Penrhyn (electorate)
Electoral division in the Cook Islands
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Penrhyn is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. Its current representative is Vaine Wichman, who has held the seat since 2026.
| Penrhyn | |
|---|---|
| Constituency for the Parliament of the Cook Islands | |
| |
| Region | Outer Islands |
| Current constituency | |
| Number of members | 1 |
| Member | Vaine Wichman |
Members of Parliament for Penrhyn
Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
| Name | Party | Elected | Left Office | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tangaroa Tangaroa | Independent | 1965, 1968 | 1983 | Joined new party | |
| Democratic Party | 1972, 1974, 1978 | Unknown | |||
| Nihi Vini | Democratic Party | 1989 | 1994 | Changed parties | |
| Cook Islands Party | - | Defeated | |||
| Tepure Tapaitau | Cook Islands Party | 1994, 1999 | 2002 by-election | Changed parties | |
| Independent | - | Defeated in by-election | |||
| Wilkie Rasmussen | Cook Islands Party | 2002 by-election, 2004 | 2014 | Changed parties | |
| Democratic Party | 2004, 2006, 2010 | Defeated | |||
| Willie John | Cook Islands Party | 2014 | 2018 | Defeated | |
| Robert Tapaitau | Independent | 2018 | 2024 | Changed party | |
| Cook Islands Party | 2022 | Lost his seat due to criminal conviction | |||
| Sarakura Tapaitau | Independent | 2024 by-election | 2026 | Defeated | |
| Vaine Wichman | Cook Islands Party | 2026 | incumbent | ||
Election results
2026 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Islands | Vaine Wichman | 71 | 58.7 | ||
| Independent | Sarakura Tapaitau† | 50 | 41.3 | ||
| Turnout | 121 | ||||
| Cook Islands gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
| † incumbent | |||||
2006 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wilkie Rasmussen | Unopposed | |||
2004 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Islands | Wilkie Rasmussen | 103 | 52.3 | ||
| Democratic | Tepure Tapaitau | 94 | 47.7 | ||
| Turnout | 197 | 102.1 | |||
2002 byelection
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Islands | Wilkie Rasmussen | 104 | 51.0 | ||
| Independent | Tepure Tapaitau | 100 | 49.0 | ||
| Turnout | 204 | ||||