![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 82.51% ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Dukakis: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Sears: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Elections in Massachusetts |
---|
![]() |
![]() |
The 1982 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982. Michael Dukakis was elected to a second non-consecutive term. He beat Republican John W. Sears in the general election, after defeating incumbent Governor Edward J. King in the Democratic primary.
This election notably saw the Dukakis-Kerry ticket for governor and lt. governor, a gubernatorial ticket made up of the future 1988 and 2004 Democratic nominees for President of the United States, who both lost to Bush family members, George H.W. and George W., respectively. Republican candidate Andrew Card also went on to serve in key roles in both Bush administrations, as White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Transportation Secretary, and White House Chief of Staff.
Former Governor Michael Dukakis challenged incumbent Governor Edward J. King in a rematch of the 1978 Democratic primary. This time, Dukakis was victorious, 53–47%.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 631,911 | 53.49% | ![]() | |
Democratic | Edward J. King (incumbent) | 549,335 | 46.50% | ![]() | |
Total votes | 1,181,246 | 100.00% |
Incumbent Lt. Governor Thomas P. O'Neill III did not run for re-election. Former Navy Lieutenant and anti-war activist John Kerry won a five-way contest for the Democratic nomination.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John Kerry | 325,890 | 29.00% | |
Democratic | Evelyn Murphy | 286,378 | 25.48% | |
Democratic | Samuel Rotondi | 228,086 | 20.29% | |
Democratic | Lou Nickinello | 150,829 | 13.42% | |
Democratic | Lois Pines | 132,734 | 11.81% | |
Total votes | 1,123,917 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John W. Sears | 90,617 | 50.71% | |
Republican | John Lakian | 46,675 | 26.12% | |
Republican | Andrew Card | 40,899 | 22.95% | |
Total votes | 178,191 | 100.00% |
Lombardi was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Michael Dukakis won the election with 57.9% of the vote, winning every county in the state - 13 with a majority, and one (Barnstable) with a plurality.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Michael Dukakis (John Kerry) | 1,219,109 | 59.48% | ![]() | |
Republican | John W. Sears (Leon Lombardi) | 749,679 | 36.57% | ![]() | |
Independent | Frank Rich (John Davies) | 63,068 | 3.08% | N/A | |
Libertarian | Rebecca Shipman (Norman MacConnell, Jr.) | 17,918 | 0.87% | N/A | |
Majority | 469,430 | 22.91% |
1982 United States gubernatorial election in Massachusetts (by county) [2] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
County | Dukakis - D % | Dukakis - D # | Sears - R % | Sears - R # | Others % | Others # | Total # |
Barnstable | 48.7% | 33,942 | 46.4% | 32,379 | 4.9% | 3,444 | 69,765 |
Berkshire | 61.8% | 32,453 | 31.6% | 16,585 | 6.6% | 3,451 | 52,489 |
Bristol | 60.1% | 96,602 | 32.8% | 52,658 | 7.1% | 11,490 | 160,750 |
Dukes | 61.8% | 2,698 | 33.3% | 1,453 | 4.9% | 214 | 4,365 |
Essex | 57.3% | 143,900 | 36.5% | 91,633 | 6.2% | 15,519 | 251,052 |
Franklin | 55.2% | 13,765 | 39.8% | 9,937 | 5.0% | 1,242 | 24,944 |
Hampden | 54.0% | 77,183 | 35.2% | 50,391 | 10.8% | 15,399 | 142,973 |
Hampshire | 60.3% | 29,355 | 33.6% | 16,332 | 6.1% | 2,988 | 48,675 |
Middlesex | 60.2% | 319,453 | 34.4% | 182,483 | 5.4% | 28,798 | 530,734 |
Nantucket | 53.7% | 1,252 | 41.6% | 970 | 4.8% | 111 | 2,333 |
Norfolk | 56.2% | 143,940 | 37.7% | 96,519 | 6.1% | 15,679 | 256,138 |
Plymouth | 51.3% | 73,570 | 42.0% | 60,250 | 6.7% | 9,605 | 143,425 |
Suffolk | 63.4% | 117,525 | 28.5% | 52,884 | 8.0% | 14,859 | 185,268 |
Worcester | 57.8% | 133,171 | 37.0% | 85,205 | 5.3% | 12,192 | 230,568 |
Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 1988. The Republican Party's ticket of incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush and Indiana Senator Dan Quayle defeated the Democratic ticket of Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis and Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen. The election was the third consecutive and most recent landslide victory for the Republican Party. As of 2024, it remains the most recent election in which a candidate won over 400 electoral votes, as well as 40 or more states. Conversely, it began an ongoing streak of presidential elections that were decided by a single-digit popular vote margin.
Michael Stanley Dukakis is an American retired lawyer and politician who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history and only the second Greek-American governor in U.S. history, after Spiro Agnew. He was nominated by the Democratic Party for president in the 1988 election, losing to the Republican nominee, Vice President George H. W. Bush.
Edward Joseph King was an American politician who served as the 66th Governor of Massachusetts from 1979 to 1983. A member of the Democratic Party until 1985, he then became a member of the Republican Party. Elected in the 1978 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, he lost the Democratic primary of the 1982 election to his predecessor Michael Dukakis.
The 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. The incumbent Republican governor, Mitt Romney, chose not to seek a second term. Polls had been mixed prior to Romney's announcement, with one poll showing Romney slightly leading Democratic Attorney General Tom Reilly and other polls showing Reilly, who was then the Democratic frontrunner, in the lead.
The 1990 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Democratic governor Michael Dukakis, his party's nominee for president in 1988, opted to not seek a fourth term. Republican Bill Weld won the open seat, beating Democrat John Silber to become the first Republican governor of Massachusetts elected since 1970. This was the first open-seat gubernatorial election in Massachusetts since 1960.
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.
The Pennsylvania Republican Party (PAGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, headquartered in Harrisburg. The party is led by Lawrence Tabas, who has served as state chairman since 2019. It is the second largest political party in the state behind the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
The 1986 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986. Michael Dukakis was elected Governor of Massachusetts for a third term. He defeated Republican George Kariotis by a 69–31% margin. This was the last time a Democrat was elected governor of Massachusetts until 2006.
The 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor Deval Patrick was re-elected to a second term.
The 1994 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994. The incumbent governor, Bob Casey, Sr. (Democrat), was barred from seeking a third term by the state constitution. The Republican Party nominated Congressman Tom Ridge, while the Democrats nominated Mark Singel, Casey's lieutenant governor. Ridge went on to win the race with 45% of the vote. Singel finished with 39%, and Constitution Party candidate Peg Luksik finished third, garnering 12% of the vote.
The 1978 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Former Massachusetts Port Authority executive director Edward J. King was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 1979, until January 6, 1983. King won the Democratic nomination by defeating incumbent governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis in the Democratic primary.
The 1974 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974. Michael Dukakis was elected to a four-year term, from January 2, 1975 until January 4, 1979. He defeated incumbent Governor of Massachusetts Francis W. Sargent in the general election.
The 1970 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. Acting Governor Francis W. Sargent was elected to a four-year term. He defeated incumbent Boston Mayor Kevin H. White in the general election.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 4, 1986 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1982 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 7, 1978 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The 1974 Massachusetts general election was held on November 5, 1974, throughout Massachusetts. Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held September 10, 1974.
The 1988 United States elections were held on November 8 and elected the president of the United States and members of the 101st United States Congress. Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush defeated Democratic Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis. Despite Dukakis' defeat, the Democratic Party built on their majorities in Congress.
The 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Republican governor Charlie Baker and lieutenant governor Karyn Polito sought reelection to a second term in office, facing Democratic challengers Jay Gonzalez and Quentin Palfrey, respectively. Candidates were selected in the primary election held on September 4, 2018.
The 2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election will be held on November 4, 2025, to elect the lieutenant governor of Virginia. Incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has said she will not run for re-election to a second term in office, instead choosing to run for governor. Primary elections will take place on June 17, 2025.