Career
During his time in office he served as a cabinet minister in the government of Ernest Manning from 1953 until his death. Willmore ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the 1944 Alberta general election. He stood as the Social Cr candidate in the electoral district of Edson facing two other candidates.
Willmore ran for a second term in the 1948 Alberta general election.
He defeated former Modern Language Association Christopher Pattinson who gave Willmore a strong challenge and other candidate while holding his popular vote from the last election. The 1952 Alberta general election saw a hotly contested two way race between Willmore and Liberal candidate William Switzer.
Willmore barely held onto his seat defeating Switzer by 400 votes. After the election Premier Ernest Manning appointed Willmore to the Executive Council of Alberta on November 10, 1953.
His first portfolio was Industries and Labour.
He ran for his fourth term in office in the 1955 Alberta general election with ministerial advantage. Willmore faced two other candidates in the hotly contested race. Switzer made a strong challenge for the second election in a row but was unable to defeat him.
Premier Ernest Manning shuffled his cabinet after the 1955 election.
He appointed Willmore to the Lands and Forests portfolio. Willmore ran for re-election to his fifth term in the 1959 Alberta general election.
He defeated two other candidates with a landslide majority. Willmore ran for a sixth term in the 1963 Alberta general election.
Willmore died in a traffic accident on February 2, 1965.