The director of education in American Samoa, Vaitinasa Dr Salu Hunkin Finau, has announced she will run for the US Congress seat in November.
Vaitinasa, the sister of former Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, is a Democrat and ran for governor in 2012.
Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau with supporters. Photo: RNZI / Monica Miller
She has had 40 years of government service, much of it in the education sector, and wanted to do something about poor levels of resourcing.
"With a little over 40 percent of classroom teachers in need of professional development, and in the face of high attrition rates for those who qualify to teach, our recurrent resources are insufficient to meet the critical needs of qualified and well paid teachers."
