Hans Fries

Who is Hans Fries?

Hans Fries was a Manitoba politician and perennial candidate for the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and New Democratic Party. In 1961, he campaigned for the leadership of the Manitoba New Democratic Party.

Fries had previously campaigned for the federal Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in the elections of 1957 and 1958. Running in Brandon-Souris, where the party had very little traditional support, he placed well behind victorious Progressive Conservative candidate Walter Dinsdale on both occasions.

Fries also ran for the provincial CCF in Brandon in the province's 1958 and 1959 elections. Both times, he again finished well behind the Progressive Conservative winner. In the 1959 campaign, he attracted controversy within the CCF after describing party leader Lloyd Stinson as "not qualified".

Like Cliff Matthews, Fries was an "outsider candidate" in the provincial NDP's 1961 leadership contest. He had virtually no support base within the party, and finished well behind Russell Paulley, the ongoing leader of the provincial CCF.

Fries ran for the NDP in Brandon in the provincial election of 1962, but fared no better than before. He seems to have left political life after this time.