Amata Coleman Radewagen

Amata Radewagen
Born	Amata Catherine Coleman 29 12, 1947
Birthplace	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nationality	American / American Samoan
Occupation	Politician, delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives
Known for	First woman and first Republican to represent American Samoa in the U.S. Congress
Education	University of Guam (BS)
Spouse(s)	Fred Radewagen
Children	3
Awards	Highest vote total in American Samoa history (2016)
Website	[radewagen.house.gov Official site]

Amata Catherine Coleman Radewagen (Template:IPAc-en; born December 29, 1947), commonly known by her Samoan title Aumua Amata, is an American Samoan politician serving as the delegate to the United States House of Representatives from American Samoa's at-large congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Radewagen was first elected on November 4, 2014, defeating longtime Democratic incumbent Eni Faleomavaega. Her victory made her the first Republican and the first woman to represent American Samoa in the U.S. Congress since the delegate position was created in 1970. Born in Washington, D.C., to a prominent political family — her father, Peter Tali Coleman, served as governor of American Samoa — Radewagen built a career in Republican politics over several decades before winning elected office. She has served as the Republican National Committeewoman from American Samoa since 1986, making her the most senior member of the Republican National Committee. In the House, she has worked on issues affecting American Samoa and the broader Pacific region, including natural resources, veterans' affairs, and territorial governance.

Early Life

Amata Catherine Coleman was born on December 29, 1947, in Washington, D.C. Her father, Peter Tali Coleman, was a significant figure in American Samoan politics who served multiple terms as the governor of American Samoa — first as an appointed governor under the U.S. Department of the Interior and later as the territory's first popularly elected governor. Her mother was Nora Stewart.

Growing up in a family deeply intertwined with both American Samoan culture and American governance, Radewagen was exposed to public service and politics from an early age. Her father's career provided her with firsthand observation of the challenges and complexities of governing a U.S. territory in the Pacific. The Coleman family's prominence in American Samoan affairs gave Amata a foundation in the political traditions of the islands as well as in the workings of the federal government in Washington.

Radewagen holds the Samoan chiefly title of "Aumua," which is used as an honorific before her given name. In Samoan culture, chiefly titles carry significant social and political weight, signifying a recognized role within the extended family and broader community leadership structures. She is commonly referred to as "Aumua Amata" in American Samoa and in congressional proceedings.

Education

Radewagen attended several institutions of higher education during her academic career. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guam. She also attended George Mason University in Virginia and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, although she did not complete degree programs at those institutions.

Her education at the University of Guam connected her to the broader Pacific Island academic community, while her time at institutions on the U.S. mainland provided exposure to the political and policy environments that would later define her career. The combination of Pacific Island and mainland American educational experiences reflected the dual identity that characterizes many American Samoans who navigate between their territorial homeland and the continental United States.

Career

Early Political Career and Republican Party Involvement

Before entering elected office, Radewagen built an extensive career within the Republican Party apparatus and in congressional staff positions. She served as the scheduling director for the United States House of Representatives majority leadership for eight years, a role that placed her at the center of legislative operations and gave her an intimate understanding of congressional procedure and the dynamics of the House.

Radewagen's involvement with the Republican National Committee began in 1986, when she became the Republican National Committeewoman from American Samoa. She has held this position continuously since that time, making her the most senior member of the Republican National Committee by the time she was serving in Congress. In this role, she has participated in the party's national governance, including involvement in presidential nominating conventions and party platform development. Her long tenure on the RNC gave her extensive connections within the national Republican establishment.

She was a member of the executive committee for the 2016–17 presidential transition following Donald Trump's election as president, as well as the executive committee for the 2017 Republican National Committee Chairman's Transition Committee. These positions reflected her status as a senior party official and her established role within Republican institutional structures.

Prior Campaigns for Delegate

Radewagen made multiple attempts to win the American Samoa delegate seat before her successful 2014 campaign. The territory's politics had been dominated for decades by the Democratic Party, and the delegate seat had been held exclusively by Democrats since its creation in 1970. Radewagen's persistence in seeking the office over multiple election cycles demonstrated both her commitment to representing the territory and the difficulty of breaking through in a political environment that strongly favored the incumbent party.

2014 Election

On November 4, 2014, Radewagen defeated incumbent Democratic delegate Eni Faleomavaega, who had held the seat since 1989. Her victory was historic on two fronts: she became the first Republican to serve as American Samoa's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, and she became the first woman to represent the territory in Congress.

Faleomavaega had served as delegate for over two decades and was a well-known figure both in the territory and in Washington. His defeat by Radewagen represented a significant shift in American Samoan politics. Radewagen began her tenure in the House on January 3, 2015, succeeding Faleomavaega as the territory's sole representative in Congress.

2016 Re-election

In her first re-election campaign in 2016, Radewagen won by a commanding margin, receiving 75.4% of the vote. This result represented the highest number of votes received by any candidate in American Samoa's electoral history, indicating broad popular support for her continued representation. The scale of her victory demonstrated that despite her Republican affiliation in a traditionally Democratic territory, Radewagen had built a strong personal connection with voters.

2018 Re-election

Radewagen further consolidated her electoral position in 2018, winning re-election with 83.3% of the vote in a three-way race. The increasing margin of victory suggested that her constituents were satisfied with her performance and that she had effectively established herself as the dominant political figure in American Samoan federal representation.

Congressional Service and Committee Work

As a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, Radewagen holds a position that allows her to serve on committees, introduce legislation, and participate in debate on the House floor, but she cannot vote on final passage of legislation in the full House. This limitation applies to all delegates from U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Despite this restriction, the delegate position provides a platform for advocating on behalf of the territory's interests in federal policy matters.

Radewagen has been a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over matters relating to U.S. territories, insular affairs, and natural resources — all areas of direct relevance to American Samoa. In August 2023, she participated in a U.S. congressional delegation visit to the Federated States of Micronesia as part of the House Natural Resources Committee's engagement with Pacific Island nations. The delegation met with FSM President Wesley W. Simina to discuss matters of mutual interest between the United States and Pacific Island states.

She has also been a member of the Congressional Western Caucus and has participated in bipartisan caucuses, including the Climate Solutions Caucus.

Radewagen has been noted for her bipartisan approach to legislative work. In 2018, she was ranked as the top Democrat-aligned Republican on the Lugar Center–Georgetown University Bipartisan Index, which measures how frequently members of Congress work across party lines. This distinction reflected her willingness to collaborate with members of the opposing party, a pragmatic approach that may have contributed to her strong electoral performance in a territory where the electorate is not rigidly partisan.

Advocacy for American Samoa

A central focus of Radewagen's congressional service has been advocacy for the interests and needs of American Samoa, a territory of approximately 55,000 people located in the South Pacific. Issues of particular importance to the territory include federal funding levels, veterans' affairs, natural disaster preparedness, and the territory's unique cultural and legal status within the U.S. political system.

In February 2020, Radewagen participated in the official launch of the National Park of American Samoa quarter as part of the United States Mint's America the Beautiful Quarters Program. The coin, the 51st in the program, honored the National Park of American Samoa and brought national attention to the territory's natural heritage.

Radewagen has also been involved in efforts related to disaster mitigation for U.S. territories. In 2025, she was among members of Congress associated with bipartisan efforts to support the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which provides grants for hazard mitigation planning and projects to reduce risks from natural hazards to communities, tribal nations, and territories. Natural disaster preparedness is of particular significance to American Samoa, which is vulnerable to tropical cyclones, tsunamis, and other natural hazards.

She has participated in congressional efforts to address the legacy of U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, attending hearings in 2022 that explored the creation of a truth commission to examine the federal policy that forced Indigenous children to attend boarding schools where many experienced abuse.

In May 2023, Radewagen participated in a congressional reception hosted by the First Five Years Fund, Sesame Workshop, and PBS KIDS in conjunction with the Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus, highlighting early childhood education as a policy priority.

Pacific Regional Engagement

Radewagen's position on the House Natural Resources Committee has facilitated her involvement in U.S. engagement with the broader Pacific region. American Samoa's geographic location in the South Pacific places it at the intersection of U.S. territorial policy and broader Indo-Pacific strategic considerations. Her participation in congressional delegations to Pacific Island nations, such as the 2023 visit to the Federated States of Micronesia, reflects the growing importance of the Pacific Islands in U.S. foreign policy and defense strategy.

Personal Life

Amata Coleman Radewagen is married to Fred Radewagen, and the couple has three children. Fred Radewagen has been involved in government relations and lobbying in Washington, D.C.

Radewagen maintains connections to both the U.S. mainland, where she spent significant portions of her career, and American Samoa, where her family roots and political constituency are based. The dual nature of this existence is common among American Samoan political figures who must navigate between the territory and Washington.

Her father, Peter Tali Coleman, who died in 1997, remains one of the most prominent figures in American Samoan political history. His legacy as both an appointed and elected governor of the territory established the Coleman family as a central part of the territory's political landscape. Radewagen has carried forward aspects of this legacy through her own political career, though she has built an independent identity through her long service to the Republican Party and her record in Congress.

Recognition

Radewagen's election in 2014 was itself a milestone that drew national attention, as she became both the first woman and the first Republican to serve as delegate from American Samoa. Her 2016 re-election, in which she received 75.4% of the vote — the highest vote total in American Samoa's electoral history — further cemented her standing in the territory's politics.

Her ranking as the most bipartisan Republican in the House on the Lugar Center–Georgetown University Bipartisan Index in 2018 brought recognition beyond the territory, highlighting her collaborative legislative approach.

As the longest-serving member of the Republican National Committee, holding her committeewoman position since 1986, Radewagen has been recognized as a significant figure within the party's national governance structure. Her service on the executive committees for both the 2016–17 presidential transition and the 2017 RNC Chairman's Transition Committee reflected her seniority and the respect she commanded within the party organization.

Her participation in the launch of the National Park of American Samoa quarter in 2020 represented a moment of national recognition for the territory she represents, bringing American Samoa's natural and cultural heritage to the attention of the broader American public through the widely collected America the Beautiful Quarters series.

Legacy

Radewagen's political career represents several firsts in American Samoan and broader U.S. territorial politics. As the first woman and first Republican to serve as American Samoa's delegate to Congress, she broke through both gender and partisan barriers in a territory where political leadership had historically been male and Democratic.

Her sustained electoral success — winning by increasingly large margins in successive elections — demonstrated the possibility of building a personal political brand that transcends traditional party affiliations in a small, close-knit political community. In a territory where personal relationships, family ties, and cultural standing often matter more than party labels, Radewagen's ability to win as a Republican in a traditionally Democratic territory illustrated the distinctive dynamics of American Samoan politics.

Through her work on the House Natural Resources Committee and her participation in Pacific regional diplomacy, Radewagen has helped to keep American Samoa and its concerns visible in a Congress where the territory's small population and geographic remoteness could easily lead to neglect. Her advocacy on issues ranging from natural disaster preparedness to veterans' affairs to early childhood education reflects the broad range of federal policy areas that affect daily life in U.S. territories.

Her decades of service on the Republican National Committee, predating her election to Congress by nearly three decades, also represents a form of institutional memory and continuity within the party's national governance. As one of the few voices for U.S. territories within the RNC, she has helped to maintain the connection between the Republican Party and its supporters in the Pacific territories.