Malepeai was born in American Samoa and graduated from high school in South San Francisco, California.
He moved to Pocatello in the 1970s to attend Idaho State University, where he played football and rugby.
[2] Malepeai previously served on the Pocatello City Council and as chair of the Bannock County Democratic Party.
[7] Malepeai missed the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions while caring for his wife, Brenda, who suffered from a rare form of cancer.
[8] In 2010 Malepeai faced Republican opposition for the first time since his initial state senate run eight years earlier.