Overview
- Preliminary counts that trended in on Thursday, August 13 show Prime Minister Mark Brown won his seat and the Cook Islands Party emerged as the largest bloc with about 12 of 24 seats in early returns.
- Final results remain incomplete because voting on at least one remote island was delayed by bad weather and multiple seats are to be formally confirmed, leaving independents with the balance of power.
- Party leaders have signalled immediate negotiations, with Brown saying he is confident of building a majority by working with independents to form a coalition government.
- Voters prioritised the cost of living and utility bills while the election also focused on contested seabed mining, where opposition leaders have pledged a national referendum before any extraction.
- Mark Brown’s 2025 agreements with China strained ties with New Zealand and prompted a temporary aid pause that was later eased by a defence pact, so the outcome of government formation will shape the Cook Islands’ stance on deep‑sea mining and its international partnerships.