Amata Coleman Radewagen

Amata Coleman Radewagen
Delegate to the
U.S. House of Representatives
from American Samoa's at-large district
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded by Eni Faleomavaega
Personal details
Born Amata Catherine Coleman
(1947-12-29) December 29, 1947
Pago Pago, American Samoa
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Fred Radewagen
Children 3
Relatives Peter Tali Coleman (Father)
Education University of Guam (BS)
Loyola Marymount University
George Mason University
Website House website

Amata Catherine Coleman Radewagen[1] /əˈmɑːtə, ˈrædəˌwæɡən/ (born December 29, 1947), commonly called Aumua Amata /aʊˈmuːə/, is the delegate for the United States House of Representatives from American Samoa. Radewagen, a Republican, was elected on November 4, 2014, defeating Democratic incumbent Eni Faleomavaega. She began her tenure on January 3, 2015.[2]

Political career

From 1997 to 1999, Radewagen served on the staff of United States Representative Phil Crane of Illinois.[3] She served on the staff of United States Representative J.C. Watts, Jr. of Oklahoma from 1999 to 2003.[3] After that, she served on the staff of the House Republican Conference from 2003 to 2005.[3]

Radewagen was appointed in 2001, by President George W. Bush, as the White House Commissioner for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI); she chaired the Community Security Committee.[4][5] Radewagen was the only Pacific Islander on the 15-member commission.[4]

Since 1994, Radewagen has participated in every federal election.[6] Since 1986, she represents the American Samoa Republican Party in the Republican National Committee.[2][7] Radewagen is the most senior member.[4][8]

United States House of Representatives

2014 election

Radewagen 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.[9][10]

2016 election

Radewagen 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. [11][12][13]

Tenure

Radewagen 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.[4]

Radewagen has a bipartisan track record, 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.[14][15][16]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Other activity

Radewagen has been involved in helping build democratic institutions internationally.[4] 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.[4]

Personal life

Radewagen is a graduate of Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu.[18] She 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.[2][4] Radewagen has twelve siblings.[4] She is married to Fred Radewagen, and they have three children, and two grandchildren.[4]

Radewagen holds the orator (talking chief) title of Aumua from the Village of Pago Pago, where she is a registered voter.[4]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

  1. ↑ "Amata Catherine Coleman". Ancestry.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Fili Sagapolutele (November 9, 2014). "1st Woman Elected as American Samoa Delegate". Associated Press. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "RADEWAGEN, Aumua Amata Coleman". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Biography". U.S. Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  5. ↑ "National Committeewoman". gop.com. Republican National Committee. 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Amata Thanks American Samoa Voters". Radio New Zealand International. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Aumua Amata's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ Gizzi, John (February 9, 2015). "American Samoa's Radewagen Can Make a Difference in Committees". Marianas Variety. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  9. ↑ Cama, Timothy (November 5, 2014) – "American Samoa Delegate Loses Seat". The Hill. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ Official Results of the General Election 2014 American Samoa Election Office. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Incumbent Aumua Amata heading back to Washington D.C. - Samoa News". samoanews.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  12. ↑ http://www.americansamoaelectionoffice.org/results/General Election 2016 RESULTS_CONGRESS.pdf
  13. ↑ "Biography". 11 December 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  14. ↑ The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index (PDF), The Lugar Center, March 7, 2016, retrieved July 9, 2018
  15. ↑ "The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: The Lugar Center. April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Aumua Amata tops bipartisan index". Pago Pago, American Samoa: Talanei. May 21, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  18. ↑ "RADEWAGEN, Amata Coleman". Office of the Historian. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Eni Faleomavaega		 Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives
from American Samoa
2015–present		 Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Stacey Plaskett		 United States Delegates by seniority
5th		 Succeeded by
Jenniffer González
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