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. The party fought its first provincial campaign in the
1938 election. 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". In Saskatchewan, the Socreds, nominally under the leadership of Social Credit Member of Parliament
Joseph Needham—Needham served as president of the Saskatchewan Party into the 1940s—earned 15.9% of the popular vote, but only two candidates were elected to the Legislature. 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. The Saskatchewan Socreds, led by
Joshua Haldeman (later grandfather of
Elon Musk), recovered somewhat in the
1948 provincial election. It nominated 36 candidates and received eight per cent of the popular vote, though no candidates were elected. The party surged in the
1956 provincial election, earning 22% of the popular vote and electing three members. Social Credit members ultimately voted against the merger in February 1971. Following the vote, Social Credit emerged as a divided party, and did not contest the 1971 and 1975 provincial elections. 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. However, the party dissolved, never contesting another provincial election. ==Electoral performance==