1924 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

Last updated

1924 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Flag of Massachusetts (1908-1971).svg
  1918 November 4, 1924 1930  
  Frederick H. Gillett circa 1920 (cropped).jpg David I. Walsh (MA).jpg
Nominee Frederick H. Gillett David I. Walsh
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote566,188547,600
Percentage50.26%48.61%

1924 United States Senate election in Massachusetts results map by county.svg
County results
Gillett:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Walsh:      60–70%

Senator before election

David I. Walsh
Democratic

Elected Senator

Frederick H. Gillett
Republican

The United States Senate election of 1924 in Massachusetts was held on November 4, 1924. Incumbent Democratic Senator David I. Walsh, first elected in 1918, ran for a second term in office but was defeated by the Republican nominee incumbent Speaker of the U.S. House Frederick H. Gillett. Despite winning 13 out of 14 counties in the state, Gillett was only able to win a narrow margin of 1.7%, which was largely due to Walsh's strong performance in Suffolk County, home to the state capitol of Boston, likely being carried over by fellow Republican Calvin Coolidge's strong performance in the 1924 United States presidential election.

Contents

Walsh would later go on to win a special Senate election in 1926 to the Class I seat, and served until his finale defeat in 1946.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Senator Walsh was unopposed for renomination.

1924 Democratic U.S. Senate primary [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic David I. Walsh (incumbent) 120,915 99.99
Write-in 80.01
Total votes120,923 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Declined

Campaign

The early campaign was dominated by President Calvin Coolidge's efforts to recruit a candidate aligned with his own re-election campaign. Louis A. Coolidge (no relation) was the first candidate to formally announce his campaign. He spent much of the early campaign criticizing the President and other national Republicans' efforts to "interfere" in the race. [3] President Coolidge's primary recruit was Governor Channing Cox, who had served as lieutenant governor when President Coolidge was Governor of Massachusetts. [3]

Governor Cox announced he was not a candidate in early May, and Speaker of the House Frederick H. Gillett immediately announced his campaign after consulting with President Coolidge's advisor Frank Stearns. [2] At the same time, U.S. Representative Frederick W. Dallinger made his informal campaign formal. [2]

One of the dividing issues in the campaign was Prohibition. Louis Coolidge announced his outright opposition to the Eighteenth Amendment. Dallinger explicitly supported Prohibition. Gillett, who had voted against the Amendment but in favor of the Volstead Act to enforce its provisions, was considered a moderate. [2]

Results

1924 Republican U.S. Senate primary [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Frederick H. Gillett 145,879 45.33%
Republican Louis A. Coolidge 93,68029.11%
Republican Frederick W. Dallinger 82,25125.56%
Write-in 160.01%
Total votes321,826 100.00

General election

Candidates

Results

1924 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Frederick H. Gillett 566,188 50.26% Increase2.svg5.20
Democratic David I. Walsh (incumbent)547,60048.61%Decrease2.svg2.05
Workers Antoinette F. Konikow 12,7161.13%N/A
Total votes1,126,504 100.00%

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick H. Gillett</span> American politician (1851–1935)

Frederick Huntington Gillett was an American politician who served as the 42nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1921 to 1925 and as a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts from 1925 to 1931. A Republican, Gillett first began his career in politics when he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1890 to 1891, and would go on to serve in the House from 1893 to 1925. At the time of his election, he was the oldest individual elected to a first term in the Senate, a record that he would hold until Peter Welch's victory in the 2022 United States Senate election in Vermont 98 years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 United States Senate election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The 1984 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 6, to elect a member of the U.S. Senate from the State of Massachusetts. The election was won by Democrat John Kerry, the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, who remained Senator until 2013, when he resigned to become United States Secretary of State. One-term incumbent Democratic Senator Paul Tsongas declined to seek re-election after developing cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Channing H. Cox</span> American politician

Channing Harris Cox was an American Republican politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. He served as the 49th governor of Massachusetts, from 1921 to 1925. He attended Dartmouth College and served as 47th lieutenant governor to Calvin Coolidge, winning election as governor after Coolidge decided to run for vice president. Cox was noted for advancing progressive labor legislation and adjusting administrative law to Massachusetts' changing economy. He was also the first Massachusetts governor to use radio, when he broadcast live from the Eastern States Exposition on September 19, 1921, at the debut of station WBZ in Springfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1934 United States Senate election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The 1934 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 6, 1934. Democratic incumbent David I. Walsh was re-elected to a second consecutive term in a landslide over Republican Robert M. Washburn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1928 United States Senate election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The 1928 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 6, 1928, with Democratic incumbent David I. Walsh defeating his challengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1926 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The 1926 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was held on November 2, 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1916 United States Senate election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The 1916 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 1916. Republican incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge defeated Democratic Mayor of Boston John F. Fitzgerald to win election to a fifth term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1922 United States Senate election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The 1922 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on Tuesday, November 7. Incumbent Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge was re-elected to a fifth term in office over Democrat William A. Gaston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1930 United States Senate election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The United States Senate election of 1930 in Massachusetts was held on November 4, 1930. Incumbent Republican Senator Frederick H. Gillett did not run for re-election. In the open race to succeed him, Democratic Mayor of Fitchburg Marcus A. Coolidge defeated former U.S. Senator William M. Butler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1918 United States Senate election in Massachusetts</span> Election

The United States Senate election of 1918 in Massachusetts was held on November 5. Incumbent Republican Senator John W. Weeks ran for a second term in office but was defeated by Democratic former Governor David I. Walsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1920 United States presidential election in Massachusetts</span> Election in Massachusetts

The 1920 United States presidential election in Massachusetts took place on November 2, 1920, as part of the 1920 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all contemporary 48 states. Voters chose 18 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The 1946 Massachusetts general election was held on November 5, 1946, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on June 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1918 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 1918 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1919 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 1919 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1919. This was the last gubernatorial election before the governor's term was extended to two years and the first election following the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted women the right to vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1920 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 1920 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1920. This was the first election in which the governor was elected to a two-year term, following the adoption of amendments to the state constitution proposed by the state constitutional convention of 1917-18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert M. Washburn</span> American politician and writer

Robert Morris Washburn (1868–1946) was an American politician and writer who served in the Massachusetts General Court and wrote a newspaper column and a number of biographies on Massachusetts politicians, including Calvin Coolidge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1922 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 1922 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1915 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 1915 Massachusetts gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1915. The Republican nominee, Samuel W. McCall defeated the incumbent Democratic Governor David I. Walsh, with 46.97% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1923–1924 Massachusetts legislature</span>

The 143rd Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1923 and 1924 during the governorship of Channing H. Cox. Frank G. Allen served as president of the Senate and Benjamin Loring Young served as speaker of the House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1915 Massachusetts legislature</span>

The 136th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1915 during the governorship of David I. Walsh. Calvin Coolidge served as president of the Senate and Channing H. Cox served as speaker of the House.

References

  1. Office of the Secretary of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1924). Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Gov. Cox' Refusal Puts Mr. Gillett Into Senate Race". The Christian Science Monitor. May 9, 1924. p. 1.
  3. 1 2 3 Merrill, John D. (May 7, 1924). "COX STANDS FIRM, BUT BUTLER IS HOPEFUL". Boston Daily Globe. p. 1.
  4. Office of the Secretary of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1924). Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections.
  5. "Our Campaigns - MA US Senate Race - Nov 04, 1924".