Sandra King Young for Congress
for American Samoa’s
At-Large Delegate seat in
the U.S. House of Representatives
The old, tired frames of American politics are no longer enough or sufficient to understand the world around us or what we need to create a future for ourselves and our tupulaga. We are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Samoan. We must take the best of what we’ve learned from the world and use it—but always, through our fa’a Samoa.
Vision, Issues, & Values
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Vision: Three R’s ~ Reenvision, Reinvent, and Restore federal and ASG collaboration and trust in government through coordinated leadership, transparency, accountability—and real results for working people in the territory.
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Issues: Using all tools available in the role of Delegate in U.S. Congress and alongside local government, align key priorities—jobs, economy, healthcare, environment, culture, and more—into a long-term, people-driven plan, reshaping and revitalizing modern economic systems to benefit everyday workers first.
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Values: Lead with humility, service, faith, family, and culture, always putting people first and balancing the best of Samoan and Pasefika culture alongside necessary, contemporary political and economic systems, tools, and obligations.
“A New Kind of Politics & Government for the People it Serves
About Sandra
Sandra King Young is a proven public servant, policy expert, and community advocate who has spent her career fighting for families, strengthening healthcare, and expanding opportunity. As Director of the American Samoa Medicaid Agency from 2013 to 2024, she led major improvements in care access and program stability for thousands of residents. She also served as Board Chairman of LBJ Hospital and founded the Pacific Islands Center for Educational Development (PiCED) to help students prepare for college and brighter futures.
Young brings more than a decade of experience in Washington, D.C., where she worked at the highest levels of government and advocacy. She served as a political appointee under Bill Clinton and as a senior staff member to the late Daniel K. Inouye, advancing policies that supported health, education, and economic opportunity for Pacific communities. She also represented public interests before Congress and federal agencies as a federally registered lobbyist.
A graduate of George Washington University Law School and Loyola Marymount University, and an alumna of the executive social entrepreneurship program at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Young combines legal expertise, policy experience, and real-world leadership.
Sandra’s running for Congress to deliver results, stand up for working families, and bring principled, effective leadership to Washington—because she believes government should work for the people it serves.
Blog
My Acceptance Speech of the American Samoa Democratic Party Endorsement for 2026 US Congressional Race
Chairman, distinguished members of the American Samoa Democratic Party, family, and friends— I stand before you deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to accept the endorsement of the American Samoa Democratic Party, as its candidate for Delegate to the United States…
The Test of Leadership: Who Will Have the Courage to Protect What We Cannot Replace? (Part 4 of 4 on DSM)
There are moments in history when a people must decide what they value more: immediate economic promises or the protection of an inheritance that can never be replaced. For American Samoa, that moment has arrived. The debate over deep-sea mining is not simply about…
Follow the Money—Who Benefits and Who Bears the Risk? (Part 3 of 4 on DSM)
Supporters of deep-sea mining present it as an economic opportunity for American Samoa. They promise jobs, government revenues, and a new industry built around the extraction of polymetallic nodules from our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The federal government has…