Samuel Kaholoʻokalani Pua[1] (October 27, 1867 – August 1, 1932) was a Native Hawaiian politician, newspaper editor, lawyer and sheriff of Hawaii.

[2][3] His father, the namesake for Pua Lane in Honolulu, was a member of the House of Nobles on the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

[2][4] In the election of 1892, Sam Pua ran as candidate for the newly created National Liberal party, for a seat in the House of Representatives of the Legislature for the fifth Ward of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.

[9] This session was characterized by a series of resolutions of want of confidence ousting a number of Queen Liliʻuokalani's appointed cabinet ministers and debates over the passage of the controversial lottery and opium bills.

The part-Tahitian officer was extremely unpopular with the legislators especially the Liberals since many party members including Robert William Wilcox were arrested by Marshal Wilson for conspiracy before the opening of the assembly in May.

[11] On August 30, 1892, Representative Pua submitted a resolution for the removal of Marshal Wilson by the ministry led by Hermann A. Widemann.

The preamble of the resolution read: Whereas, the present Marshal of the Kingdom, C. B. Wilson, has allowed gambling, opium dealing and other forms of law-breaking to flourish unchecked, and the Police Department under his administration has shown more disposition to affiliate with criminals than to enforce the laws of this Kingdom..and whereas, the said Marshal is commonly reported to exercise a pernicious, illegitimate and occult influence at the Court of Her Majesty the Queen, which tends to bring Her Majesty's Government into contempt and disrepute.

During this period, the de facto government, which was composed largely of residents of American and European ancestry, sought to annex the islands to the United States against the wish of the Native Hawaiians who wanted to remain an independent nation and for the monarchy to continue.

[2][17] During the 1895 Counter-revolution in Hawaii, Pua helped transport weapons to the Royalists and commanded a squad of men during the fighting.

[2][18] He was sentenced to five years in prison and to pay $5000 in fine, although President Sanford B. Dole would issue full pardons for all the rebels in 1896.