Under the territory’s electoral law, a candidate must win over 50 percent of the vote to be successful.
The elections on Nov. 4 showed American Samoa’s 17,000 voters split their votes between three of four pairs of candidates for the posts of governor and lt. governor.
Incumbent Gov. Togiola Tulafono and Lt. Gov. Faoa Ipulasi Sunia topped the election with 41.3 percent of the vote, electoral officials said.
Challengers Utu Abe Malae and Nua Mailo Saoluaga received 31.4 percent, ahead of Afoa Leulumoega Lutu and Velega Savali with 26.8 percent, while a fourth pairing only registered 0.5 percent.
Togiola and Faoa topped the poll, even though Faoa is awaiting federal trial on charges of corruption, bribery and conspiracy to commit fraud.
He and another high-ranking official, Sen. Tulifua Lam Yuen, have been accused of using their official positions to influence cabinet members to illegally award their companies contracts for government work.
The election also saw Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin re-elected for an 11th two-year term as American Samoa’s non-voting delegate to the U.S. Congress.
The non-voting delegate is unable to vote in the full U.S House of Representatives, but can vote in any committees he belongs to.
In the local House of Representatives elections, which saw contests for 19 of the 21 seats, only eight incumbents were returned.
