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In the 1944 election, however, Saskatchewan experienced a dramatic change when it elected the first socialist government in North America under Tommy Douglas and the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation. The Liberals were to remain out of power for twenty years until Ross Thatcher's victory in 1964 election. Thatcher would lead the Liberals to re-election in 1967.

After the defeat of the Liberals in the 1971 election at the hands of the the CCF's successor, the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP), the party remained the principal opposition party in the province until the 1978 election, when the party was wiped out and replaced on the right by the Progressive Conservatives.

The Liberals came under the leadership of future Lieutenant Governor Lynda HaverstockLynda M. Haverstock is the former leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party and has been the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan since 2000. Born and raised in Swift Current, Haverstock dropped out of high school after grade ten and became a teenage mother in 19891989 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 7 Akihito becomes Emperor of Japan following the death of Hirohito. The Heisei period begins January 8 the Kegworth Air Disaster A British Midland Boeing 737 cra. The Liberals were only able to take limited advantage of the collapse of Grant DevineDonald Grant Devine (born 1944) was the Progressive Conservative Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan from May 8, 1982 to November 1, 1991. A farmer, teacher and agricultural economist, Devine taught at the University of Saskatchewan in the 19's scandal and deficit-ridden Conservative government in the 1991 electionThe Twenty-Second Provincial General Election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan was held on October 21, 1991. The Progressive Conservative government of Premier Grant Devine was defeated by the New Democratic Party, led by former federal NDP Member, but Haverstock was able to win her Saskatoon seat.

In the 1995 electionThe Twenty-Third Provincial General Election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan was held on June 21, 1995. The New Democratic Party government of Premier Roy Romanow was re-elected for a second term, although with a reduced majority. The Liberal Par, the Liberals displaced the Tories to become the Official Opposition to the re-elected NDP government of Roy RomanowRoy Romanow (born August 12, 1939), Canadian politician and Premier of Saskatchewan (1991-2001), was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 1967 provincial election. From 1971 to 1982, he s. Many people believed the party would follow the path of the Liberals in British Columbia and become the umbrella party for centre-right in Saskatchewan. However, dissatisfaction with the party's political moderation and suspicions about the party's links to the federal Liberals led to the new caucus dumping Haverstock as leader.

The party continued to immolate and, in 1997, several right wing Liberal MLAs joined forces with Reform Party of Canada supporters and former Tories to form the Saskatchewan Party.

The 1999 election reduced the Liberals, now under Jim Melenchuk to only three seats and third party status in the legislature. The NDP, however, had been unable to win an outright of majority of seats and persuaded the Liberals to form a coalition government. The Liberal MLAs were then appointed to positions in the Cabinet. One Liberal who had been narrowly defeated in his bid for a seat in the Legislative Assembly, David Karwacki opposed the coalition arrangement. Rank and file members of the party sided with Karwacki, and he was elected party leader, defeating MLA Jack Hillson who had initially joined the coalition but later withdrew. Karwacki soon ordered the other two Liberal MLAs, Melenchuk and Ron Osika to leave the coalition. They refused, and the party split. The pro-coalition Liberals eventually joined the NDP. These members, however, were defeated by their Saskatchewan Party opponents at the next election.

The internal party feud hurt Liberal fortunes, and the party was again shut out of the legislature in the 2003 election. Hillson was defeated in the Battlefords by the NDP candidate, and Karwacki was unable to gain a seat in Saskatoon.