1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts

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1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts
Flag of Massachusetts (1908-1971).svg
←  1942 November 7, 1944 1948  →
  Leverett Saltonstall cph.3b10555.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Leverett Saltonstall John H. Corcoran
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote1,228,754667,086
Percentage64.29%34.90%
1944 United States Senate Election in Massachusetts by County.svg
1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts results map by municipality.svg
U.S. senator before election

Sinclair Weeks
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Leverett Saltonstall
Republican

The 1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 1944. Republican Governor Leverett Saltonstall was elected to finish the term of Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., who had resigned from the Senate to serve in World War II.

Contents

Primary elections were held on July 10; Saltonstall was unopposed for the Republican nomination, while John H. Corcoran won a highly competitive race for the Democratic nomination, in which all four candidates came from Boston or Cambridge.

Background

Incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. resigned from the Senate on February 3, 1944 to return to active duty in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Despite initial reporting that Governor Leverett Saltonstall would resign so that Lieutenant Governor Horace T. Cahill could appoint him to the vacant seat, he chose not to. [1] Instead, on February 8, Saltonstall appointed Sinclair Weeks, whom Lodge had narrowly defeated at the party convention in 1936.

A special election was scheduled on November 7, concurrent with the regularly scheduled elections to state and national office.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Governor Saltonstall was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic John H. Corcoran 62,537 33.90%
Democratic Joseph Lee 47,51425.76%
Democratic Richard M. Russell 47,08025.52%
Democratic Joseph A. Langone Jr. 27,31714.82%
Total votes184,448 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Results

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Leverett Saltonstall 1,228,754 64.29% Increase2.svg11.85
Democratic John H. Corcoran 667,08634.90%Decrease2.svg11.71
Socialist Labor Bernard G. Kelly12,2960.64%Increase2.svg0.29
Prohibition E. Tallmadge Root3,2690.17%Decrease2.svg0.09
Total votes1,911,405 100.00%

Though he was entitled to be seated immediately upon the certification of the election, Saltonstall did not take office until January 4, 1945, when his term as Governor ended.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "LODGE RESIGNS TO REJOIN ARMY; SALTONSTALL SEEN AS SUCCESSOR" . The Fitchburg Sentinel . Washington. Associated Press. February 4, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MA US Senate - Special D Primary Race - Jul 11, 1944".
  3. ↑ Bernard G. Kelly at ourcampaigns.com


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