Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A third candidate for the American Samoa’s US congressional seat is throwing his hat into the ring — he is Dr. Afu Lefaoseu III. He is a retired US combat veteran commissioned officer, and his biography states that he is a talking chief, Tuifagaloa for Paramount Chief Mauga family of Pago Pago, and High Chief Luaitalolelei of Uafato.

He is a product of American Samoa’s schools, graduating from Tafuna High School in 1994, earning his AA from ASCC in 1997, and with a student loan from the ASG scholarship program completing a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo in 1999 and a master’s degree in Political Science from the UH at Mānoa in 2001.

Dr. Lefaoseu later earned a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University (2007– 2012). His dissertation, “Leadership Values: Perspective of Matai-Leaders Within the American Samoa Government,” involved interviews with top government, village, and church leaders across the territory.

His US Army military service includes being deployed multiple times with the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM), U.S. Conventional Army, and U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) in major global operations.

In 2018, he assumed command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the renowned 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment— “Go For Broke” — the most decorated unit of its size in U.S. military history. His military service honorably concluded in November 2020.

In 2021, Dr. Lefaoseu was appointed as Operational Manager and later Deputy Director of the American Samoa Governor’s Office in Hawai‘i. Excerpts of Dr. Lefaoseu’s launch statement follows:

Today, I officially announce my candidacy for American Samoa's At-Large Delegate seat in the United States House of Representatives.

I am here to offer a strategic mission for our survival and our growth.

The Hard Truth — Our Economic Vulnerability

Our campaign is anchored in one non-negotiable principle: To uplift the economic standards of our people through Economic Diversity and Empowerment. Let us be honest with one another. There is an English saying: 'The more things change, the more they remain the same.'

We have seen leadership change, we have seen policies enacted, yet for the average family, the economic reality remains stagnant — or worse, it is slipping away.

Our economy is currently a one-way street. We have invested our entire future into a single basket. As we speak, 83% of our private-sector jobs and 99% of our exports are controlled by one industry.

I am not an alarmist. I am a doctor and a leader who looks at the facts. Anyone telling you our current path is sustainable is not being honest with you. To empower our people, we must expand. We must bring in at least two or three new, major industries in untapped sectors — whether that be the digital economy, renewable energy, or sustainable regional trade — to ensure that when the winds of the global economy change, American Samoa remains standing strong.

The Human Cost — Who We Fight For

This campaign …is about the American Samoans working two jobs, exhausted, yet still unable to keep up with the rising cost of living. It is about the parent whose heart breaks with worry over the drug pandemic that is stealing the potential of our children.

It is for the farmer who wakes at 4:00 AM to tend the soil, only to find the markets closed to him. It is for the cannery workers, the construction crews, and our dedicated government employees who are forced to choose between paying a utility bill and buying healthy food for their children.

…This is American Samoa’s time to stop being an afterthought in Washington and start being the economic giant we were meant to be in the Pacific.

The Path Forward — Leadership and Partnership

In the coming months, I will join you in village halls, in your homes, and at various forums to dig into the 'how.' I will share the blueprints for how we leverage our unique position in the Pacific to attract high-impact investment while protecting our lands and our Fa’asamoa.

But I cannot do this alone. A leader without a people is just a man taking a walk. I need your voice. I need your ideas. I need the energy of our youth and the wisdom of our veterans… I am the people’s choice because I believe in the people’s potential …God bless you, and God bless American Samoa.

Please feel free to email: votelefaoseu@gmail.com