Togiola Tulafono 726773 191265591 2008-02-13T22:22:54Z 202.70.115.138 /* Early life */ {{Infobox_Governor |name= Togiola Tulafono |image= Togiola Tulafono.jpg |imagesize= |caption= |order=42<sup>nd</sup> |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]],<br>[[American Samoa]] |death_date= |death_place= |spouse= Mary Ann Tulafono |profession= [[Attorney]], [[United States federal judge|Judge]] |party= [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] |religion=[[Congregationalism|Congregationalist]] |footnotes=<sub>1</sub> Tulifono was Acting Governor from [[March 26]]&ndash;[[April 7]], [[2003]] }} '''Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono''' (born [[1947]]) is the [[Governor]] of [[American Samoa]]. He is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. He had previously served as [[lieutenant governor|Lieutenant Governor]], since January [[1997]] . He was Lieutenant Governor when, on [[March 26]], [[2003]], Governor [[Tauese Pita Fiti Sunia]] died. Tulifono became [[acting governor|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 [[election]]s on [[November 2]], 2004, Tulafono received 48.4% of the vote. In the [[runoff election|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 and the United States, graduating in Political Science and Sociology from [[Chadron State College]] in Nebraska in 1970 and then studying law at [[Washburn University]] School of Law in [[Kansas]]. He then pursued a career of law, business and politics in American Samoa, becoming Governor in 2004. <ref>[http://www.asg-gov.net/001GOVERNORSPAGE.htm government job contract federal state at asg-gov.net<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==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.<ref>[http://starbulletin.com/2006/07/29/news/story05.html starbulletin.com | News | /2006/07/29/<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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.<ref>[http://starbulletin.com/2006/08/05/business/story03.html starbulletin.com | Business | /2006/08/05/<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==See also== [[List of current heads of government of dependencies]] ==External links== *[http://americansamoa.gov/gov_office/gov_office.htm Official website] {{start box}} {{incumbent succession box| before=[[Tauese P. Sunia]]| title=[[List of American Samoa Governors|Governor of American Samoa]]| start=2003| }} {{end box}} {{ASGovernors}} {{Current U.S. governors}} {{American Samoa}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Tulafono, Togiola}} [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Politics of American Samoa]] [[de:Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono]] [[pl:Togiola Tulafono]] [[fi:Togiola Tulafono]] [[sv:Togiola Tulafono]]