Charles Edward Johnston | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 1935–1958 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Joseph Garland |
| Succeeded by | Eldon Woolliams |
| Constituency | Bow River |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
| In office 1959–1967 | |
| Preceded by | New District |
| Succeeded by | Len Werry |
| Constituency | Calgary Bowness |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 12, 1899 Bay Mills, Michigan, United States |
| Died | December 1, 1971 (aged 72) Houston, Texas, United States |
| Political party | Social Credit |
Charles Edward Johnston (February 12, 1899 – December 1, 1971) was a teacher and a long serving Canadian politician. He served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada for the opposition federal Social Credit party from 1935 to 1958. He moved to provincial politics and served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1959 to 1967 for the governing Alberta Social Credit party.[1]
Johnston first ran for the House of Commons of Canada as a Social Credit candidate in the 1935 Canadian federal election. He defeated incumbent Member of Parliament Edward Joseph Garland to win his first term in office.[2] Johnston ran for re-election in the 1940 Canadian federal election. The election was hotly contested, he defeated four other candidates including former Alberta provincial Member of the Legislative Assembly Aylmer Liesemer.[3]
Johnston would increase his margin of victory winning his third term in office defeating four other candidates in the 1945 Canadian federal election.[4] The 1949 Canadian federal election would bring Johnston his largest vote total as he defeated five other candidates to win his fourth consecutive term in office.[5] He would be re-elected to a fifth term in office with another comfortable plurality in the 1953 Canadian federal election.[6] Johnston would suffer near defeat in the 1957 Canadian federal election winning by just 300 votes over Progressive Conservative candidate Eldon Woolliams.[7] Parliament would be dissolved a year later, and this time Johnston would be defeated in a landslide, after facing Woolliams once again in the 1958 Canadian federal election.[8]
After being defeated from federal politics he would run for a seat to the Alberta Legislature as the governing Alberta Social Credit candidate in the new provincial electoral district of Calgary Bowness. He would win his first term in office with a landslide taking almost 60% of the popular vote.[9] He was re-elected to a second term in office in the 1963 Alberta general election. His popular vote would decline but he still won his district with more than 50%.[10] Johnston ran for a third term in office in the 1967 general election. He was defeated in a closely contested race by Progressive Conservative candidate Len Werry.[11]
Johnston died on December 1, 1971.