1948 Massachusetts elections

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1948 Massachusetts general election
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1948 United States elections

The 1948 Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1948, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on September 14.

Contents

Despite some Republican success at the federal level, the 1948 election was a historic victory for the Massachusetts Democratic Party. In the race for governor, Republican incumbent Robert F. Bradford lost re-election to former attorney general Paul Dever. Democrats swept the six statewide offices, defeating incumbents in five races, and took control of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the first time since the American Civil War.

At the federal level, Harry Truman carried the state over Thomas Dewey in the presidential election, but Republican Leverett Saltonstall was re-elected to the United States Senate, and Republicans won eight of fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Governor

Republican governor Robert F. Bradford was defeated by Democratic former attorney general Paul Dever in a landslide.

Lieutenant governor

In the race for lieutenant governor, Democratic mayor of Worcester defeated incumbent Republican Arthur W. Coolidge.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

1948 Democratic Lt. gubernatorial primary [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Charles F. Sullivan 127,948 48.05%
Democratic Benedict FitzGerald99,71237.44%
Democratic Edward P. Barry38,63714.51%
Total votes266,297 100.00%

General election

Massachusetts Lt. gubernatorial election, 1948 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Charles F. Sullivan 1,163,041 56.69% Increase2.svg7.38
Republican Arthur W. Coolidge (incumbent)870,86442.45%Decrease2.svg6.86
Socialist Labor Lawrence Gilfedder12,1270.59%Decrease2.svg0.05
Prohibition Guy S. Williams5,4570.27%Decrease2.svg0.07
Total votes2,051,489 100.00%

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Incumbent Republican Secretary of the Commonwealth Frederic W. Cook ran for re-election to a record fifteenth two-year term in office, but was narrowly defeated by Democrat Edward J. Cronin.

The Socialist Labor Party nominated Gote E. Palmquist.

Democratic primary

1948 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Democratic Primary [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Edward J. Cronin 148,545 61.82%
Democratic Jerome P. Troy 93,36235.94%
Write-inAll others20.00%
Total votes241,909 100.00%

General election

1948 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Edward J. Cronin 1,011,397 49.98% Increase2.svg9.62
Republican Frederic W. Cook (incumbent)997,76449.30%Decrease2.svg10.01
Socialist Labor Gote E. Palmquist14,4160.71%Decrease2.svg0.23
Write-inAll others10.00%Steady2.svg
Total votes2,023,578 100.00%

Attorney general

Incumbent Republican attorney general Clarence A. Barnes ran for re-election to a third consecutive term. He was defeated Democratic former lieutenant governor Francis E. Kelly in the general election. This was a re-match of the 1946 election.

Democratic primary

1948 Massachusetts Attorney General Democratic Primary [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 98,370 35.94%
Democratic Patrick Gilbert Sullivan66,39524.26%
Democratic John F. Kelley63,67823.27%
Democratic Enrico Cappucci 45,22716.53%
Write-inAll others50.00%
Total votes273,675 100.00%

General election

1948 Massachusetts Attorney General Election [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 1,077,504 53.26% Increase2.svg8.50
Republican Clarence A. Barnes (incumbent)927,77945.86%Decrease2.svg8.23
Socialist Labor Anthony Martin17,6490.87%Increase2.svg0.08
Write-inAll others100.00%Steady2.svg
Total votes2,022,942 100.00%

Treasurer and Receiver-General

Incumbent Republican Treasurer and Receiver-General Laurence Curtis ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Democratic former Treasurer Francis E. Kelly. This was a re-match of the 1946 election.

The Prohibition Party nominated Harold J. Ireland, and the Socialist Labor party nominated Malcolm T. Rowe.

1948 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic John E. Hurley 1,120,989 55.21% Increase2.svg9.32
Republican Laurence Curtis (incumbent)888,76743.78%Decrease2.svg9.16
Socialist Labor Malcolm T. Rowe13,0870.64%Decrease2.svg0.14
Prohibition Harold J. Ireland7,2790.36%Increase2.svg0.06
Write-inAll others40.00%Steady2.svg
Total votes2,030,126 100.00%

Auditor

Incumbent Democratic Auditor Thomas J. Buckley ran for re-election to a fifth term in office. He was re-elected in a landslide over Republican Russell A. Wood, who he had defeated in 1940, 1942, and 1946.

The Prohibition Party nominated Robert A. Simmons, and the Socialist Labor Party nominated Francis A. Votano.

Republican primary

1948 Massachusetts State Auditor Republican Primary [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Russell A. Wood 91,768 40.18%
Republican Edwin L. Olander 81,10935.51%
Republican Douglas Lawson41,49718.17%
Republican Wallace E. Stearns14,0256.14%
Write-inAll others00.00%
Total votes228,399 100.00%

General election

1948 Massachusetts Auditor General Election [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Thomas J. Buckley (incumbent) 1,241,653 61.58% Increase2.svg11.82
Republican Russell A. Wood 752,43037.32%Decrease2.svg11.72
Socialist Labor Francis A. Votano12,5100.62%Decrease2.svg0.27
Prohibition Robert A. Simmons6,9160.34%Increase2.svg0.03
Write-inAll others50.00%Steady2.svg
Total votes2,016,214 100.00%

United States Senate

Incumbent Republican Senator Leverett Saltonstall ran for re-election to a full term in office. Saltonstall won the seat in the 1944 special election created by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr's resignation.

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Leverett Saltonstall (incumbent) 1,088,475 52.95% Decrease2.svg11.34
Democratic John I. Fitzgerald 954,39846.43%Increase2.svg11.53
Socialist Labor Henning A. Blomen 9,2660.44%Decrease2.svg0.20
Prohibition E. Tallmadge Root3,6520.18%Increase2.svg0.01
Total votes2,055,791 100.00%

United States House of Representatives

All of Massachusetts' fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1946.

Eight seats were won by Republican Party incumbents, and six were won by Democratic candidates.

Thirteen seats were won by candidates seeking re-election. The 2nd District seat (based in Springfield) was won by Democrat Foster Furcolo over incumbent Republican Charles R. Clason.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1948.
  2. ↑ Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1948.
  3. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 228.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 3.
  5. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 239.
  6. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 153.
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