Previous Story
Incumbent Am. Samoa delegate loses re-election bid
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (The Samoa News/PIR)—Aumua Amata has been elected to serve as American Samoa’s non-voting delegate to the U.S. House, unseating longtime incumbent Eni Faleomavaega. She is the first woman to be elected to represent American Samoa in the U.S. Congress.
A veteran campaigner for the delegate seat, Amata, a declared Republican, now joins the majority GOP-controlled U.S. House and the U.S. Senate following Tuesday’s mid-term elections across the United States.
Amata’s lead began with results from the polling stations in Manu’a, followed by the absentee ballots—which included local and off island ballots as well as Swains Islander voters, whose ballots were counted at the Election Office. Amata has dominated the Manu’a polls in the past several elections.
Of the 45 polling stations—including the Election Office—Amata won in 33 of the polling stations and tied with Faleomavaega at one polling station.
Total votes counted in the delegate race stand at 10,246 with Amata getting 4306 (42 percent); Faleomavaega 31571 (30.8 percent); Togiola Tulafono 1,130 (11 percent); Mapu J. Jamias 652 6.47 percent); Meleagi Suitonu-Chapman 229 (2.2 percent); Tuika Tuika 201 (2 percent); Rosie Fualaau Tago Lancaster 268 (2.6 percent); Mark Ude 143 (1.4 percent); and Tua’au Kereti Matautia Jr. 160 (1.6 percent).
Amata was at her campaign center at Pulu’s guest fale in Pago Pago when the results were read out, but declined to comment at this time when asked by a Samoa News reporter at the scene. (Fili Sagapolutele)
