Amata Catherine Coleman Radewagen[1] (/əˈmɑːtə, ˈrædəˌwæɡən/ ə-MAH-tə RAD-ə-WAG-ən; born December 29, 1947), commonly called Aumua Amata (/aʊˈmuːə/ ow-MOO-ə), is an American Samoan politician who is the current delegate for the United States House of Representatives from American Samoa. Radewagen, a Republican, was elected on November 4, 2014, after defeating Democratic incumbent Eni Faleomavaega; she was the first-ever Republican delegate since the office had been created in 1970 and began her tenure on January 3, 2015.[2] She also serves as the national committeewoman for the Republican Party of American Samoa. Amata is the first woman to represent American Samoa in the U.S. Congress.[3][4]
Amata Coleman Radewagen | |
|---|---|
| Aumua Amata | |
 | |
| Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from American Samoa's at-large district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Eni Faleomavaega |
| Republican National Committeewoman from American Samoa | |
| Assumed office 2012 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Amata Catherine Coleman December 29, 1947 Pago Pago, American Samoa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | Constitution (2012) |
| Spouse | Fred Radewagen |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Peter Tali Coleman (father) Nora Stewart Coleman (mother) |
| Education | University of Guam (BS) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website |
By winning 75.4% of the vote in her 2016 re-election, Aumua Amata attained the highest number of votes in American Samoa history.[5] She won reelection with 83.3 percent of the votes in a three-way race in 2018.[6]
She has been the scheduling director for the United States House of Representatives majority leadership for eight years. Radewagen has been the most senior member of the Republican National Committee since 2012. She was a member of both the executive committee for the 2016–17 presidential transition and the executive committee for the 2017 Republican National Committee Chairman's Transition Committee.[5]
Early life and education
editRadewagen is the daughter of Peter Tali Coleman, the first popularly-elected Governor of American Samoa, and Nora Stewart Coleman, the former First Lady of American Samoa.[4][2][7][8] Her father was Samoan; her mother was of Chinese, German, Native Hawaiian, and Scottish descent.[8] Radewagen has twelve siblings.[7][4] She attended Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii, for secondary education and graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Guam in 1975.[9] She also took classes at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, and George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.[4]
She is married to Fred Radewagen, and they have three children[4]) and two grandchildren.[7][10]
Radewagen holds the orator (talking chief) title of Aumua from the capital of Pago Pago—her hometown and where she is a registered voter.[7][4]
From 1984 to 1997, Amata was the chief diplomatic correspondent for the Washington Pacific Report.[4]
Political career
editAumua Amata has been an executive assistant to the first Delegate-at-Large from American Samoa.[10]
From 1997 to 1999, Radewagen served on the staff of United States Representative Phil Crane of Illinois.[11] She served on the staff of United States Representative J. C. Watts, Jr. of Oklahoma from 1999 to 2003.[11] After that, she served on the staff of the House Republican Conference from 2003 to 2005.[11][4] Radewagen first ran for Congress in the 1994 elections against Democrat Eni F. H. Faleomavaega. She failed to gain the nomination of the Republican Party of American Samoa in 1996 and 2000, and she ran as an independent in the 1998 elections.[4]
Radewagen was appointed in 2001, by President George W. Bush, as a Commissioner on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI); she chaired the Community Security Committee.[7][12] Radewagen was the only Pacific Islander on the 15-member commission.[7]
Since 1994, Radewagen has participated in every federal election.[13] Since 1986, she has represented the American Samoa Republican Party in the Republican National Committee.[2][14] Radewagen is the most senior member.[7][15]
In 2019, she was reappointed by President Donald Trump to serve on the President's Advisory Commission for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for a second stint.[16]
United States House of Representatives
edit2014 election
editRadewagen ran for American Samoa's at-large congressional district in the 2014 elections. She defeated the Democratic incumbent Delegate Eni Faleomavaega, 42% to 31%; former Democratic governor Togiola Tulafono finished third at 11% in the nine-way contest.[17][18]
2016 election
editRadewagen was re-elected in 2016, receiving the highest number of votes in American Samoa history for any elective office, winning 75.4% of the vote cast.[19][20][21]
Tenure
editRadewagen assumed office on January 3, 2015. Upon taking office, she became the Republican Party's highest-ranking Asian-Pacific federal officeholder in the United States.[7]
Radewagen has a bipartisan track record. She was ranked the 28th and 14th most bipartisan Representative in the 114th and 115th United States Congresses, respectively, by The Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy's Bipartisan Index.[22][23][24]
Committee assignments
edit- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs (vice chair)
Caucus memberships
edit- Congressional Western Caucus[25]
- Climate Solutions Caucus[26]
- Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans[27]
Election results
edit- Note: Elections in American Samoa are nonpartisan and candidates are not listed with party affiliation. Partisan identification is for informational purposes
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen (incumbent) | 6,637 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 6,637 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen (incumbent) | 9,880 | 83.5% | |
| Democratic | Oreta Crichton | 1,704 | 14.4% | |
| Democratic | Meleagi Suitonu-Chapman | 249 | 2.1% | |
| Total votes | 11,833 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen (inc.) | 7,194 | 83.28% | |
| Independent | Tuika Tuika | 785 | 9.09% | |
| Democratic | Meleagi Suitonu–Chapman | 659 | 7.63% | |
| Total votes | 8,638 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen (inc.) | 8,924 | 75.4 | |
| Democratic | Salu Hunkin-Finau | 1,581 | 13.4 | |
| Democratic | Mapu Jamias | 978 | 8.3 | |
| Democratic | Meleagi Suitonu-Chapman | 181 | 1.50 | |
| Independent | Timothy Jones | 171 | 1.40 | |
| Total votes | 11,835 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 4,306 | 42.0% | |
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (Incumbent) | 3,157 | 30.8% | |
| Democratic | Togiola Tulafono | 1,130 | 11.0% | |
| Democratic | Mapu S. Jamias | 652 | 6.4% | |
| Independent | Rosie Fuala‘au Tago Lancaster | 286 | 2.6% | |
| Independent | Meleagi Suitonu-Chapman | 229 | 2.2% | |
| Independent | Tuika Tuika | 201 | 2.0% | |
| Democratic | Tu‘au Kereti Mata‘Utia Jr | 160 | 1.6% | |
| Independent | Mark Ude | 143 | 1.4% | |
| Total votes | 10,246 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 7,221 | 55.2% | |
| Conservative | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 4,420 | 33.8% | |
| Independent | Rosie Fuala‘au Tago Lancaster | 697 | 5.3% | |
| Democratic | Kereti Mata‘utia Jr | 438 | 3.3% | |
| Independent | Fatumalala Leulua‘iali‘i A. Al-Sheri | 300 | 2.3% | |
| Total votes | 13,076 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 6,182 | 56.4% | |
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 4,422 | 40.3% | |
| Independent | Tuika Tuika | 356 | 3.3% | |
| Total votes | 10,960 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 7,499 | 60.4% | |
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 4,350 | 35.0% | |
| Independent | Rosie Fuala‘au Tago Lancaster | 570 | 4.6% | |
| Total votes | 12,419 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 5,195 | 47.1% | |
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 4,493 | 40.7% | |
| Independent | Ae Ae Muavaefaatasi Jr. | 1,345 | 12.2% | |
| Total votes | 11,033 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 6,656 | 54.9% | |
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 5,472 | 45.1% | |
| Total votes | 12,128 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 4,294 | 41.3% | |
| Independent | Fagafaga D. Langkilde | 3,332 | 32.1% | |
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 2,767 | 26.6% | |
| Total votes | 10,393 | 100.0% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 4,959 | 54.8% | |
| Independent | Fagafaga D. Langkilde | 4,083 | 45.2% | |
| Total votes | 9,042 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 8,138 | 80.8% | |
| Independent | Seigafolava Robert Pene | 1,273 | 12.7% | |
| Independent | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 651 | 6.5% | |
| Total votes | 10,062 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (incumbent) | 6,517 | 63.5% | |
| Republican | Amata Coleman Radewagen | 2,116 | 20.6% | |
| Independent | Fal‘ivae Apelu Galea‘i | 1,299 | 12.7% | |
| Independent | Tuika Tuika | 324 | 3.2% | |
| Total votes | 10,256 | 100.0% | ||
Other activity
editRadewagen has been involved in helping build democratic institutions internationally.[7] As a trainer since 1992, she has participated in missions to Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and Morocco for the International Republican Institute and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, among other activities.[7][4] She began advocating on behalf of breast cancer awareness after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993.[4]
She is a founding member of the American Samoa Society and a life member of the Capitol Hill Club. She has also been a member of organizations such as the Guam Society of America, Hawaii State Society, Women's Foreign Policy Group, and the Independent Women's Forum. She is a current member of the Pan Pacific and Southeast Asia Women's Association. In 2003, Radewagen became the first Pacific Islander chosen as “Outstanding Woman of the Year” by the National Association of Professional Asian American Women (NAPAW). In 2008, she received the International Leadership Foundation's Visionary Award. In 2013, she received both the Inspirational Speaker Award at the Samoan Athletes Heart of Champions Ceremony in La Mesa, CA, as well as the Trailblazer Award from the Republican National Convention. She is a current board member at the Field House 100 American Samoa.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Amata Catherine Coleman". Ancestry.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c Fili Sagapolutele (November 9, 2014). "1st Woman Elected as American Samoa Delegate". Associated Press. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ Gay, Roxane (2019). The Women of the 116th Congress: Portraits of Power. The New York Times. Page 28. Abrams. ISBN 9781683357810.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kowalewski, Albin (2018). Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress, 1900-2017. Government Printing Office. Page 558. ISBN 9780160940408.
- ^ a b "Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen". University of Hawaii. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020.
- ^ Lansford, Tom (2019). Political Handbook of the World 2018-2019. CQ Press. Page 1730. ISBN 9781544327112.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Biography". U.S. Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ^ a b "Nora S. Coleman, 85". Saipan Tribune. May 15, 2015. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "RADEWAGEN, Amata Coleman". Office of the Historian. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ a b Congress, Joint Committee on Printing (2016). Congressional Directory 2015-2016. United States Congress. Page 300. ISBN 9780160929960.
- ^ a b c "RADEWAGEN, Aumua Amata Coleman". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ^ "National Committeewoman". gop.com. Republican National Committee. 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ "Amata Thanks American Samoa Voters". Radio New Zealand International. November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ "Aumua Amata's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ^ Gizzi, John (February 9, 2015). "American Samoa's Radewagen Can Make a Difference in Committees". Marianas Variety. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ^ "Biography | US Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen". Radewagen.house.gov. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ Cama, Timothy (November 5, 2014) – "American Samoa Delegate Loses Seat". The Hill. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
- ^ Official Results of the General Election 2014 Archived December 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine American Samoa Election Office. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ^ Sagapolutele, Fiji (November 9, 2016). "Incumbent Aumua Amata heading back to Washington D.C." Samoa News. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ Election 2016 RESULTS_CONGRESS.pdf
- ^ "Biography". December 11, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
- ^ The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index (PDF), The Lugar Center, March 7, 2016, retrieved July 9, 2018
- ^ "The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: The Lugar Center. April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ^ "Aumua Amata tops bipartisan index". Pago Pago, American Samoa: Talanei. May 21, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ "90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members". Citizen´s Climate Lobby. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
- ^ "Members of the Caucus on U.S. - Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans". Turkish Coalition of America. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Election Statistics, 1920 to Present | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". History.house.gov. September 11, 2001. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
External links
edit- U.S. Representative Aumua Amata official U.S. House website