James Beer

[2] Beer ran as the Democratic party candidate for Murienua in the 2010 Cook Islands general election but was unsuccessful.

Following the resignation of incumbent Tom Marsters he ran again in the 2013 Murienua by-election, but lost to the Cook Islands Party's Kaota Tuariki.

[3] Tuariki subsequently resigned after an electoral petition alleged he had won the seat by bribery,[4] and both candidates contested a second by-election in 2014 in which Beer was elected.

[5] He was subsequently appointed party spokesperson on economic development, trade and energy.

In 2015 he unsuccessfully contested the Democratic Party leadership, losing to William (Smiley) Heather.