User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Electoral history of James Garfield Gardiner



This article is the Electoral history of James Garfield Gardiner, the fourth Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. He served two non-consecutive terms, the only Saskatchewan Premier to do so, from 1926 to 1929 and from 1934 to 1935.

Gardiner led the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan in two provincial elections, in 1929 and 1934. The 1929 election returned a hung parliament and Gardiner resigned as Premier after being defeated on a confidence vote in the Assembly. He again led the Liberals in the 1934 election and won a majority government. He was the fourth of six Liberal premiers to date.

He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan seven times from 1916 to 1934, five by contested elections and twice by acclamation.

In 1935, Gardiner resigned as Premier in 1935 to enter federal politics and was succeeded as Premier by William Patterson. He was elected to Parliament six times and served as the federal Minister of Agriculture for over twenty-one years, in the governments of William Lyon Mackenzie King and then Louis St. Laurent. He made an unsuccessful attempt to become Prime Minister on King's retirement in 1948, but was defeated by St. Laurent.

He was defeated in his own riding in the federal general election of 1958 and retired from politics.

Summary
Gardiner ranks twelfth out of the fifteen Premiers of Saskatchewan for time in office, from February 26, 1926 to September 9, 1929, and from July 19, 1934 to November 1, 1935. He was in office for a total of 4 years, 300 days. He is the only Premier to date who has served non-consecutive terms.

Gardiner stood for election provincially a total of seven times from 1914 to 1934, in two different ridings, North Qu'Appelle (six times) and Melville (once). He was elected by acclamation twice, and won five contested elections. From 1922 to 1926, he was a member of the Cabinet of Premier Charles Dunning, as Minister of Highways. When Premier Dunning resigned as premier in 1926, Gardiner succeeded him as Liberal leader and Premier.

As Premier, Gardiner led the Liberals in two general elections, in 1929 and 1935. The 1929 election resulted in a hung parliament, with the Liberals having a plurality of seats but not a majority. His government was defeated on a confidence motion in the Assembly and Gardiner resigned. He was replaced as Premier by James Anderson of the Conservative Party, who led a minority government. Gardiner became Leader of the Opposition. He again led the Liberals in the general election of 1934, this time winning a majority government.

Gardiner resigned as Premier in 1935 to enter federal politics. He was succeeded as Liberal leader and Premier by William Patterson.

In November, 1935, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King appointed Gardiner as the Minister of Agriculture. Gardiner then stood for election in the Assiniboia constituency in a by-election and was elected in January, 1936. He held the position of Mininster of Agriculture for over twenty-one years, from 1935 to 1957, under Prime Minister King and then under Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent. He was elected to the House of Commons six times from 1936 to 1957. He retired from politics after losing his seat in the 1958 federal election.

In 1948, when Prime Minister King announced his retirement, Gardiner ran to succeed him as the leader of the federal Liberal party, and thus Prime Minister. Gardiner was defeated at the Liberal leadership convention by St. Laurent.

In total, Gardiner led the Liberals in two provincial general elections and was defeated the first time, and won the second time. He stood for election at the constituency level fourteen times, in seven provincial elections and seven federal elections. He was elected twice by acclamation, eleven times in contested elections, and defeated once.

Saskatchewan general elections, 1929 and 1934
Gardiner led the Liberal Party in two general elections, in 1929 and 1934. The 1929 election resulted in a Conservative minority government, but Gardiner won the 1934 election with a a majority government.

1929 General election
Although Gardiner and the Liberals won pluralities in the popular vote and seats in the Assembly, they did not hold a majority. Gardiner chose to face the Assembly in hopes of obtaining sufficient support from some of the opposition members to maintain his government, but he lost a vote on a confidence matter and resigned. He was replaced as Premier by James Anderson, whose Conservative Party held the second-greatest number of seats.

1 Premier when election was called; lost confidence motion in the Assembly after the election;  resigned as Premier and became Leader of the Opposition. 2 Co-Leader of the Opposition when the election was called; became Premier after successful non-confidence vote.

1934 General election
Gardiner remained leader of the Liberals and led them into the 1934 election, at the depths of the Great Depression. The Liberals won a substantial majority government, taking fifty of the fifty-five seats in the Legislative Assembly. The election was a crushing defeat for the Conservative government under Anderson, failing to win a single seat. The Farmer-Labour Party won five seats and formed the Opposition.

1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Premier after the election. 2 Party leader during the election, but failed to win seat; role as Leader of the Opposition taken by George Hara Williams 3 Premier when election was called; lost seat in the election and retired.

Saskatchewan constituency elections
Gardiner stood for election to the Legislative Assembly seven times, once in a by-election and in six general elections. He was elected six times in the constituency of North Qu'Appelle, and the seventh and last election in the constituency of Melville. He was elected twice by acclamation, and five times in contested elections.

1914 By-election: North Qu'Appelle
The by-election was called on the resignation of the sitting Conservative member, John Archibald McDonald, who admitted to "corrupt practices" by his agent in the 1912 general election.

Elected.

1917 General election: North Qu'Appelle
Elected. X Incumbent.

1921 General election: North Qu'Appelle
Elected. X Incumbent.

1922 By-election: North Qu'Appelle
The by-election was called on Gardiner accepting the position of Minister of Highways in the Cabinet of Premier Dunning, an office of profit under the Crown, on April 5, 1922. Elected. X Incumbent.

1925 General election: North Qu'Appelle
Elected. X Incumbent.

1929 General election: North Qu'Appelle
Elected. X Incumbent.

1934 General election: Melville
Elected. X Incumbent.

Federal constituency elections, 1936 to 1958
Gardiner stood for election to the House of Commons seven times from 1936 to 1958, in two different Saskatchewan ridings (Assiniboia originally, and then Melville for the next six elections). He was elected six times. After his defeat in the 1958 election, he retired from politics.

1936 By-election: Assiniboia
By-election called after the sitting Liberal MP, Robert McKenzie, accepted an office of profit under the Crown on December 9, 1935.

Elected.

1940 General Election: Melville
Elected.

1945 General Election: Melville
Elected.

1949 General Election: Melville
Elected. X Incumbent.

1953 General Election: Melville
Elected. X Incumbent. 1 Rounding error.

1957 General Election: Melville
Elected. X Incumbent.

1958 General Election: Melville
Elected. X Incumbent.

Liberal Party leadership convention, 1948
When King announced his retirement as Liberal leader, Gardiner made a bid for the leadership, but St. Laurent entered the convention as the favourite. King opposed Gardiner and behind the scenes threw his support to St. Laurent. As a result of King's maneuvering, most of the other candidates dropped out in favour of St. Laurent, who won on the first ballot and became Prime Minister.


 * Nominated, but withdrew on the floor of the convention prior to the first ballot.