Togiola Tulafono

Infobox Governor
name= Togiola Tulafono


imagesize=
caption=
order=42^nd
office= Governor of American Samoa
term_start= April 7, 2003
term_end=
lieutenant= Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia
predecessor= Tauese Sunia
successor=Incumbent
birth_date= birth date and age|1947|02|28
birth_place= Aunuu Island,
American Samoa
residence= Pago Pago, American Samoa
alma_mater= Chadron State College, Washburn University
spouse= Mary Ann Tulafono
profession= Attorney, Judge
party= Democrat
religion=Congregationalist
footnotes=₁ Tulifono was Acting Governor from March 26–April 7, 2003

Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono (born February 28, 1947) is the Governor of American Samoa. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He had previously served as Lieutenant Governor, taking this position in January 1997. Tulafono was Lieutenant Governor when, on March 26, 2003, Governor Tauese Pita Fiti Sunia died. He then became Acting Governor, and officially became Governor on April 7, 2003. He was reelected to a full 4-year term in the November 2004 gubernatorial elections.

In the first round of elections on November 2, 2004, Tulafono received 48.4% of the vote. In the second round on November 16, Tulafono defeated Afoa Moega Lutu, who had run against him for the position of Lieutenant Governor in 2000, by a vote of 56%-44%. As Governor, Tulafano is a member of the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association.

Early life

Tulafono was schooled in Samoa, attending elementary school in Autu'u and high school at Samoana. He went to college in the United States, graduating with degrees in Political Science and Sociology from Chadron State College in Nebraska in 1970. He then moved on to study law at Washburn University School of Law in Kansas.

After college, Tulafono worked as a legal assistant at American Samoa's Attorney General's Office and as an administrative assistant for the Secretary of Samoan Affairs. He spent two years each working as a private practice attorney and as a vice president for South Pacific Airlines during the late 1970s. [ [http://www.asg-gov.net/001GOVERNORSPAGE.htm government job contract federal state at asg-gov.net ] ]

Tulafono was appointed as a district court judge in 1978 and then to the American Samoa Senate in 1980. After serving one term in the upper house, he reentered law practice, but then ran again successfully for a senate seat in 1989. [ [http://www.asg-gov.net/001GOVERNORSPAGE.htm government job contract federal state at asg-gov.net ] ]

The dispute with Hawaiian Airlines

In July 2006, Governor Tulafono issued a mandate to Hawaiian Airlines, giving the airline ninety days to cease service to Pago Pago International Airport in Pago Pago. The carrier, which offers the only service to American Samoa (beside commuter flights to Apia, in the country of Samoa), from its hub in Honolulu, was accused of predatory pricing practices and ethnic harassment by the governor. [ [http://starbulletin.com/2006/07/29/news/story05.html starbulletin.com | News | /2006/07/29/ ] ]

In August 2006, the FAA stated in an official letter to the governor that the territory must continue to allow Hawaiian Airlines to fly the Honolulu-Pago Pago route or risk losing U.S. financial assistance. [ [http://starbulletin.com/2006/08/05/business/story03.html starbulletin.com | Business | /2006/08/05/ ] ]

References

ee also

List of current heads of government of dependencies

External links

* [http://americansamoa.gov/gov_office/gov_office.htm Official website]