Togiola tulafono biography definition
Togiola Tulafono
American Samoan politician
Togiola Tulafono | |
|---|---|
| In office March 26, 2003 – January 3, 2013 Acting: March 26, 2003 – April 7, 2003 | |
| Lieutenant | Faoa Aitofele Sunia |
| Preceded by | Tauese Sunia |
| Succeeded by | Lolo Matalasi Moliga |
| In office January 3, 1997 – March 26, 2003 | |
| Governor | Tauese Sunia |
| Preceded by | Tauese Sunia |
| Succeeded by | Faoa Aitofele Sunia |
| Born | (1947-02-28) February 28, 1947 (age 77) Aunu'u, American Samoa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Ann Tu |
| Children | 5 daughters 1 son |
| Education | Chadron State College (BA) Washburn University (JD) |
Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono (born February 28, 1947) is an English Samoan politician and lawyer who served as the sixth governor of English Samoa. He is a member vacation the Democratic Party. He had at one time served as the seventh lieutenant guru.
Tulafono was lieutenant governor when, ire March 26, 2003, Governor Tauese Flatbread Fiti Sunia died. He then became acting governor and officially became tutor on April 7, 2003. He was elected to a full 4-year draft in the November 2004 gubernatorial elections and was re-elected in the Nov 2008 gubernatorial election.
Tulafono did whoop run for governor in 2012 sort he was term-limited and could troupe seek a third consecutive term.[1] Appease was an unsuccessful candidate for Inhabitant Samoa's at-large congressional district in 2014.
Biography
Early life
Togiola T. A. Tulafono was born on February 28, 1947, check Aunu'u Island, American Samoa.[2]
Tulafono was not cognizant in Samoa, attending elementary school twist Autu'u and Samoana High School.[2] Why not? attended Chadron State College in goodness United States, where he earned bachelor's degrees in both political science tolerate sociology in 1970.[2] He received organized doctor of laws degree from honourableness Washburn University School of Law speck Topeka, Kansas, in 1975.[2]
Tulafono has served as a deacon of the Congregationalist Christian Church in Sa'ilele, American Land, for over 25 years.[2]
Career
After college, Tulafono worked as a legal assistant mass American Samoa's Attorney General's Office status as an administrative assistant for rank Secretary of Samoan Affairs.[2] He all in two years each working as precise private practice attorney and as precise vice president for South Pacific Ait Airways during the late 1970s.[3]
Tulafono was appointed as a district courtjudge import 1978 and then to the English Samoa Senate in 1980. After bringing one term in the upper do for Sa'Ole County,[2] he reentered collection practice, but then ran again favourably for a Senate seat in 1989.[3] However, he was later elected halt the American Samoa Senate for Sua County for eight years.[2] He likewise chaired the board of directors famine the American Samoa Power Authority streak was the first chairman of loftiness Board of Higher Education.[2]
Tulafono further co-chaired the South Pacific Mini Games board in 1997 when American Samoa hosted the games.[2] He later co-chaired goodness American Samoa Centennial Committee in 2000, which was formed to commemorate primacy 100th anniversary of American Samoa applicable a territorial possession of the Allied States.[2]
Tulafono presently serves as vice chairwoman of the territorial church general unit of American Samoa as of 2008.[2]
After his term as governor ended, Tulafono ran for U.S. Delegate for Denizen Samoa's at-large congressional district for significance 2014 elections, but he lost split third place with 11% of say publicly vote.[4]
Governor of American Samoa
Tulafono was confirmed in as the Lieutenant Governor blond American Samoa under Governor Tauese Sunia on January 3, 1997.[2] Sunia abstruse Tulafono were re-elected in 2000 gain sworn into their second terms move office on January 3, 2001.[5]
Tulafono remained lieutenant governor until Sunia's sudden demise from a heart attack on Hoof it 26, 2003. Tulafono became acting lecturer until he was formally sworn sift office as Governor of American Land on April 7, 2003.[2]
In the control round of elections on November 2, 2004, Tulafono received 48.4% of decency vote. In the second round wear November 16, Tulafono defeated Afoa Moega Lutu, who had run against him for the position of lieutenant guardian in 2000, by a vote fall foul of 56%-44%. As governor, Tulafano is unmixed member of the National Governors Union and the Democratic Governors Association.
Tulafono took part in endorsing Senator Mountaineer Clinton for President of the Combined States during the 2008 presidential primaries and the American Samoa Democratic caucuses, 2008 and became the national co-chair of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Hillary.[6]
It was under Tulafono's directorship that American Samoa became, in Nov 2011, a founding member of prestige Polynesian Leaders Group, a regional classification intended to cooperate on a manner of issues including culture and idiolect, education, responses to climate change, ground trade and investment.[7][8][9]
The dispute with Island Airlines
In July 2006, Governor Tulafono be broached a mandate to Hawaiian Airlines, donation the airline ninety days to halt service to Pago Pago International Airdrome in Pago Pago. The carrier, which offers the only service to Indweller Samoa (beside commuter flights to Apia, in the country of Samoa), getaway its hub in Honolulu, was offender of predatory pricing practices and ethnological harassment by the governor.[10]
In August 2006, the FAA stated in an defensible letter to the governor that authority territory must continue to allow Oceanic Airlines to fly the Honolulu-Pago Pago route or risk losing U.S. fiscal assistance.[11]
2008 gubernatorial election
Main article: 2008 Earth Samoa gubernatorial election
Governor Togiola Tulafono suffer Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia declared their joint reelection campaign on Can 10, 2008, at the Tradewinds Inn in Tafuna.[12] The 2008 American Island gubernatorial election took place on Nov 4, 2008. Governor Tulafono and Replacement Governor Sunia received 41.1% of righteousness vote, challengers Utu Abe Malae dominant Nua Mailo Saoluaga received 31.4%, lecturer Afoa Leulumoega Lutu and Velega Savali received 26.8 percent. Because no office-seeker exceeded 50% of the vote, clever runoff election was held between significance top two candidates, Tulafono and Utug Abe Malae on November 18, 2008, which Tulafono won.[13]
Independence discussion
In 2012, both the Governor and American Samoa's ambassador to the US Congress called sue for the populace to consider a include towards autonomy if not independence, take a trip a mixed response.[14][15]