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William Gilliland

William Floyd Gilliland (December 17, 1890 – September 5, 1961) was a politician from Alberta, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1944 until his death in 1961, as a member of the governing Social Credit caucus.

Gilliland was a farmer in the Peace River district for thirty years before running for public office.^[2]

Gilliland first ran for a seat in the Albert Legislature in the 1944 general election. He was nominated as the Social Credit candidate in Peace River on the second count at a convention held in Grimshaw, Alberta on March 2, 1944.^[2] Gilliland took over 50% of the vote to defeat incumbent independent Eld Martin and two other candidates.^[3]

In the 1948 general election Gilliland defeated two other candidates with over 60% of the popular vote.^[4] Of the eleven MLAs who represented Peace River until 1948 he was the only one to win a second term in office.

In the 1952 general election Gilliland rolled up a very large majority over two other candidates.^[5] In the 1955 general election he won over 50% of the popular vote to hold his district.^[6]

In the 1959 general election Gilliland defeated two other candidates with over 60% of the popular vote.^[7]

Gilliland suffered a heart attack at the 1961 Social Credit national convention in Ottawa. He died later that year while hospitalized in Edmonton.^[8]

• Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing