General elections were held in American Samoa on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Voters elected a governor, lieutenant governor, faipule (members) of the House of Representatives, and the American Samoan delegate to the United States Congress. The gubernatorial election required a run-off on November 19 as no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round. Pula Nikolao Pula was elected governor and Pulu Ae Ae Jr. as lieutenant governor. They defeated the incumbent governor and lieutenant governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga and Eleasalo Ale by a margin of nearly 20 percentage points in the runoff. Both are affiliated with the Republican Party.
Republican incumbent Amata Coleman Radewagen was reelected, winning nearly 75% of the vote.[1][2] Radewagen faced challenges by Democrats Luisa Kuaea and Meleagi Suitonu-Chapman,[3][4] as well as independent candidate Fualaau Rosie Tago Lancaster.[5]
Gubernatorial election
Lemanu Peleti Mauga was elected governor in the 2020 general election with 60.3% of the vote. On April 10, 2024, Mauga and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Eleasalo Ale announced their campaign for reelection under the slogan "E Lavatia le Alofa" ('Love Beareth All').[6] Prior to Magua's announcement, Paramount Chief Mauga Tasi Asuega was advocating for the governor's reelection.[7] Pula T. I. Nikolao Pula, former director of the Office of Insular Affairs, announced his candidacy on March 4, 2024.[8] Pula announced High Chief Pulu Ae Ae Jr., a former faipule for Maʻopūtasi County, as his running mate.[7] Also on the ballot are Vaitautolu l’aulualo and his running mate Mary Taufetee, who are campaigning with the slogan "United for Change."[5][9]
On November 5, Pula won a plurality of votes, 42.4%, in the three-way governor's race. However, American Samoa requires a winner to earn more than 50% of the votes cast. A runoff election between Pula and Mauga was held on November 19.[1] Pula ultimately emerged victorious and defeated the incubment governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga, receiving nearly 60% of the total votes.
Fono election
All 20 seats in the House of Representatives were up for reelection, although four seats were uncontested.[5]
Referendum
Voters also considered a constitutional amendment that would give the Fono the power to override the a gubernatorial veto of legislation. Under the existing Constitution of American Samoa, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior has the power to overrule a veto by the governor.[10] Voters rejected the amendment with 57.7% of votes cast against changing the veto override process.[11]
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