Tubby Hansen

Tubby Hansen
Hansen in 2019
Born
Christopher Michael Hansen

1944 or 1945
OccupationPerennial candidate
Years active1969–present

Christopher Michael "Tubby" Hansen (born 1944 or 1945) is a perennial candidate from Christchurch, New Zealand, who has stood in every general and Christchurch local-body election since 1969. He has never been elected to public office.

Early life and childhood

Hansen grew up in an abusive family with a drunken and violent father. The family settled in Christchurch in 1961 after moving around for railway work. In 1966 he was remanded in Sunnyside Hospital for observation after being charged with assault. He later worked as a freezing worker, and for Temuka Pottery and the Christchurch Gas Company.

Political activism

He first ran for election at the 1969 New Zealand general election, contesting the Sydenham electorate under the banner of "Economic Euthenics", winning 97 votes. He stood again in 1972 as the "Anti Maori – Violence – Pro Apartheid Party", and in 1975 for the Pensioners' Party. He then returned to the party name of "Economic Euthenics", standing in the Sydenham electorate for every election until its abolition in 1996, and then in the Wigram electorate from 1996 to 2023. In the 2026 New Zealand general election he is contesting the electorate of Christchurch Central.

Hansen has also contested local-body elections in Christchurch, beginning with the 1971 Christchurch mayoral election where he won 618 votes. He has contested the Christchurch mayoralty ever since, most recently in 2025, and has stood for other local-body positions as well under a variety of party names, including "Economic Euthenics", "Progressive Nudist", and "a bus for Sommerfield". His candidate blurbs have been described as "precious works of art".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mike Thorpe (17 September 2025). "Tubby Hansen seeks Christchurch mayoralty for 19th time in 2025 race". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Charlie Gates (1 October 2022). "Tubby Hansen, the man who has run unsuccessfully in every Christchurch election since 1969". Stuff. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  3. 1 2 "A wizard, a pastor, and two retirees are among the lesser-known candidates vying for Christchurch's mayoralty". Stuff. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  4. ↑ "Magistrate's Court Youth Who Took Car For Trial Did Not Return". The Press. 11 January 1966. p. 6. Retrieved 24 October 2026 – via Papers Past.
  5. 1 2 "Candidate Has "Party Of Half A Dozen Or So"". The Press. 28 November 1969. p. 16. Retrieved 24 October 2026 – via Papers Past.
  6. ↑ "PROVISIONAL RESULTS IN THE GENERAL ELECTION". The Press. 1 December 1969. p. 14. Retrieved 24 October 2026 – via Papers Past.
  7. ↑ "Significant drop in candidates as nominations close". The Press. 7 November 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 24 October 2026 – via Papers Past.
  8. ↑ "Candidate and party lists released". New Zealand Electoral Commission. 9 October 2026. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "Mayoral majority 1909". The Press. 19 October 1971. p. 18. Retrieved 24 October 2026 – via Papers Past.
  10. ↑ Hayden Donnell (25 September 2019). "Tubby Hansen's voting booklet blurbs are precious works of art". The Spinoff. Retrieved 24 October 2026.