Salu Hunkin-Finau (born ?) is an

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, and

academic administrator Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities. Some ...

. She is the former president of

American Samoa Community College American Samoa Community College (ASCC) is a public land-grant community college in the village of Mapusaga, American Samoa. Only legal residents of American Samoa who have graduated from high school or obtained a General Equivalency Diploma ar ...

. In February 2012, Hunkin announced her candidacy for

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of Governor (United States), governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government o ...

in the November 2012 gubernatorial election, becoming the first female candidate for governor since 2000. Hunkin was born in

Vailoatai, American Samoa Vailoatai is a village in southwestern Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pa ...

, to parents, the late Faauaa Eni Hunkin Sr. and Taualaitufanuaimeaatamalii Liufau Tufaga Manu. Hunkin is one of eight siblings, including her brother,

Eni Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin Faleomavaega Jr. ( ; August 15, 1943 – February 22, 2017) was an American Samoan politician and attorney who served as the territory's third lieutenant governor, from 1985 to 1989 and non-voting delegate to the United State ...

, who has served as

Delegate Delegate or delegates may refer to: * Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia * Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique * Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations * Delegate (United S ...

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from American Samoa's at-large congressional district from 1989 through 2014. She graduated from

Kahuku High School Kahuku High & Intermediate School, located in Kahuku CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, on the island of Oahu, serves approximately 1,850 students in grades seven through twelve and is part of the Windward District on the i ...

, located on the North Shore of

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, and received her

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in education from the

University of Hawaii A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. Hunkin, who is married to Alataua Tavita Finau, has ten children. Hunkin announced her candidacy for Governor of American Samoa on February 25, 2012, in front of a small group of supporters and journalists. The announcement was held in the village of Vailoa. Hunkin is the only female candidate who ran for governor in 2012. She is the first female candidate for governor since the 2000 gubernatorial election. At the same press conference, Hunkin announced her running mate, retired United States Command Sergeant Major Iuniasolua Savusa, also known as Iuni Savusa, who served in the United States Army for thirty-six years before retiring on December 31, 2011. Hunkin contacted Savusa just four days after his retirement to ask him to be her running mate for

Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa The government of American Samoa consists of a locally elected governor, lieutenant governor and the American Samoa Fono, which consists of an 18-member Senate and a 21-member House of Representatives. The first popular election for Governor an ...

. The 2012 gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012. She is now the director of the Department of Education in American Samoa. On June 11, 2016, Hunkin formally and officially announced her candidacy for the

delegate Delegate or delegates may refer to: * Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia * Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique * Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations * Delegate (United S ...

to the

from American Samoa's at-large congressional district, running as one of the two Democratic tickets, the other being Mapu Jamias.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunkin-Finau, Salu American Samoan educators American Samoa Democrats American Samoan women in politics University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American women