Social Credit first appeared in Saskatchewan in the 1935 federal election, when the party received 20% of the popular vote and won two seats in Kindersley and The Battlefords.
With Social Credit (Socreds) having taken power in neighbouring Alberta in 1935, the governing Liberals and opposition Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) both saw the Saskatchewan Socreds as a threat, and campaigned against the party, even characterizing Alberta Social Credit Premier William Aberhart as a "despot intent on ruling the province from Edmonton".
[2][4] In fact, in the subsequent election in 1944, Social Credit virtually disappeared, nominating only one candidate, who received only 249 votes, while the CCF won a large majority government.
During that period, Social Credit was without a leader, and chose to focus on educating the people of Saskatchewan about the party's beliefs and values.
Social Credit contested every provincial election between 1938 and 1967, though the party ran only leader Joseph Needham in 1944.