Robert Curran (Canadian politician)

Robert Franklin Curran (February 10, 1883 – 1958) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1927 to 1936.^[1]

Curran was born in Emerson, Manitoba, the son of Robert Curran and Lucy Robinson, and was educated at public schools in the region. He worked as a farmer, and served as president of the United Farmers of Manitoba (UFM) local. In 1908, Curran married Annie Copeland. He first ran for the Manitoba legislature as a UFM candidate in the 1922 provincial election,^[2] but finished third against independent candidate Dmytro Yakimischak in the Emerson constituency.

The UFM won the 1922 election, and governed as the Progressive Party. Curran campaigned as a government candidate in the 1927 election, identifying himself as a Liberal-Progressive. He was elected^[1] in a field of six candidates, with Yakimischak falling to fourth place. Curran served as a backbench supporter of John Bracken's government in the parliament which followed.

In 1932, the Progressive Party forged a formal alliance with the Manitoba Liberal Party, and all government members became known as Liberal-Progressives. Curran ran under this banner again in the 1932 provincial campaign,^[1] and defeated his Conservative opponent by 245 votes.

He was defeated in the 1936 election, losing to Independent Liberal Herbert Wright^[1] by only twenty votes.

References[]