1974 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

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1974 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
Flag of Massachusetts.svg
  1970 November 5, 1974 1978  
Turnout74.64% Decrease2.svg 0.53
  Governor Dukakis speaks at the 1976 Democratic National Convention (cropped).jpg Governor Francis Sargent (cropped).jpg
Nominee Michael Dukakis Francis Sargent
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate Thomas O'Neill III Donald Dwight
Popular vote992,284784,353
Percentage53.50%42.29%

1974 Massachusetts gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1974 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election by Town.svg
Dukakis:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Sargent:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

Governor before election

Francis Sargent
Republican

Elected Governor

Michael Dukakis
Democratic

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.

Contents

As of 2024, this is the most recent year in which the incumbent governor of Massachusetts lost the general election. (Two governors, Dukakis and Edward J. King, lost the Democratic nomination to each other in 1978 and 1982, respectively. In 2002, acting Governor Jane Swift ran for election but withdrew after polls showed her trailing Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination.)

Republican primary

Governor

Candidates

Results

1974 Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial primary [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Francis W. Sargent 124,250 63.32%
Republican Carroll Sheehan 71,93636.66%
Write-inAll others460.02%

Lieutenant governor

Incumbent lieutenant governor Donald R. Dwight was unopposed in the Republican Primary.

Democratic primary

Governor

Candidates

Results

Primary results by municipality Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial primary results by municipality, 1974.svg
Primary results by municipality
1974 Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial primary [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Michael Dukakis 444,590 57.67%
Democratic Robert H. Quinn 326,38542.33%
Write-inAll others460.01%

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Results

1974 Massachusetts Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results by municipality.svg
1974 Massachusetts Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Thomas P. O'Neill III 250,259 35.69%
Democratic Christopher A. Iannella 190,58727.18%
Democratic Eva Hester97,66513.93%
Democratic John P. Lynch81,87411.68%
Democratic Thomas Martin Sullivan80,74511.52%
Write-inAll others150.00%

General election

Dukakis defeated Sargent by 207,931 votes. It was the first gubernatorial victory for the Massachusetts Democratic Party since 1962.

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1974 [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Michael Dukakis
(Thomas P. O'Neill III)
992,284 53.50%
Republican Francis W. Sargent
(Donald R. Dwight) (incumbent)
784,35342.29%
American Leo F. Kahian
(Nicholas J. Greco)
63,0833.40%
Socialist Workers Donald Gurewitz
(Ollie Bivins)
15,0110.81%

Results by county

1974 United States gubernatorial election in Massachusetts (by county) [5]
CountyDukakis %Dukakis #Sargent %Sargent #Others %Others #Total #
Barnstable 39.9%19,36254.7%26,5395.4%2,64148,542
Berkshire 54.2%26,94740.4%20,1055.4%2,68249,734
Bristol 62.6%91,83932.1%47,0555.4%7,876146,770
Dukes 36.4%1,34659.1%2,1894.5%1673,702
Essex 52.1%117,81542.6%96,4755.3%12,056226,346
Franklin 53.2%11,66641.5%9,0875.3%1,16821,921
Hampden 63.6%84,22230.9%40,9785.5%7,257132,457
Hampshire 59.2%24,05133.7%13,6917.1%2,88940,631
Middlesex 51.0%243,91444.2%211,5114.8%22,938478,363
Nantucket 36.2%53758.4%8655.4%801,482
Norfolk 48.1%110,70145.4%104,3756.5%14,859229,935
Plymouth 46.7%54,78144.9%52,7388.4%9,811117,330
Suffolk 45.6%85,34339.3%73,49115.1%28,208187,042
Worcester 56.5%119,82040.2%85,2543.4%7,152212,226

See also

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References

  1. Massachusetts Election Statistics 1974.
  2. Massachusetts Election Statistics 1974.
  3. Massachusetts Election Statistics 1974.
  4. "1970 Governor General Election". PD43+. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  5. "PD43+ » Search Elections".