The three jurisdictions together will send 27 delegates to the Republican National Convention, which opens on Sept. 1 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Mn.
American Samoan Republican National Committeewoman Amata Coleman Radewagen will join former Guam Republican Party Chairman David J. Sablan and former Northern Marianas GOP Chairman Joseph C. Reyes to lead grassroots activists who will help organize and coordinate the campaign’s grassroots efforts in their territories and will communicate McCain’s message of country first, greater national security, a stronger economy and meaningful government reform.
“John McCain has spent his entire life putting our country above his own personal and political well being,” said Amata Radewagen, American Samoa’s chairwoman, who is sixth in seniority on the RNC. “That is important to Samoans, who are proud to be Americans.”
“John McCain’s experience and bold, principled leadership garners a great deal of support in Guam and I am proud to support his campaign,” said Guam’s Dave Sablan in accepting his appointment.
“In a period of our history when national security is so important, we need John McCain’s tested leadership,” said CNMI Rep. Joe Reyes, a U.S. Army veteran who currently chairs the House Commerce and Tourism Committee in the 16th Northern Marianas Legislature. “By extending his campaign to our islands,” continued Reyes, “Senator McCain has demonstrated he cares about us and through the Pacific leadership we will have the mechanism to convey our concerns to his administration.”
Reyes and Sablan are proven winners as party leaders, with CNMI Republicans in 2001 winning an historic 16 of 18 House seats, control of the Senate, Washington representative and the governorship under Reyes’s chairmanship.
Sablan followed in 2002 by guiding the Guam GOP to recapture the governorship after eight years of Democratic control.
The two men also are successful business leaders in their islands.
A long time community activist and member of numerous civic organizations, Amata also has served at the national level on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and as assistant secretary of the 2000 Republican National Convention. She was 2003 “Woman of the Year” for the National Association of Professional Asian Women and was recipient of the International Leadership Foundation’s “Visionary Award” this year.
