28 | 5,084 | 43.55 |
| Afoa Moega Lutu | Velega Savali | 3,347 | 26.97 | ||
| Tuika Tuika | Tee Masaniai | 63 | 0.51 | ||
| Total | 12,408 | 100.00 | 11,674 | 100.00 | |
| Source:[16][17] | |||||
| District | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 –Manuʻa | Fetu Fetui, Jr. | 360 | 27.01 |
| Fa'afetai I'aulualo | 340 | 25.51 | |
| Aloali'i Maui | 294 | 22.06 | |
| Mapu Puaopea F. Paopao | 260 | 19.50 | |
| Meleagi Suitonu-Chapman | 79 | 5.93 | |
| 2 –Manuʻa | Laolagi F. Savali Vaeao | 193 | 44.88 |
| Ali'ilelei Fili Laolagi | 181 | 42.09 | |
| Togia'i Fa'amoemoe Soli | 56 | 13.02 | |
| 3 –Vaifanua | Simei Pulu | 365 | 57.30 |
| Lauti Simona | 218 | 34.22 | |
| Tiapula Imo Mauga | 54 | 8.48 | |
| 4 –Saole | Agaoleatu Charlie Tautolo | 424 | 100 |
| 5 –Sua #1 | Puleleiite Li'amatua Tufele, Jr. | 223 | 39.75 |
| Otomalesau John Ah Sue | 161 | 28.70 | |
| Tuialofi Fa'alae Lauatua'a Tunupopo | 135 | 24.06 | |
| Epa Poyer-Moliva'a | 42 | 7.49 | |
| 6 –Sua #2 | Lemapu Suiaunoa Talo | 128 | 34.69 |
| Folau Fatu I'aulualo | 121 | 32.79 | |
| Limutau F. C. Limutau | 120 | 32.52 | |
| 7 –Maoputasi #1 | Vailoata Eteuati Amituanai | 228 | 45.60 |
| Tali T. Maae | 157 | 31.40 | |
| Sua Carl Schuster | 115 | 23.00 | |
| 8 –Maoputasi #2 | Sipa Anoa'i | 247 | 47.41 |
| Steve Leasiolagi | 236 | 45.30 | |
| Maugaoali'i James Mailo | 38 | 7.29 | |
| 9 –Maoputasi #3 | Va'amua Henry Sesepasara | 512 | 58.85 |
| Fiasili Puni E. Haleck | 358 | 41.15 | |
| 10 –Maoputasi #4 | Vaito'a Hans A. Langkilde | 175 | 55.91 |
| Tu'umolimoli Saena Moliga | 138 | 44.09 | |
| 11 –Maoputasi #5 | Paopaoailua J. M. Fiaui | 271 | 53.88 |
| Vasai Fred A. Vasai | 232 | 46.12 | |
| 12 –Ituau | Archie Taotasi Soliai | 776 | 28.35 |
| Fagasoaia Foa A. Lealaitafea | 618 | 22.58 | |
| Mary Lauagaia M. Taufete'e | 597 | 21.81 | |
| Valasi Lavata'i Gaisoa | 525 | 19.18 | |
| Talalua Siliva Patu | 221 | 8.07 | |
| 13 –Fofo | Vaiausia Eliko Yandall | 454 | 46.95 |
| Puletu Dick Koko | 413 | 42.71 | |
| "Nana" Christina Samana | 100 | 10.34 | |
| 14 –Lealataua | Savali Talavou Ale | 269 | 54.02 |
| Ethan Lake | 229 | 45.98 | |
| 15 –Tualauta | Larry Sanitoa | 1,217 | 30.50 |
| Galu Satele, Jr. | 1,178 | 29.52 | |
| Tagaloa Toloa Letuli | 657 | 16.47 | |
| Mase A. Akapo | 599 | 15.01 | |
| Lucia Alefosio Bartley | 238 | 5.96 | |
| Sinalaulii T. Mamea Leota | 101 | 2.53 | |
| 16 –Tualatai | Galumalemana Bill Satele | 277 | 40.38 |
| Manu Talamoa | 265 | 38.63 | |
| Lina Lafaele Prendergast | 64 | 9.33 | |
| Ken Tupua | 44 | 6.41 | |
| Solia L. Faauaa Tosi | 36 | 5.25 | |
| 17 –Leasina | Atualevao Gafatasi Afalava | 291 | 59.15 |
| Tuilesu Vaina | 201 | 40.85 | |
| Source:[18] | |||
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eni Faleomavaega | Democratic Party | 7,499 | 60.38 | |
| Amata Coleman Radewagen | Republican Party | 4,350 | 35.03 | |
| Rosie Tago Lancaster | Independent | 570 | 4.59 | |
| Total | 12,419 | 100.00 | ||
| Source:[19] | ||||
The legislative over-ride proposal was defeated narrowly in the referendum, thereby maintaining the veto powers to the United States Secretary of the Interior.[15]
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | 6,137 | 49.91 | |
| Against | 6,159 | 50.09 | |
| Total | 12,296 | 100.00 | |
| Source:Election Office | |||
