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Despite making a “splash” in the Pacific, Bloomberg drops out of race

Local supporters for US democratic presidential hopeful, billionaire businessman Mike Bloomberg at their campaign booth.
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Local supporters for US democratic presidential hopeful, billionaire businessman Mike Bloomberg, set up a booth-tent Tuesday in front of the Samoa Sports Center, where the American Samoa Democratic Party held its territorial caucus.

After the votes were counted, party chairman Tama Sotoa announced the results saying that of the 351 ballots cast, 175 votes, or 49.86 %, went to Bloomberg, who won in American Samoa and his only win of the 14 states who also held primary votes on Super Tuesday.

American Samoa native and US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard came in second with 103 votes, 29.34%.

Twenty-four hours after his local victory, Bloomberg during a campaign rally on the mainland yesterday announced he was dropping out of the race and endorsed presidential hopeful and former U.S. vice president Joe Biden — whom Samoa News points out made a refueling stop over in American Samoa in the latter part of 2014.

“Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump,” Bloomberg told the rally, according to a copy of his speech distributed by his US campaign.  And he is leaving the presidential “race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump — because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.”

“We made our campaign slogan a clear, simple promise: Mike will get it done. And I intend to keep working on the ‘it’. I will continue to work for sensible, common sense policy solutions that can get done. That includes passing gun safety laws that save lives. Fighting climate change. Improving health care. Making college more accessible and affordable. Creating economic opportunities for all. And helping mayors and local leaders across the country who are doing so much important work on all of these issues,” he said.

Some local Democrats believed that Bloomberg’s victory in America Samoa was because he started early with his campaigning, setting up staff on island, and opened an office at the Nu’uuli Place. His national campaign also dispatched two senior officials to Pago Pago.

Additionally the local campaign staff organized events in the territory. They also held a cleanup last weekend, to highlight the perils of Climate Change.

For Gabbard, one of her supporters told Samoa News that, “I believe we just started too” late with their local campaign, which began last Friday.

Supporters of US presidential hopeful and American Samoa native, US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, pose for a photo Tuesday. Gabbard came in second place during Tuesday’s American Samoa Democratic Party territorial caucus.  [courtesy photo]

(Samoa News should point out that Gabbard is considered a ‘local’ — of Samoan ancestry and an American Samoa native — national candidate, and already has the clan or family recognition in the Territory. Her coming in second, despite starting late, certainly points to her roots.)