1948 Massachusetts elections

None February 2026 September 2023 1948 Massachusetts general election parliamentary Massachusetts 1946 Massachusetts general election 1946 1950 Massachusetts general election 1950 November 2, 1948 Part of the1948 United States elections The 1948 Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1948, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on September 14. 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 1948 Massachusetts gubernatorial election 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 Charles F. Sullivan defeated incumbent Republican Arthur W. Coolidge. Democratic primary Candidates Declared Charles F. "Jeff" Sullivan, Mayor of WorcesterElection Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1948 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19461948mass#page/222/mode/2up Benedict FitzGerald, attorney Edward P. Barry Results 1948 Democratic Lt. gubernatorial primary Democratic Party (United States) Charles F. Sullivan 127,948 48.05% Democratic Party (United States) Benedict FitzGerald 99,712 37.44% Democratic Party (United States) Edward P. Barry 38,637 14.51% 266,297 100.00% General election Massachusetts Lt. gubernatorial election, 1948 Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1948 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19461948mass#page/310/mode/2up Democratic Party (United States) Charles F. Sullivan 1,163,041 56.69% 7.38 Republican Party (United States) Arthur W. Coolidge (incumbent) 870,864 42.45% 6.86 Socialist Labor Party of America Lawrence Gilfedder 12,127 0.59% 0.05 Prohibition Party Guy S. Williams 5,457 0.27% 0.07 2,051,489 100.00% 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 PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1948 228 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19461948mass#page/228/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Edward J. Cronin 148,545 61.82% Democratic Party (US) Jerome P. Troy 93,362 35.94% Write-in All others 2 0.00% 241,909 100.00% General election 1948 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election Democratic Party (US) Edward J. Cronin 1,011,397 49.98% 9.62 Republican Party (US) Frederic W. Cook (incumbent) 997,764 49.30% 10.01 Socialist Labor Party of America Gote E. Palmquist 14,416 0.71% 0.23 Write-in All others 1 0.00% 2,023,578 100.00% 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 PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1948 239 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19461948mass#page/238/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Francis E. Kelly 98,370 35.94% Democratic Party (US) Patrick Gilbert Sullivan 66,395 24.26% Democratic Party (US) John F. Kelley 63,678 23.27% Democratic Party (US) Enrico Cappucci 45,227 16.53% Write-in All others 5 0.00% 273,675 100.00% General election 1948 Massachusetts Attorney General ElectionMassachusetts Election Statistics 1948 3 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19461948mass#page/n455/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Francis E. Kelly 1,077,504 53.26% 8.50 Republican Party (US) Clarence A. Barnes (incumbent) 927,779 45.86% 8.23 Socialist Labor Party of America Anthony Martin 17,649 0.87% 0.08 Write-in All others 10 0.00% 2,022,942 100.00% 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 Democratic Party (US) John E. Hurley 1,120,989 55.21% 9.32 Republican Party (US) Laurence Curtis (incumbent) 888,767 43.78% 9.16 Socialist Labor Party of America Malcolm T. Rowe 13,087 0.64% 0.14 Prohibition Party Harold J. Ireland 7,279 0.36% 0.06 Write-in All others 4 0.00% 2,030,126 100.00% 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 PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1948 153 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19461948mass#page/152/mode/2up Republican Party (US) Russell A. Wood 91,768 40.18% Republican Party (US) Edwin L. Olander 81,109 35.51% Republican Party (US) Douglas Lawson 41,497 18.17% Republican Party (US) Wallace E. Stearns 14,025 6.14% Write-in All others 0 0.00% 228,399 100.00% General election 1948 Massachusetts Auditor General Election Democratic Party (US) Thomas J. Buckley (incumbent) 1,241,653 61.58% 11.82 Republican Party (US) Russell A. Wood 752,430 37.32% 11.72 Socialist Labor Party of America Francis A. Votano 12,510 0.62% 0.27 Prohibition Party Robert A. Simmons 6,916 0.34% 0.03 Write-in All others 5 0.00% 2,016,214 100.00% United States Senate 1948 United States Senate election in Massachusetts 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 Republican Party (US) Leverett Saltonstall (incumbent) 1,088,475 52.95% 11.34 Democratic Party (US) John I. Fitzgerald 954,398 46.43% 11.53 Socialist Labor Party of America Henning A. Blomen 9,266 0.44% 0.20 Prohibition Party E. Tallmadge Root 3,652 0.18% 0.01 2,055,791 100.00% United States House of Representatives 1948 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts All of Massachusetts' fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1948. 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 30em External links Massachusetts