1964 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

none March 2026 September 2023 1964 United States Senate election in Massachusetts Massachusetts 1908 presidential no 1962 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts 1962 (special) 1970 United States Senate election in Massachusetts 1970 November 3, 1964 150x150px File:Ted Kennedy 1964 (3x4 cropped).jpg Ted Kennedy Democratic Party (United States) 1,716,907 74.26% File:1953 Howard Whitmore Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Howard J. Whitmore Jr. Republican Party (United States) 587,663 25.42% 300px County results 300px| Municipality results 1 250px Kennedy: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% Whitmore: #FFB2B2 40–50% #E27F7F 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy Democratic Party (United States) Ted Kennedy Democratic Party (United States) The 1964 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 3, 1964, with the incumbent Democratic senator, Ted Kennedy, easily defeating his Republican challenger Howard J. Whitmore Jr. The election coincided with the 1964 United States presidential election, which was won by incumbent Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson in a landslide, as well as the Senate election in neighboring New York which was won by Kennedy's older brother Robert. It took place less than a year after the assassination of the incumbent Senator's eldest surviving brother, President John F. Kennedy. The two surviving Kennedy brothers thus benefited from both an overall national swing to the Democrats and public sympathy following their brother's murder. Much of the campaign-appearance burden in Massachusetts on behalf of Ted Kennedy fell on his wife, Joan, because of Ted's serious back injury in a plane crash. Ted Kennedy recorded his highest-ever percentage of the vote in this election, although he won a larger margin of victory against divided opposition in 2000. Democratic primary Candidates Ted Kennedy, incumbent Senator since 1962 Results Senator Kennedy was unopposed for renomination. 1964 Democratic U.S. Senate primary Democratic Party (US) Ted Kennedy (incumbent) 608,791 99.99 Write-in All others 32 0.01 608,823 100.00 Republican primary Candidates Howard J. Whitmore Jr., former State Representative and mayor of Newton Results Whitmore was unopposed for the Republican nomination. 1964 Republican U.S. Senate primary Republican Party (US) Howard J. Whitmore Jr. 172,078 99.95% Write-in All others 86 0.05% 172,164 100.00% General election Candidates Lawrence Gilfedder, perennial candidate (Socialist Workers) Ted Kennedy, incumbent Senator since 1962 (Democratic) Grace F. Luder, candidate for Congress in 1950 and 1952 (Prohibition) Howard J. Whitmore Jr., former State Representative and mayor of Newton (Republican) Results 1964 U.S. Senate election Democratic Party (US) Ted Kennedy (incumbent) 1,716,907 74.26 21.30 Republican Party (US) Howard J. Whitmore Jr. 587,663 25.42 19.08 Socialist Labor Party of America Lawrence Gilfedder 4,745 0.21 0.03 Prohibition Party (United States) Grace F. Luder 2,700 0.12 0.05 Write-in All others 13 0.00 2,312,028 100.00 See also United States Senate elections, 1964 External links Race details at ourcampaigns.com References Notes Sources Campaigning from a Hospital Bed Recordings of Telephone Calls between Edward Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson during the 1964 campaign Mas 1964 Category:1964 Massachusetts elections Category:Ted Kennedy