Twenty-four year old Kiso Skelton has thrown his name in the race for the House of Representatives seat for Pago Pago.
“I want to use my knowledge and experience to help make things better not just for my district but for the territory,” he told KHJ News.
He points out that the drug problem in Pago Pago is skyrocketing. What’s lacking, he says, is counseling and rehabilitation for users. “I want to work on that, so users can be rehabilitated and reintroduced back into society.”
Other village needs are roads to families living in elevated areas so that ambulances and fire truck can get to their homes. Skelton laments that in the Autapini area, there’s no road access for some families.
He’s also worried that some parts of the village coast are fast eroding and will become submerged. “We need seawalls badly,” he says.
At the territorial level, Skelton views being a member of the Fono as a way to contribute to good governance for the territory.
He points to instances where leaders have not protected and upheld the constitution and laws of the territory.
He cites the administration’s spending of the $36 million without Fono approval as an example.
He wasn’t impressed with the Fono’s handling of the matter. “They never did an independent verification of what the administration said, that if the Fono didn’t pass the bill, it would affect the government’s finances,” he said.
In his view, by approving the bill, the fono has become party to the violation of the constitution.
On the drug issue, he suggestes the territory seek help and perhaps even have federal oversight to tackle drug cases.
Skelton graduated co-valedictorian of the Tafuna High School Class of 2017. He obtained his Bachelors in Historical and Political Studies with a minor in Psychology from Chaminade University, and Masters in Law and Legal Study from the University of California in Pennsylvania.
In 2021, he joined Congresswoman Uifaatali’s Office as a constituent representative and caseworker, but resigned last month to devote his focus to his campaign.
