Togiola Tulafono
Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono (born
1947) is the
Governor of
American Samoa. He is a member of the
Democratic Party. He had perviously served as
Lieutenant Governor, since January
1997 . He was Lieutenant Governor when, on
March 26,
2003, Governor
Tauese Pita Fiti Sunia died. Tulifono became
Acting Governor, and officially became Governor on
April 7,
2003. He was reelected to a full 4-year term in the November
2004 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.
In July of 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 harrassment by the governor.
In August of 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.
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Official website
