American Samoan politican who served as the 55th Governor of American Samoa from January 3, 1997 until his death on March 26, 2003. He was the second governor of American Samoa to die in office. Warren Terhune was the first.
A member of the Democratic Party, he won the 1996 gubernatorial election in a close runoff with Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid (51%-48%). The runoff was caused by a split in the Democratic Party in American Samoa between Sunia and incumbent governor A.P. Lutali, who was in third place, with neither candidate gaining a majority. Sunia won another close victory against Reid in the 2000 gubernatorial election (50%-48%) with no runoff.
During Sunia's term, a protest was issued against Samoa, formerly named Western Samoa, for changing its official name to the shorter term. The official view in American Samoa is that such a form detracts from the Samoan identity of American Samoa, and public officials and documents from American Samoa still refer to Samoa as "Western Samoa".
Sunia married Fagaoalii Satele Sunia in 1969: where they would be the parents of ten children. They moved back to American Samoa in 1981 after living in Hawaii and settled in Leone, American Samoa.
He died during the midpoint of his second term on March 26, 2003 while on a flight to Hawaii to receive medical treatment, becoming the only second American Samoa Governor (following Warren Terhune), and the first civilian, to die in office. In 2012, the Utulei Convention Center was remodeled and renamed for Sunia. His wife, Fagaoalii Satele Sunia, died on September 5, 2015.
Sunia and his wife are buried at the Tauese P. Sunia Memorial Museum in Faga'alu, American Samoa.
A member of the Democratic Party, he won the 1996 gubernatorial election in a close runoff with Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid (51%-48%). The runoff was caused by a split in the Democratic Party in American Samoa between Sunia and incumbent governor A.P. Lutali, who was in third place, with neither candidate gaining a majority. Sunia won another close victory against Reid in the 2000 gubernatorial election (50%-48%) with no runoff.
During Sunia's term, a protest was issued against Samoa, formerly named Western Samoa, for changing its official name to the shorter term. The official view in American Samoa is that such a form detracts from the Samoan identity of American Samoa, and public officials and documents from American Samoa still refer to Samoa as "Western Samoa".
Sunia married Fagaoalii Satele Sunia in 1969: where they would be the parents of ten children. They moved back to American Samoa in 1981 after living in Hawaii and settled in Leone, American Samoa.
He died during the midpoint of his second term on March 26, 2003 while on a flight to Hawaii to receive medical treatment, becoming the only second American Samoa Governor (following Warren Terhune), and the first civilian, to die in office. In 2012, the Utulei Convention Center was remodeled and renamed for Sunia. His wife, Fagaoalii Satele Sunia, died on September 5, 2015.
Sunia and his wife are buried at the Tauese P. Sunia Memorial Museum in Faga'alu, American Samoa.
American Samoan politican who served as the 55th Governor of American Samoa from January 3, 1997 until his death on March 26, 2003. He was the second governor of American Samoa to die in office. Warren Terhune was the first.
A member of the Democratic Party, he won the 1996 gubernatorial election in a close runoff with Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid (51%-48%). The runoff was caused by a split in the Democratic Party in American Samoa between Sunia and incumbent governor A.P. Lutali, who was in third place, with neither candidate gaining a majority. Sunia won another close victory against Reid in the 2000 gubernatorial election (50%-48%) with no runoff.
During Sunia's term, a protest was issued against Samoa, formerly named Western Samoa, for changing its official name to the shorter term. The official view in American Samoa is that such a form detracts from the Samoan identity of American Samoa, and public officials and documents from American Samoa still refer to Samoa as "Western Samoa".
Sunia married Fagaoalii Satele Sunia in 1969: where they would be the parents of ten children. They moved back to American Samoa in 1981 after living in Hawaii and settled in Leone, American Samoa.
He died during the midpoint of his second term on March 26, 2003 while on a flight to Hawaii to receive medical treatment, becoming the only second American Samoa Governor (following Warren Terhune), and the first civilian, to die in office. In 2012, the Utulei Convention Center was remodeled and renamed for Sunia. His wife, Fagaoalii Satele Sunia, died on September 5, 2015.
Sunia and his wife are buried at the Tauese P. Sunia Memorial Museum in Faga'alu, American Samoa.
A member of the Democratic Party, he won the 1996 gubernatorial election in a close runoff with Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid (51%-48%). The runoff was caused by a split in the Democratic Party in American Samoa between Sunia and incumbent governor A.P. Lutali, who was in third place, with neither candidate gaining a majority. Sunia won another close victory against Reid in the 2000 gubernatorial election (50%-48%) with no runoff.
During Sunia's term, a protest was issued against Samoa, formerly named Western Samoa, for changing its official name to the shorter term. The official view in American Samoa is that such a form detracts from the Samoan identity of American Samoa, and public officials and documents from American Samoa still refer to Samoa as "Western Samoa".
Sunia married Fagaoalii Satele Sunia in 1969: where they would be the parents of ten children. They moved back to American Samoa in 1981 after living in Hawaii and settled in Leone, American Samoa.
He died during the midpoint of his second term on March 26, 2003 while on a flight to Hawaii to receive medical treatment, becoming the only second American Samoa Governor (following Warren Terhune), and the first civilian, to die in office. In 2012, the Utulei Convention Center was remodeled and renamed for Sunia. His wife, Fagaoalii Satele Sunia, died on September 5, 2015.
Sunia and his wife are buried at the Tauese P. Sunia Memorial Museum in Faga'alu, American Samoa.
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