This is the electoral history of Tommy Douglas, the seventh premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961.

In addition to his role as premier, Douglas was a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan during the same time period for the constituency of Weyburn. Having earlier served as a CCF member of the House of Commons of Canada for Weyburn from 1935 to 1944, Douglas re-entered federal politics in 1961 when he became the first leader of the newly-created New Democratic Party (NDP). He served as an NDP member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1962 to 1968 and 1969 to 1979, and he stepped down from the role of party leader in 1971.

Overview +Electoral history of Tommy Douglas — Provincial and federal general elections Year Type Party VotesSeatsPosition Total % Total±1944Provincial Co-operativeCommonwealth211,36453.1% +34.4% +371948236,90047.6%−5.5%−161952291,70554.1% +6.5% +111956249,63445.3%−8.8%−61960276,84640.8%−4.5% +11962FederalNew Democratic1,044,75413.57%N/AN/A19631,044,70113.22%−0.35% −219651,381,65817.91% +4.69% +419681,378,26316.96%−0.95% +1

+Electoral history of Tommy Douglas — Provincial and federal constituency elections Year Type Riding Party Votes for Douglas Result Swing Total % . 1934Provincial generalWeyburnFarmer–Labour1,34325.84%3rdN/AGain 1935 Federal general Weyburn Co-operativeCommonwealth 7,280 45.00% 1st N/A Gain19408,50952.10%1st +7.10% Hold1944Provincial generalWeyburn5,60561.63%1stN/A Gain19486,27356.31%1st−5.32% Hold19526,02059.86%1st +3.55% Hold19564,93048.17%1st−11.69% Hold19605,05448.43%1st +0.26% Hold1962Federal generalRegina CityNew Democratic12,73628.94%2ndN/AHold1962Federal by-electionBurnaby—Coquitlam16,31350.43%1stN/A Hold1963Federal general19,06746.37%1st−4.06% Hold196522,55352.92%1st +6.55% Hold1968Burnaby—Seymour17,75344.89%2ndN/AGain1969Federal by-election19,73057.03%1stN/A Hold1972Federal general25,48356.93%1st−0.10% Hold

+Electoral history of Tommy Douglas — party leadership elections Year Party Votes % . Result 1942 Saskatchewan Co-operative Commonwealth not announced 1st 1943 not announced 1st 1961 Federal New Democratic Party 1,391 78.5% 1st

Provincial constituency elections Douglas stood for election to the Legislative Assembly in six general elections, all in the constituency of Weyburn. He was defeated in his first election, in 1934, but was elected in the five general elections from 1944 to 1960.Saskatchewan Archives — Election Results by Electoral Division.

1934 general election

+ General Election, June 19, 1934: WeyburnPartyCandidatePopular Vote % E Hugh Elliott Eaglesham 2,281 43.89% X Robert Sterritt Leslie 1,544 29.71% Tommy Douglas 1,343 25.84% Independent James Logan Coltart 29 0.56%Total 5,197 100.00%Source: Saskatchewan Archives — Election Results by Electoral Division

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1944 general election + General Election, June 15, 1944: WeyburnPartyCandidatePopular Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Federation E Tommy Douglas 5,605 61.63% James Weyburn Adolphe 3,489 38.37%Total 9,094 100.00%Source: Saskatchewan Archives — Election Results by Electoral Division

E Elected.

1948 general election

+ General Election, June 24, 1948: WeyburnPartyCandidatePopular Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Federation E X Tommy Douglas 6,273 56.31% Liberal-Progressive Conservative Fergus Charles Eaglesham4,228 37.96% Isabel Paxman638 5.73%Total 11,139 100.00%Source: Saskatchewan Archives — Election Results by Electoral Division

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1952 general election

+ General Election, June 11, 1952: WeyburnPartyCandidatePopular Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Federation E X Tommy Douglas 6,020 59.86% Donald Morrow 4,037 40.14%Total 10,057 100.00%Source: Saskatchewan Archives — Election Results by Electoral Division

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1956 general election

+ General Election, June 20, 1956: WeyburnPartyCandidatePopular Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Federation E X Tommy Douglas 4,930 48.17% Junior Herbert Staveley 4,234 41.37% Gustav Theodore Froese 1,070 10.46%Total 10,234 100.00%Source: Saskatchewan Archives — Election Results by Electoral Division

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1960 general election

+ General Election, June 8, 1960: WeyburnPartyCandidatePopular Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Federation X Tommy Douglas 5,054 48.43% Junior Herbert Staveley 4,453 42.67% Hugh McGillivray 621 5.95% William Tabor 307 2.94%Total 10,435 99.99%1Source: Saskatchewan Archives — Election Results by Electoral Division

X Elected. X Incumbent. 1 Rounding error.

Provincial general elections Douglas led the CCF in five general elections: 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960. He won a majority government each time.

1944 general election

The 1944 election was one of the most lopsided in Saskatchewan history. The CCF won 47 seats in the Legislative Assembly, with the Liberals reduced to only five seats.

+ Saskatchewan general election: June 15, 1944Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular VotePercentageCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Tommy Douglas1 47 211,364 53.13%William John Patterson2 5 140,901 35.42%Rupert Ramsay 0 42,511 10.69%– 0 2,067 0.52%– 0 705 0.18%Joseph Needham 0 249 0.06%Independent Liberal – 0 5 0.00%3Total 52 397,802 100.0% Source: Elections Saskatchewan — Elections Results — 1944

1 Member of the federal Parliament until shortly before the election was called; Premier after election. 2 Premier when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after election. 3 Rounds to zero.

1948 general election

Douglas led the CCF in the 1948 election, and again won a majority, but with a much reduced seat count. The Liberals made significant comeback under a new leader, Walter Tucker, but remained the Official Opposition.

+ Saskatchewan general election: June 24, 1948Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular VotePercentageCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Tommy Douglas1 31 236,900 47.56%Walter Tucker2 19 152,400 30.60%– 1 11,088 2.23%Conservative Liberal–1 5,251 1.05%– 0 40,268 8.09%Rupert Ramsay 0 37,986 7.63%Liberal-Progressive Conservative–0 9,574 1.92%Independent Liberal – 0 3,299 0.66%– 0 1,301 0.26%Total 52 498,067 100.00% Source: Elections Saskatchewan — Elections Results — 1948

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after election.

1952 general election

In his third general election, Douglas again led the CCF to a majority government, with an increased seat count from the 1948 election. The Liberals remained the Official Opposition.

+ Saskatchewan general election: June 11, 1952Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular VotePercentageCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Tommy Douglas1 42 291,705 54.06%Walter Tucker2 11 211,882 39.27%– 0 21,045 3.90%Alvin Hamilton 0 10,648 1.97%Independent Progressive Conservative – 0 1,542 0.29%– 0 1,517 0.28%– 0 1,151 0.21%Independent Liberal – 0 103 0.02%Total 53 539,593 100.00% Source: Elections Saskatchewan — Elections Results — 1952

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after election.

1956 general election

In his fourth general election, Douglas again led the CCF to a majority government, with a reduced seat count from the 1952 election. The Liberals remained the Official Opposition, with a new leader, Alexander Hamilton McDonald.

+ Saskatchewan general election: June 20, 1956Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular VotePercentageCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Tommy Douglas1 36 249,634 45.25%Alexander Hamilton McDonald2 14 167,427 30.34%– 3 118,491 21.48%Alvin Hamilton 0 10,921 1.98%– 0 4,714 0.85%– 0 536 0.10%Total 53 551,723 100.00% Source: Elections Saskatchewan — Elections Results — 1956

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after election.

1960 general election

In his fifth and last general election, Douglas again led the CCF to a majority government. The Liberals remained the Official Opposition under a new leader, Ross Thatcher.

+ Saskatchewan general election: June 20, 1960Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular VotePercentageCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Tommy Douglas1 37 276,846 40.76%Ross Thatcher2 17 221,932 32.67%Martin Pederson 0 94,737 13.95%– 0 83,895 12.35%– 0 1,417 0.21%– 0 380 0.06%Total 54 679,207 100.00% Source: Elections Saskatchewan — Elections Results — 1960

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party without seat in the Assembly when election called; Leader of the Opposition after election.

Federal constituency elections Douglas stood for election to the House of Common ten times, in two different provinces (Saskatchewan and British Columbia), and in five different ridings. He was elected eight times and defeated twice.

1935 general election

+ Federal Election, 1935: Weyburn, SaskatchewanParty Candidate Popular Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Federation E Tommy Douglas 7,280 45.0% X Edward James Young 6,979 43.14% George Beischel 1,557 9.62% Morton Allison Fletcher 3622.24%Total 16,178 100.00%Source: Library of Parliament – Weyburn

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1940 general election

+ Federal Election, 1940: Weyburn, SaskatchewanParty Candidate Popular Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Federation E X Tommy Douglas 8,509 52.10% Thomas Niddrie Metheral 7,554 46.25% United Reform John Harrison Hilton 269 1.65%Total 16,332 100.00%Source: Library of Parliament – Weyburn

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1962 general election

+ Federal Election, 1962: Regina City, SaskatchewanParty Candidate Popular Vote % E X Ken More 22,164 50.36% New Democratic Party Tommy Douglas 12,736 28.94% Frederick Johnson 7,529 17.11% Arthur F. Boehme 1,5833.60%Total 44,012 100.01%1Source: Library of Parliament – Regina City

E Elected. X Incumbent. 1 Rounding error.

1962 by-election

+ Federal By-Election, October 22, 1962: Burnaby—Coquitlam, British ColumbiaParty Candidate Popular Vote % New Democratic Party E Tommy Douglas 16,313 50.43% Warren R. Clark 8,029 24.82% René J. Gamache 5,282 16.33% Eric Greenwood 2,562 7.92% Independent George D. Burnham 162 0.50%Total 32,348 100.00%Source: Library of Parliament – Burnaby—Coquitlam

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the incumbent NDP member, Erhart Regier, to allow Douglas, the party leader, to win a seat in the House of Commons. E Elected.

1963 general election

+ Federal Election, 1963: Burnaby—Coquitlam, British ColumbiaParty Candidate Popular Vote % New Democratic Party E X Tommy Douglas 19,067 46.37% Tom Kent 14,148 34.40% Lyn Morrow 3,990 9.70% René J. Gamache 3,917 9.53%Total 41,122 100.00%Source: Library of Parliament – Burnaby—Coquitlam

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1965 general election

+ Federal Election, 1965: Burnaby—Coquitlam, British ColumbiaParty Candidate Popular Vote % New Democratic Party E X Tommy Douglas 22,553 52.92% Dick Hayes 12,090 28.37% James Morris Kennedy 5,308 12.46% Mike Allen 2,662 6.25%Total 42,613 100.00%Source: Library of Parliament – Burnaby—Coquitlam

E Elected. X Incumbent.

1968 general election

+ Federal Election, 1968: Burnaby—Seymour, British ColumbiaParty Candidate Popular Vote % E Ray Perrault 17,891 45.23% New Democratic Party X Tommy Douglas 17,753 44.89% Charles MacLean 3,206 8.11% Ron Price 702 1.77%Total 39,552 100.00%Source: Library of Parliament – Burnaby—Seymour

E Elected. X Incumbent (before redistribution).

1969 by-election

+ Federal By-election, February 10, 1969: Nanaimo—Cowichan—The Islands, British ColumbiaParty Candidate Popular Vote % New Democratic Party E Tommy Douglas 19,730 57.03% Eric W. Winch 12,897 37.28% Magdalenus Verbrugge 1,966 5.68%Total 34,593 99.99%1Source: Library of Parliament – Nanaimo—Cowichan—The Islands