1936 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

none March 2026 September 2023 1936 United States Senate election in Massachusetts Massachusetts 1908 presidential no 1930 United States Senate election in Massachusetts 1930 1942 United States Senate election in Massachusetts 1942 November 3, 1936 150x150px File:1935 Henry Cabot Lodge Jr Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Republican Party (US) 875,160 48.53% James Michael Curley (1).jpg James Michael Curley Democratic Party (US) 739,751 41.02% 300px County results 300px| Municipality results 1 250px Lodge: #FFB2B2 40–50% #E27F7F 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #D72F30 70–80% #C21B18 80–90% #A80000 >90%Curley: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584CDE 70–80% File:Thomas C. O'Brien (1).jpg Thomas C. O'Brien Union Party (US) 134,245 7.44% U.S. Senator Marcus A. Coolidge Democratic Party (US) Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Republican Party (US) The 1936 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 3. Incumbent Democratic Senator Marcus A. Coolidge declined to stand for re-election. Republican Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. won the race to succeed him over Democratic Boston mayor James Michael Curley and former Suffolk County prosecutor Thomas C. O'Brien. The election was notable because although Democrats expanded their overall Senate majority to 74 seats, Massachusetts was the only seat gained by Republicans. Curley's campaign may have been damaged by President Roosevelt's decision to remain aloof and the candidacy of O'Brien, who siphoned many usually Democratic Irish-American votes in Boston. Republican primary Candidates Alonzo B. Cook, former Massachusetts Auditor Guy M. Gray, State Representative Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., State Representative and grandson of former Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Thomas C. O'Brien, former Suffolk County District Attorney (also running as Democrat) Withdrew James T. Cavanaugh, former State Senator from Boston (after loss at convention)18 Jun 1936 Weeks-Lodge Contest 2 The Boston Globe https://www.newspapers.com/image/431956318/ subscription 13 May 2023 Sinclair Weeks, former Mayor of Newton and son of former Senator John W. Weeks (after loss at convention)Kennedy versus Lodge: The 1952 United States Senate Election in Massachusetts Whalen Thomas J. 2000 Northeastern University Press 40 9781555534622 https://archive.org/details/kennedyversuslod0000whal/page/38/mode/1up Convention At the Springfield convention, held June 18–21, the fight between Lodge and Weeks came to a head. Observers considered the race the closest of any in the state and both candidates claimed a substantial lead in delegates. James Cavanaugh, by then a decided third, declared that he would not throw his delegates to Weeks in the event of a second ballot, but did not say he would throw them to Lodge. Weeks received a major boost on the third day, when his candidacy was backed by Joseph W. Martin and John W. Haigis, the candidate for Governor.20 Jun 1936 Weeks Candidacy Strongly Backed: Support of Martin and Haigis Gives Newton Man Edge Over Lodge 2 The Boston Globe https://www.newspapers.com/image/431962306/ subscription 13 May 2023 The voting itself was not decided until the final state senate district, the Worcester and Hampden district, declared its vote. Although it was a Weeks district, Lodge needed only six of its votes, which he secured about halfway through the roll call.22 Jun 1936 One Holyoke Vote Cast for Lodge in Senatorial Contest 12 Holyoke Transcript-Telegram https://www.newspapers.com/image/837641307 subscription 13 May 2023 1936 Republican convention Republican Party (US) Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. 336 52.42% Republican Party (US) Sinclair Weeks 299 46.65% Republican Party (US) J. T. Cavanaugh 6 0.94% 641 100.00 After the voting concluded, Weeks took the podium to make the endorsement unanimous and give his personal support to Lodge. Primary results 1936 Republican U.S. Senate primaryhttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=572147 Our Campaigns - MA US Senate- R Primary Race - Sep 15, 1936 Republican Party (US) Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. 356,756 83.99% Republican Party (US) Alonzo B. Cook 42,261 9.95% Republican Party (US) Guy M. Gray 18,076 4.26% Republican Party (US) Thomas C. O'Brien 6,834 1.61% 821 0.19% 424,748 100.00 All three losing candidates entered the general election as the nominees of third parties. Cook ran on an "Economy" ticket, Gray ran on the Social Justice ticket, and O'Brien ran on the national Union Party ticket. Democratic primary Candidates James Michael Curley, Governor of Massachusetts and former Mayor of Boston and U.S. Representative Robert E. Greenwood, Mayor of Fitchburg Thomas C. O'Brien, former Suffolk County District Attorney (also running as Republican) Declined Marcus A. Coolidge, incumbent Senator Results The Democratic nominee was Governor and former (and future) Mayor of Boston James Michael Curley. President Franklin Roosevelt declined to endorse Curley, which may have affected the final results. 1936 Democratic U.S. Senate primaryhttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=572148 Our Campaigns - MA US Senate- D Primary Race - Sep 15, 1936 Democratic Party (US) James Michael Curley 245,606 62.97% Democratic Party (US) Robert E. Greenwood 104,615 26.81% Democratic Party (US) Thomas C. O'Brien 39,035 10.01% 806 0.21% 390,062 100.00 General election Candidates Alonzo B. Cook, former Massachusetts Auditor (Economy) Albert Sprague Coolidge (Socialist) James Michael Curley, Governor of Massachusetts and former mayor of Boston and U.S. Representative (Democratic) Ernest L. Dodge (Socialist Labor) Charles Flaherty (Communist) Guy M. Gray, State Representative (Social Justice) Moses H. Gulesian (Townsend) Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., State Representative from Beverly, journalist, and grandson of former Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (Republican) Wilbur D. Moon (Prohibition) Thomas C. O'Brien, Suffolk County District Attorney (Union) Campaign Lodge was highly critical of Curley's tenure as Governor, but did not mention him by name. Curley resorted to personal attacks, referring to Lodge, who was only 34 years old, as "Little Boy Blue"Whalen 2000 40 and "a young man who parts both his hair and his name in the middle."Whalen 2000 41 He accused Lodge of being a reactionary in the supposed mold of his grandfather, Henry Cabot Lodge.Whalen 2000 41 Lodge criticized Curley for his failure to achieve federal funding for Massachusetts during the Great Depression, which may have been the result of Curley's personal feud with President Roosevelt.Whalen 2000 40–41 He defended his own record as supportive of labor and economic intervention and his grandfather's as protective of the laboring classes via restriction on immigration and opposition to international adventurism.Whalen 2000 41–42 O'Brien, who ran at the urging of Charles Coughlin, campaigned for the urban Irish Catholic vote. His campaign was spurred by Curley's efforts to align with President Roosevelt, from whom Coughlin had broken earlier in his term.Whalen 2000 41 Roosevelt made a personal swing through the state as part of his re-election campaign, but when Curley tried to get a photograph with Roosevelt, he made a point of turning away.Whalen 2000 41 Later in the race,July 2021 Curley tried to have Lodge's name removed from the ballot by arguing, through his political ally and Lodge's primary opponent Alonzo B. Cook, that "Jr." was reserved for the son of a man with the same name, and Lodge was instead the grandson. This controversy was quashed when Lodge produced a birth certificate reading "Jr." In fact, Curley's own legal name did not include "Michael", but he was listed on the ballot as "James Michael Curley" nonetheless. The Lodge campaign did not challenge this discrepancy.Whalen 2000 52 Results General election Republican Party (US) Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. 875,160 48.53% 3.86 Democratic Party (US) James Michael Curley 739,751 41.02% 12.99 Union Party (United States) Thomas C. O'Brien 134,245 7.44% N/A Economy Alonzo B. Cook 11,519 0.64% N/A Social Justice Guy M. Gray 9,906 0.55% N/A Socialist Party USA Albert Sprague Coolidge 9,763 0.54% 0.06 Townsend Party Moses H. Gulesian 7,408 0.41% N/A Socialist Labor Party of America Ernest L. Dodge 7,091 0.39% 0.01 Communist Party USA Charles Flaherty 4,821 0.27% 0.06 Prohibition Party Wilbur D. Moon 3,677 0.20% N/A 16 0.00% 1,803,357 100.00% See also United States Senate elections, 1936 and 1937 References Massachusetts 1936 Category:1936 Massachusetts elections