Canadian federal election, 1935

Canadian federal election, 1935
Canada
October 14, 1935
245 seats in the 18th Canadian Parliament
123 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader W. L. Mackenzie King R. B. Bennett J. H. Blackmore
Party Liberal Conservative Social Credit
Leader since 1919 1927 1935
Leader's seat Prince Albert Calgary West Lethbridge
Last election 90 134 pre-creation
Seats won 173 39 17
Seat change +83 -95 +17
Popular vote 1,967,839 1,290,671 180,679
Percentage 44.68% 29.84% 4.10%
Swing +0.65pp -18.48pp +4.10pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader J. S. Woodsworth H. H. Stevens
Party Co-operative Commonwealth Reconstruction
Leader since 1932 1935
Leader's seat Winnipeg North Centre Kootenay East
Last election pre-creation pre-creation
Seats won 7 1
Seat change +7 +1
Popular vote 410,125 384,462
Percentage 9.31% 8.73%
Swing +9.31pp +8.73pp

Prime Minister before election

R. B. Bennett
Conservative

 Prime Minister-designate

William Lyon Mackenzie King
Liberal

The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.

The central issue was the economy, which was still in the depths of the Great Depression. Bennett, in office since the 1930 election, had done little to stimulate the economy during his first few years, believing that a policy of high tariffs and trade within the British Empire would correct the depression. In the last months of his time in office, he reversed his position, however, copying the popular New Deal of Franklin Roosevelt in the United States. Upset about high unemployment and inaction by the federal government, voters were unwilling to allow the Conservatives to continue to govern, despite their change of policy.

The Conservatives were also suffering severe internal divisions. During his first years in office, Bennett had alienated those in his party who supported intervention in the economy. His last minute conversion to interventionism alienated the rest of the party. Former cabinet minister H.H. Stevens left to form the Reconstruction Party. Senior minister Sir Joseph Flavelle announced he would be supporting the Liberals.

Voters opted for Mackenzie King's promise of mild reforms to restore economic health. The Liberals crushed the Tories, winning 171 seats to the Conservatives' 39, the worst ever performance by the Tories until their collapse in 1993. The Liberal Party would continue to hold power until 1957.

The 1935 election was also important in it saw the final demise of the Progressive Party and the United Farmers of Alberta. Two new movements rose out of the west, however. The new Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, a social democratic party, first competed in this election and won seven seats, promising social reform. The Social Credit Party of Canada was even more successful, capturing seventeen seats on its platform of monetary reform despite winning less of the popular vote than the former.

The Canadian parliament after the 1935 election

National results

↓
173 39 17 7 9
Liberal Conservative SC CCF O
Party Party leader # of
candidates		 Seats Popular vote
1930 Elected % Change # % pp Change
     Liberal W. L. Mackenzie King 245 90 173 +92.2% 1,967,839 44.68% +0.65
     Conservative R. B. Bennett 228 134 39 -70.9% 1,290,671 29.84% -18.48
Social Credit J. H. Blackmore 46 * 17 * 180,679 4.10% *
     Co-operative Commonwealth J. S. Woodsworth 121 * 7 * 410,125 9.31% *
Liberal–Progressive   5 3 4 +33.3% 29,569 0.67% -0.48
Reconstruction H.H. Stevens 172 * 1 * 384,462 8.73% *
     Independent Liberal 24 - 1   54,239 1.23% +0.86
     Independent 13 2 1 -50.0% 17,207 0.39% -0.16
     United Farmers of Ontario-Labour   1 - 1   7,210 0.39% +0.16
     Independent Conservative 4 - 1   1,078 0.02% -0.24
Communist Tim Buck 12 - - - 20,140 0.46% +0.34
Labour   5 2 - -100% 14,423 0.33% -0.35
     Progressive-Conservative   2 1 - -100% 12,220 0.28% -0.13
     Verdun   1 * - * 4,214 0.10% *
     Anti-Communist   1 * - * 3,961 0.09% *
     Unknown 3 - - - 3,407 0.08% -0.11
     Independent Reconstructionist 1 * 0 * 865 0.02% *
     Technocrat   1 * 0 * 733 0.02% *
     Liberal-Labour   3 - - - 708 0.02% -0.17
Socialist   1 * - * 251 0.01% *
     Independent Labour 1 - - - 221 0.01% -0.41
     Veteran   1 * - * 79 x *
Total 891 245 245 - 4,404,301 100%  
Sources: http://www.elections.ca -- History of Federal Ridings since 1867

Notes:

* The party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

x - less than 0.005% of the popular vote

Vote and seat summaries

Popular vote
Liberal
  
 44.68%
Conservative
  
 29.84%
CCF
  
 9.31%
Social Credit
  
 4.10%
Others
  
 12.07%
Seat totals
Liberal
  
 70.61%
Conservative
  
 15.92%
Social Credit
  
 6.94%
CCF
  
 2.86%
Others
  
 3.67%

Results by province

Party name BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE YK Total
     Liberal Seats won by party: 6 1 16 10 56 59 9 12 4 - 173
     Popular Vote (%): 31.8 21.6 40.8 31.7 42.2 56.0 57.2 52.7 58.3 44.4 44.7
     Conservative Seats: 5 1 1 1 25 5 1 - - 39
     Vote: 24.9 17.6 18.0 27.9 35.8 27.5 31.9 34.5 38.4 29.8
     Co-operative Commonwealth Seats: 3 - 2 2 - -       7
     Vote: 32.7 12.0 21.3 19.4 8.0 0.6     8.8
  Social Credit Seats: - 15 2 -             17
  Vote: 0.6 46.6 17.8 2.0             4.1
  Liberal-Progressive Seats:       4           4
  Vote:       10.5           0.7
  Reconstruction Seats: 1 - - - - - - - -   1
  Vote: 7.3 0.7 1.3 5.9 11.4 9.3 9.7 12.7 3.4   8.7
     Independent Liberal Seats:       - - 1 - -     1
     Vote:     0.2 0.6 3.8 0.4 3     1.2
     Independent Seats: 1     - - - -       1
     Vote: 1.8 0.1 0.2 0.7 0.8     0.4
     UFO-Labour Seats:         1           1
     Vote:         0.5           0.2
     Independent Conservative Seats:         -       1 1
     Vote:         xx       55.6 xx
Total Seats 16 17 21 17 82 65 10 12 4 1 245
Parties that won no seats:
Communist Vote: 0.5 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3         0.5
     Farmer-Labour Vote: 0.3       0.5 0.5         0.3
     Progressive-Conservative Vote:       0.5   0.7         0.1
     Verdun Vote:           0.4         0.1
     Anti-Communist Vote:         0.2           0.1
     Unknown Vote:         0.x 0.x         0.1
     Independent Reconstruction Vote:           0.1         xx
     Technocrat Vote:   0.3                 xx
     Liberal-Labour Vote:           0.1         xx
Socialist Vote: 0.1                   xx
     Independent Labour Vote:           0.x         xx
     Veteran Vote:           0.x         xx

See also

Further reading

References

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