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♂ William Andrew Cecil Bennett
aliasW.A.C. (Cece) Bennett
Record
4117 · 7630

☆  ∞1
Type of record
Elected candidate ✓
Known but unelected candidate
Perennial candidate		 Deceased Performance: 92%
  ✓ ✗ ∑
Canada 0 1 1
British Columbia 11 0 11
Total 11 1 12
Birth 6 September 1900 → 123 years + 7 months ago
Lived 78 years + 5 months
First mandate 21 October 1941 → 82 years + 6 months ago
↳ at age 41 years + 1 month
Death 23 February 1979 → 45 years + 2 months ago
Exit → Death 5 years + 8 months after 5 June 1973
Special notes
None
 
William Andrew Cecil (W.A.C.) Bennett (1900–1979)
© Photo 1955 Duncan Cameron — Public domain
Family tie with other documented individual
⊖ William R. Bennett (1932–2015) Son  
 
Well that's interesting!
Bennett became premier of British Columbia after the Social Credit Party's surprise electoral victory in 1952. He remained in that position for 20 years — a provincial record.
 

Length of service in elected office

Legislature Total Government Opposition
years months days years months days years months days
British Columbia 30 6 6 Z

Leadership roles

  Duration
# Legislature Party M Int Role Age Dates y m d
1. BC 23–30
SC
 1 Party leader 51–72 15 Jul 1952 — 05 Jun 1973 20 10 21
2. BC 23–29
SC
 1 Premier 51–71 15 Jul 1952 — 29 Aug 1972 20 1 14
3. BC 30
SC
 1 Opposition Leader 71–72 30 Aug 1972 — 05 Jun 1973 0 9 6

Electoral history

Races 12  
Path points 14  
3 documented challengers
⊖ Cecil R. Bull  m  (3 runoffs)
⊖ Frank Snowsell  m 
 		 ⊖ Owen L. Jones  m 
 
Eligible: 7,312 Votes: 5,383 Participation: 73.62% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
20		 British Columbia
21 October 1941
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Minority
 COAL  9 Dec 1941
ID: 29546(F) — 24 Jul 2023 16:13 ET
✓
 → New to this legislature
Age
41
CONS
 1/3 2,009 37.69% +240 Loser:
LIB
 1,769 33.19% Cecil R. Bull
After his election:
9 Dec 1941 41
LIB
 →
CONS
 Change of government (became part of government)
10 Dec 1942 42
CONS
 →
PC
 Changed allegiance (remained in government)
Service: 4 years 3 days (Oppo. & Gov't)
Eligible: 8,159 Votes: 5,908 Participation: 72.41% Candidacies: 2
Provincial
21		 British Columbia
25 October 1945
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  COAL  Majority
ID: 29596(F) — 23 Sep 2022 12:41 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
45
PC
 1/2 3,706 64.25% +1,644 Loser:
CFF
 2,062 35.75% Gladys A. Webster
After his election:
17 May 1948 47
PC
 →
Vac.
 Unsuccessfully ran federally
Service: 2 years 6 months 22 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 29,287 Votes: 28,291 Participation: 96.60% Candidacies: 3
Federal
20		 British Columbia
31 May 1948
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 23372(F) — 16 Aug 2021 01:28 ET
✗
 Failed to enter Parliament
Age
47
PC
 2/3 7,953 28.11% -4,885 Winner:
CCF
 12,838 45.38% Owen L. Jones
Eligible: 14,432 Votes: 9,423 Participation: 65.29% Candidacies: 2
Provincial
21		 British Columbia
29 November 1948
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  COAL  Majority
ID: 30222(F) — 23 Sep 2022 12:42 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
48		 Successor:
PC
 5,088 54.00% Robert D. Browne-Clayton
Eligible: 14,432 Votes: 11,395 Participation: 78.96% Candidacies: 2
Provincial
22		 British Columbia
15 June 1949
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  COAL  Majority
 LIB  19 Jan 1952
ID: 29637(F) — 24 Jul 2023 16:50 ET
✓
 → Returned to this legislature after hiatus
Age
48
PC
 1/2 6,555 58.40% +1,886 Loser:
CFF
 4,669 41.60% Thomas Wilkinson
After his election:
15 Oct 1951 51
PC
 →
SCL
 Changed allegiance (joined opposition)
19 Jan 1952 51
COAL
 →
LIB
 Change of government (remained in opposition)
Service: 2 years 11 months 27 days (Gov't & Oppo.)
Eligible: 16,586 Votes: 12,413 Participation: 74.84% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
23		 British Columbia
12 June 1952
General
Instant runoff/Alt.
Gov't  SC  Minority
ID: 29760(F) — 4 Mar 2022 09:36 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
51
SC
 1/4 6,082 51.24% +3,428 Loser:
CFF
 2,654 22.36% Thomas Wilkinson

Service: 11 months 28 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 14,773 Votes: 12,024 Participation: 81.39% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
24		 British Columbia
10 June 1953
General
Instant runoff/Alt.
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29811(F) — 30 Jul 2021 23:22 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
52
SC
 1/4 6,756 58.51% +4,329 Loser:
CFF
 2,427 21.02% Thomas Wilkinson

Service: 3 years 3 months 8 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 15,446 Votes: 11,224 Participation: 72.67% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
25		 British Columbia
19 September 1956
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29862(F) — 30 Jul 2021 23:22 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
56
SC
 1/4 7,694 69.70% +6,031 Loser:
CFF
 1,663 15.07% Walter Ratzlaff

Service: 3 years 11 months 23 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 18,051 Votes: 13,755 Participation: 76.20% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
26		 British Columbia
12 September 1960
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29909(F) — 30 Jul 2021 23:22 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
60
SC
 1/4 8,058 59.89% +5,156 Loser:
CFF
 2,902 21.57% Walter Ratzlaff

Service: 3 years 17 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 17,714 Votes: 13,437 Participation: 75.86% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
27		 British Columbia
30 September 1963
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29954(F) — 30 Jul 2021 23:22 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
63
SC
 1/4 8,485 63.69% +5,997 Loser:
PC
 2,488 18.68% James Marshall

Service: 2 years 11 months 12 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 16,829 Votes: 12,092 Participation: 71.85% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
28		 British Columbia
12 September 1966
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29996(F) — 30 Jul 2021 23:22 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
66
SC
 1/3 8,747 73.15% +6,811 Loser:
NDP
 1,936 16.19% Thomas Rose

Service: 2 years 11 months 14 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 24,801 Votes: 18,314 Participation: 73.84% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
29		 British Columbia
27 August 1969
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 30053(F) — 30 Jul 2021 23:22 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
68
SC
 1/3 13,074 72.20% +9,996 Loser:
NDP
 3,078 17.00% Eva A. Pfeifer

Service: 3 years 2 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 33,334 Votes: 24,591 Participation: 73.77% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
30		 British Columbia
30 August 1972
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  NDP  Majority
ID: 30101(F) — 4 Mar 2022 19:58 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
71
SC
 1/4 12,122 49.91% +6,062 Loser:
NDP
 6,060 24.95% Frank Snowsell
After his election:
5 Jun 1973 72
SC
 →
Vac.
 Left provincial politics
Service: 9 months 6 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 33,334 Votes: 24,773 Participation: 74.32% Candidacies: 6
Provincial
30		 British Columbia
7 September 1973
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  NDP  Majority
ID: 30113(F) — 4 Mar 2022 19:39 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
73		 Successor:
SC
 9,726 39.47% William R. Bennett

Online biographical references (4)

Bilingual references are counted as a single reference.  Retrieved on
EN Canadian Encyclopedia
W.A.C. Bennett		 24 Apr 2024
FR Encyclopédie canadienne
W.A.C. Bennett		 24 Apr 2024
EN Parliament of Canada (ParlInfo)
The Hon. William Andrew Cecil Bennett, P.C.		 24 Apr 2024
FR Parlement du Canada (ParlInfo)
L'hon. William Andrew Cecil Bennett, C.P.		 24 Apr 2024
EN Wikipedia
W. A. C. Bennett		 24 Apr 2024
FR Wikipédia
W. A. C. Bennett		 24 Apr 2024

© 2019, 2024 :: PoliCan.ca (Maurice Y. Michaud)
Pub.: 22 Jun 2019 17:01
Rev.: 24 Apr 2024 20:34 (but data presented dynamically)

© 2019-2024 :: PoliCan.ca
Given that electoral results are by their very nature public information, such data that can be found in PoliCan are considered to be in the public domain. However, unless indicated otherwise, all other elements — the concept of consolidating these data into a single format, the detailed research on each election, legislature and candidate, the organization and searchability of the data, the programming allowing the entry and maintenance of the data, as well as the analyses and explanatory articles found in this website — are the intellectual property of Maurice Y. Michaud.