# 1948 Saskatchewan general election

The 1948 Saskatchewan general election, the eleventh in the history of the province, was held on June 24, 1948, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation government of Premier Tommy Douglas, first elected in 1944, was re-elected with a majority in the legislature.

## Summary

Tommy Douglas' Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) was re-elected with a reduced majority. While the CCF had won an outright majority of the popular vote in the 1944 election, the party won a large plurality in 1948, while seeing their seat share fall to 31 out of 51 in the Assembly.
Although the share of the popular vote won by Walter Tucker's Liberal Party fell by almost five percentage points, the party increased its representation in the legislature from 5 seats to 19.
The Social Credit Party, which had won 2 seats and 16% of the popular vote in the 1938 election—only to disappear in the 1944 election—returned to win over 8% of the vote, but no seats.
The Progressive Conservative Party, led by Rupert Ramsay, continued to decline, and was also shut out of the legislature.
In some ridings, the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals ran joint candidates in failed attempts to defeat the CCF. These candidates ran as Liberal-PC or Conservative Liberal candidates. The lone successful such candidate—Alex "Hammy" McDonald—immediately joined the Liberal caucus upon being sworn in as an MLA.

## Results

| Party | Party | Party Leader | # of candidates | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular Vote | Popular Vote | Popular Vote |
| Party | Party | Party Leader | # of candidates | 1944 | Elected | % Change | # | % | % Change |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Tommy Douglas | 52 | 47 | 31 | -34.0% | 236,900 | 47.56% | -5.57% |
| | Liberal | Walter Tucker | 41 | 5 | 19 | +280% | 152,400 | 30.60% | -4.82% |
| | Social Credit | | 36 | – | – | – | 40,268 | 8.09% | +8.03% |
| | Independent | Independent | 5 | – | 1 | +1000% | 11,088 | 2.23% | +2.05% |
| | Conservative Liberal (Alexander H. McDonald) | Conservative Liberal (Alexander H. McDonald) | 1 | * | 1 | * | 5,251 | 1.05% | * |
| | Progressive Conservative | Rupert Ramsay | 9 | – | – | – | 37,986 | 7.63% | -3.06% |
| | Liberal-PC | Liberal-PC | 3 | * | – | * | 9,574 | 1.92% | * |
| | Independent Liberal | Independent Liberal | 1 | * | – | * | 3,299 | 0.66 | * |
| | Labour Progressive | | 1 | – | – | – | 1,301 | 0.26% | -0.26% |
| Total | Total | Total | 149 | 52 | 52 | – | 498,067 | 100% | |
| Source: Elections Saskatchewan ||||||||||
Note: * Party did not nominate candidates in previous election.

### Percentages

Popular vote
CCF
47.56%
Liberal
30.60%
Social Credit
8.09%
PC
7.63%
Others
6.12% :
Seats summary
CCF
59.62%
Liberal
36.54%
Others
3.85% :

### Ranking

| Party | Seats | Second | Third | Fourth |
| Co-operative Commonwealth | 31 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Liberal | 19 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| Independent/Other parties | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Social Credit | 0 | 2 | 31 | 3 |
| Progressive Conservative | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 |

## Riding results

Names in bold represent cabinet ministers and the Speaker. Party leaders are italicized. The symbol " ** " indicates MLAs who are not running again.

### Northwestern Saskatchewan

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | CCF | CCF | Liberal | Liberal | Social Credit | Social Credit | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Athabasca | | Axel Olsen 341 | | | | | | Louis M. Marion (Ind.) 628 Joseph D. Le Chasseur (Ind.) 225 | Louis Marcien Marion |
| Cut Knife | | Isidore Nollet 3,027 | | William Bradley 1,531 | | Fred F. Wilson 1,642 | | | Isidore Charles Nollet |
| Meadow Lake | | Herschel Howell 2,635 | | William Lofts 3,307 | | John W. Evanishen 1,081 | | | Herschel Lee Howell |
| Redberry | | Dmytro Lazorko 2,357 | | Bernard Korchinski 2,571 | | | | Robert C. Glen (PC) 643 | Dmytro Matthew Lazorko |
| Rosthern | | Wilbert S. Henschel 959 | | Walter Tucker 2,964 | | George W. Beilhartz 1,736 | | | Peter J. Hooge** |
| Shellbrook | | Louis Larsen 2,981 | | W.R. Vincent 2,806 | | George J. Klein 959 | | | Guy Franklin Van Eaton** |
| The Battlefords | | Alex Connon 3,554 | | Paul Prince 3,990 | | | | | Alexander Duff Connon |
| Turtleford | | Bob Wooff 2,280 | | Leo Trippe 2,462 | | Matthew Slager 1,357 | | | Robert Hanson Wooff |
February 4, 1950 By-Election: The Battlefords :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Maher | 3,296 | 48.22% | -4.67 |
| | CCF | Alex Connon | 3,158 | 46.20% | -0.91 |
| | Prog. Conservative | David J. Thiessen | 381 | 5.58% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 6,835 | 100.00% | |

### Northeastern Saskatchewan

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | CCF | CCF | Liberal | Liberal | Social Credit | Social Credit | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Cumberland | | Joseph Johnson 425 | | Lorne Blanchard 656 | | | | Joseph Maxim Buote (Ind.) 40 | Les Walter Lee** |
| Humboldt | | Ben Putnam 2,657 | | Arnold Loehr 2,689 | | Joseph A. Thauberger 2,515 | | | Ben Putnam |
| Kelvington | | Peter Howe 2,991 | | Gladstone Mansfield Ferrie 2,639 | | Frederick A. Patrick 1,225 | | | Peter Anton Howe |
| Kinistino | | William J. Boyle 2,991 | | William C. Woods 3,086 | | | | | William James Boyle |
| Melfort | | Oakland Valleau 4,035 | | John Egnatoff 4,065 | | | | | Oakland Woods Valleau |
| Prince Albert | | Larry McIntosh 6,944 | | Charles McIntosh 6,052 | | Ralph Ernst 579 | | | Lachlan Fraser McIntosh |
| Tisdale | | John Hewgill Brockelbank 5,242 | | Donald L.W. Hood 3,980 | | | | William Lucas Hayes (PC) 1,171 | John Hewgill Brockelbank |
| Torch River | | John Denike 2,260 | | Harold Guloien 1,779 | | Leo Nile Nicholson 1,448 | | | John Bruce Harris** |

### West Central Saskatchewan

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | CCF | CCF | Liberal | Liberal | Social Credit | Social Credit | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Arm River | | E.L. Heinrich 2,263 | | Gustaf Herman Danielson 3,400 | | Gabriel J. Giesinger 689 | | | Gustaf Herman Danielson |
| Biggar | | Woodrow Lloyd 3,695 | | Andrew S. Shaw 2,987 | | | | | Woodrow Stanley Lloyd |
| Hanley | | Robert A. Walker 2,417 | | Clayton L. Pascoe 2,366 | | Frederick E. Roluf 512 | | Emmett M. Hall (PC) 1,025 | James Smith Aitken** |
| Kerrobert-Kindersley | | John Wellbelove 3,333 | | Fred Larson 3,155 | | Norman Wildman 1,063 | | | John Wellbelove |
| Rosetown | | John T. Douglas 3,647 | | | | | | Alvin Hamilton (PC) 3,218 | John Taylor Douglas |
| Watrous | | James A. Darling 2,968 | | Andrew William Michayluk 2,829 | | Martin Kelln 1,092 | | | James Andrew Darling |
| Wilkie | | Hans O. Hansen 2,566 | | John W. Horsman 3,143 | | George K. Nicholson 1,110 | | O. Allen Bently (PC) 329 | Hans Ove Hansen |

### East Central Saskatchewan

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | CCF | CCF | Liberal | Liberal | Social Credit | Social Credit | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Canora | | Alex Kuziak 3,104 | | Stephen T. Shabbits 2,453 | | Stanley W. Gorchynski 1,801 | | | Myron Henry Feeley** |
| Last Mountain | | Jacob Benson 3,755 | | James Wilfrid Gardiner 3,001 | | Godfrey Kelln 1,219 | | | Jacob Benson |
| Melville | | George T. Webster 4,690 | | Patrick Deshaye 5,302 | | John W. Hauser 1,014 | | | Bill Arthurs** |
| Pelly | | Dan Daniels 2,476 | | John G. Banks 2,646 | | John W. Kowalyshen 1,020 | | William M. Berezowski (Labour Prog.) 1,301 | Daniel Zederayko Daniels |
| Saltcoats | | Joseph L. Phelps 3,620 | | Asmundur Loptson 3,945 | | George A. Dulmage 807 | | | Joseph Lee Phelps |
| Touchwood | | Tom Johnston 2,627 | | John Joseph Collins 2,459 | | Harold Fletcher 1,097 | | | Tom Johnston |
| Wadena | | Frederick Dewhurst 4,218 | | Halldor K. Halldorson 2,930 | | Denis Dunlop 729 | | | Frederick Arthur Dewhurst |
| Yorkton | | Arthur Swallow 3,795 | | Andrew M. Kindred 3,256 | | Joshua N. Haldeman 1,792 | | | Arthur Percy Swallow |

### Southwest Saskatchewan

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | CCF | CCF | Liberal | Liberal | Social Credit | Social Credit | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Elrose | | Maurice J. Willis 4,153 | | | | | | Harry N. McKenzie (Ind. Liberal) 3,299 | Maurice John Willis |
| Gravelbourg | | Henry Houze 2,525 | | Edward Culliton 2,935 | | Milton A. Wilson 404 | | | Henry Edmund Houze |
| Gull Lake | | Alvin C. Murray 4,251 | | | | William E. Cowie 936 | | Jonas A. Johnson (Liberal-PC) 2,983 | Alvin Cecil Murray |
| Maple Creek | | Beatrice J. Trew 2,590 | | Alexander C. Cameron 2,920 | | A.J. Miller 2,491 | | | Beatrice Janet Trew |
| Morse | | James W. Gibson 3,069 | | Ronald D. Miller 2,465 | | Fred Erhardt 694 | | John K. Rosa (PC) 481 | James William Gibson |
| Notukeu-Willow Bunch | | Niles Leonard Buchanan 4,048 | | Hans Loken 3,483 | | | | | Niles Leonard Buchanan |
| Swift Current | | Harry Gibbs 5,273 | | Clarence J. Orton 5,091 | | | | | Harry Gibbs |
November 10, 1949 By-Election: Gull Lake :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | CCF | Thomas Bentley | 3,627 | 51.36% | -0.67 |
| | Liberal | Harold M. Haney | 2,792 | 39.54% | – |
| | Prog. Conservative | Charles H. Howlett | 643 | 9.10% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 7,062 | 100.00% | |
July 10, 1951 By-Election: Gravelbourg :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | CCF | Edward H. Walker | 2,571 | 50.76% | +7.70 |
| | Liberal | Ronald A. MacLean | 2,494 | 49.24% | -0.81 |
| Total | Total | Total | 5,065 | 100.00% | |

### Southeast Saskatchewan

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | CCF | CCF | Liberal | Liberal | Social Credit | Social Credit | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Bengough | | Allan L.S. Brown 3,599 | | Archie V. Wightman 2,627 | | Arnold L. Meginbir 705 | | | Allan L. Samuel Brown |
| Cannington | | Ralph Hjertaas 3,422 | | William Patterson 4,687 | | Peter Franchuk 500 | | | William John Patterson |
| Lumsden | | William S. Thair 2,876 | | Henry P. Mang 2,220 | | Gustav D. Pelzer 744 | | Arthur M. Pearson (PC) 1,003 | William Sancho Thair |
| Milestone | | Jacob Erb 2,803 | | | | George M. Howell 1,020 | | Lionel Aston (Liberal-PC) 2,363 | Frank Keem Malcolm** |
| Moosomin | | Ivan Burden 3,442 | | | | | | Alex "Hammy" McDonald (Conservative-Liberal) 5,251 | Arthur Thomas Procter** |
| Qu'Appelle-Wolseley | | Warden Burgess 3,903 | | Frederick M. Dundas 4,470 | | Evert F. Josephson 1,253 | | | Warden Burgess |
| Souris-Estevan | | Charles Cuming 4,741 | | John E. McCormack 4,924 | | John K. Strachan 417 | | | Charles David Cuming |
| Weyburn | | Tommy Douglas 6,273 | | | | Isabel Paxman 638 | | F. Charles Eaglesham (Liberal-PC) 4,228 | Tommy Douglas |
November 10, 1949 By-Election: Cannington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Rosscoe A. McCarthy | 4,200 | 54.06% | -0.38 |
| | CCF | Edward G. McCullough | 3,569 | 45.94% | +6.19 |
| Total | Total | Total | 7,769 | 100.00% | |

### Urban constituencies

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | CCF | CCF | Liberal | Liberal | Social Credit | Social Credit | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Moose Jaw City | | John Wesley Corman 7,534 D. Henry R. Heming 7,331 | | | | | | H. Gordon Young (Ind.) 5,240 J. Fraser McClellan (Ind.) 4,955 | John Wesley Corman Dempster Henry R. Heming |
| Saskatoon City | | John Henry Sturdy 14,970 Arthur T. Stone 14,295 | | L. Charles Sherman 11,551 | | Malcolm J. Haver 1,959 | | Rupert D. Ramsay (PC) 13,376 | John Henry Sturdy Arthur T. Stone |
| Regina City | | Charlie Williams 20,475 Clarence Fines 20,474 | | Wilfred G. Brown 16,578 | | Walter E. Stowe 1,049 Anthony E. Kovatch 971 | | Allan W. Embury (PC) 16,740 | Charles Cromwell Williams Clarence Melvin Fines |