1994 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

none March 2026 September 2023 1994 United States Senate election in Massachusetts Massachusetts presidential no 1988 United States Senate election in Massachusetts 1988 2000 United States Senate election in Massachusetts 2000 November 8, 1994 135x150px TedKennedy(D-MA).jpg Ted Kennedy Democratic Party (United States) 1,266,011 58.07% Romney 1994 No Watermark (cropped).jpg Mitt Romney Republican Party (United States) 894,005 41.01% 300px County results 300px| Municipality results 1 300px Kennedy: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584CDE 70–80% #3933E5 80–90% Romney: #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 1994 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy won re-election to his seventh (his sixth full) term, defeating the Republican nominee, businessman Mitt Romney. Romney defeated his closest competitor, John Lakian, to win the Republican primary, with over 80% of the vote. He campaigned as a political moderate and Washington outsider, and posed the greatest challenge ever made against Kennedy for the Senate seat, since he first took office in 1962. Democratic congressmen across the country were struggling to maintain their seats, and Kennedy in particular was damaged by character concerns and an ongoing divorce controversy. The contest became very close. Kennedy launched ads criticizing Romney's tenure as the leader of the company known as Bain Capital, accusing him of treating workers unfairly and taking away jobs, while also criticizing what were widely considered to be Romney's shifting political views. Romney also performed inadequately in the debates between the two candidates, and made a number of poorly received statements that reduced his standing in the polls. In the closest Senate election of his career since after 1962, Kennedy won by a reasonably comfortable margin, despite a series of losses for Democrats around the country, including control of the US Senate. Despite Romney's loss in this race, he was later elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002, as well as U.S. Senator from Utah in 2018. He was also the Republican nominee for President of the United States in 2012, in which he lost the presidency to President Barack Obama.https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/utah-senate Utah U.S. Senate Election Results 2018-11-10 en Republican primary Candidates John Lakian, businessman and candidate for governor in 1982 Mitt Romney, CEO of Bain Capital and son of former Michigan governor George W. Romney Campaign Romney was initially behind businessman John Lakian in the battle to win the Massachusetts Republican Party's nomination for the U.S. Senate.Hersh, The Shadow President, pp. 124, 126–127. However, after using his personal wealth to advertise heavily on television, he gained overwhelming support at the state party convention. Romney then defeated Lakian easily in the September 1994 Republican Party primary, with over 80 percent of the vote.Romney will oppose Sen. Kennedy in Nov. Associated Press Providence Journal September 21, 1994 B1Swidey, Niel Ebbert, Stephanie http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part4_main/ https://web.archive.org/web/20070630003905/http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part4_main/ dead June 30, 2007 The Making of Mitt Romney: Part 4: Journeys of a shared life: Raising sons, rising expectations bring unexpected turns The Boston Globe June 27, 2007 Results Massachusetts United States Senate Republican primary, 1994http://electionstats.state.ma.us/elections/view/6091/ Massachusetts Elections Division PD43+ >> 1994 U.S. Senate Republican Primary July 23, 2018 Republican Party (United States) Mitt Romney 188,280 82.04 Republican Party (United States) John Lakian 40,898 17.82 Others 318 0.14 229,496 100 General election thumb | upright=.65 | alt=Man smiling at right with sign in background and parents holding toddler at left|Romney campaigning in Holyoke, Massachusetts Candidates William A. Ferguson (LaRouche Was Right) Mary Fridley (Libertarian) Ted Kennedy, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1962 (Democratic) Mitt Romney, CEO of Bain Capital and son of former Michigan governor George W. Romney (Republican) Campaign In the general election, Kennedy faced the first serious re-election challenger of his career in the younger, telegenic, and very well-funded Romney.http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/02/19/chapter_5_trials__redemption/ Chapter 5: Trials & Redemptions: An untidy private life, then a turn to stability Kahn, Joseph P. The Boston Globe February 19, 2009 April 11, 2009 Romney ran as a successful entrepreneur and Washington outsider, with a strong family image and moderate stands on social issues. After two decades out of public view, his father George re-emerged during the campaign.https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/29/us/1994-campaign-massachusetts-religion-latest-volatile-issue-ignite-kennedy.html Religion Is Latest Volatile Issue to Ignite Kennedy Contest Rimer, Sara The New York Times September 29, 1994 A22https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/06/us/1994-campaign-massachusetts-last-weekend-senate-races-where-battle-has-been.html Massachusetts The Last Weekend: Senate Races Where the Battle Has Been Intense; Romney Eclectic In Final Sprint Cooper, Michael The New York Times November 6, 1994 26 George Romney had urged Mitt to enter the race, and moved into his son's house for its duration, serving as an unofficial advisor.For Romney, a Course Set Long Ago December 18, 2007 December 19, 2007 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/us/politics/18romney.html Kirkpatrick, David D.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-dec-25-na-romneydadson25-story.html Romney's running mate – His father, an admired public servant undone by an off-hand comment, is both a role model and cautionary example Martelle, Scott Los Angeles Times December 25, 2007 Kennedy was more vulnerable than usual in 1994 – in part because of the unpopularity of the Democratic Congress as a whole, and also because this was Kennedy's first election since the William Kennedy Smith trial in Florida, in which Kennedy had taken some public relations hits regarding his character. Kennedy was saddled not only with his recent past, but the 25th anniversary of the Chappaquiddick incident and his first wife Joan Bennett Kennedy seeking a re-negotiated divorce settlement. Some early polls showed Romney close to Kennedy. By mid-September 1994, polls showed the race to be even.Sarah Rimer Kennedy's Wife Is Giving Him a Political Advantage in a Difficult Contest https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00EEDF123AF937A1575AC0A962958260 The New York Times September 24, 1994 One Boston Herald/WCVB-TV poll taken after the September 20, 1994, primary showed Romney ahead, 44 percent to 42 percent, within the poll's sampling margin of error.Gordon, Al."Kennedy in Fight Of His Political Life" https://web.archive.org/web/20090830203417/http://www.algordon.com/writing/page15/assets/kennedy_in_fight_of_his_political_life_10-02-1994.html 2009-08-30 Newsday (Nassau and Suffolk edition), pg. A04, October 2, 1994; retrieved October 29, 2006. In another September poll, Romney had a 43 to 42 percent lead. The Almanac of American Politics Barone Michael Grant Ujifusa 1999 National Journal Washington, DC 0-8129-3194-7 771 https://archive.org/details/almanacofamerica00/page/771 President Bill Clinton traveled to Massachusetts to campaign for Kennedy.Ruth Marcus, "Clinton Gets a Sense of the Real Thing; Kennedy and Massachusetts Democrats Put on a Campaign Rally", Washington Post (October 21, 1994): "Clinton stumped for a group of Massachusetts Democrats, but concentrated his efforts on Kennedy, who is in the closest race of his career. His challenger is Republican businessman Mitt Romney." Religion became an issue for a while, after Kennedy's campaign said it was fair to ask Romney about his LDS Church's past policy of not allowing blacks into the priesthood. Romney accused Kennedy of having violated Senator John F. Kennedy's famous September 1960 pledge not to allow his own Catholic doctrine to inform policy, made during his ultimately victorious presidential campaign. George Romney forcefully interjected during his son's press conference, "I think it is absolutely wrong to keep hammering on the religious issues. And what Ted is trying to do is bring it into the picture." After Romney touted his business credentials, and his record at creating jobs within his company, Kennedy ran campaign ads showing an Indiana company, Ampad, bought out by Romney's firm, Bain Capital. They showed interviews with its union workers who had been fired, and who criticized Romney for the loss of their jobs, with one saying, "I don't think Romney is creating jobs because he took every one of them away."Mike Hall Romney's "Business Experience": Firing Workers, Hiring Them Back at Lower Wages May 31, 2007 AFL/CIO Blog http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/05/31/romneys-business-experience-firing-workers-hiring-them-back-at-lower-wages/ AFL/CIO June 17, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070612051308/http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/05/31/romneys-business-experience-firing-workers-hiring-them-back-at-lower-wages/ 2007-06-12 dead Romney claimed that 10,000 jobs were created because of his work at Bain, but private detectives hired by Kennedy found a factory bought by Bain Capital that had suffered a 350-worker strike, after Bain had cut worker pay and benefits. The Almanac of American Politics Barone Michael Grant Ujifusa 1999 National Journal Washington, DC 0-8129-3194-7 772 https://archive.org/details/almanacofamerica00/page/772 Kennedy's charges were effective, as more voters decided that Romney was interested in profits more than people. thumb|left|Kennedy campaigning in Lowell Kennedy's attack ads also focused both on Romney's shifting political views;Hersh, The Shadow President, pp. 141–142. although both Kennedy and Romney supported the abortion rights established under Roe v. Wade, Kennedy accused Romney of being "multiple choice" on the issue, rather than "pro choice".R. W. Apple, Jr., THE 1994 CAMPAIGN: MASSACHUSETTS; Kennedy and Romney Meet, And the Rancor Flows Freely, New York Times (October 26, 1994). Romney said his stance dated back to his mother, Lenore Romney, and her position during her 1970 U.S. Senate campaign: "My mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that." Nevertheless, women's groups and Democrats viewed Romney's position with suspicion. (In subsequent years, Romney became anti-abortion and opposed Roe.http://www.mittromney.com/Issue-Watch/Values America's Culture and Values 2009-08-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20080215015112/https://www.mittromney.com/Issue-Watch/Values 2008-02-15 dead ) Kennedy's campaign ran short on money, and belying his image as endlessly wealthy, he was forced to take out a second mortgage on his Virginia home.Burton Hersh 1997 The Shadow President: Ted Kennedy in Opposition Steerforth Press 1-883642-30-2 registration https://archive.org/details/shadowpresidentt00hers pp. 137–139. Romney spent over $7 million of his own money, with Kennedy spending more than $10 million from his campaign fund, mostly in the last weeks of the campaign (this was the second-most expensive race of the 1994 election cycle, after the Dianne Feinstein–Michael Huffington Senate race in California).According to figures in The Almanac of American Politics 1996, which relies on official campaign finance reports. Kennedy's new wife, Vicki Reggie Kennedy, proved to be a strong asset in campaigning. By early October, Kennedy was ahead by 49 to 44 percent in a Boston Globe poll. In their first televised debate, held at Faneuil Hall on October 25, Kennedy came out charging with his aging, but still booming, voice; regarding the Ampad deal, he said to Romney: "I don't know why you wouldn't meet with the strikers with that flimflam deal of yours out there in Indiana." Romney charged that Kennedy had benefited from a real-estate deal that had been done on a no-bid basis, but Kennedy responded with a rehearsed line: "Mr. Romney, the Kennedys are not in public service to make money. We have paid too high a price in our commitment to the public service of this country." Each candidate was asked to discuss one of their own failings. In a dramatic moment, Kennedy indirectly referred to his personal problems, and acknowledged that he was "painfully aware" that on such occasions, he had let his supporters down. By contrast, Romney mentioned work for several local charities he was engaged with on a near daily basis. When the moderator reminded him of the question, Romney responded: "I guess what I regret is that I'm not able to provide even more help for those less fortunate than myself... I wish I could do even more." Kennedy won this key debate, as he re-connected with his traditional bases of support: Two polls of voters conducted afterwards both showed Kennedy as the victor in the debate.https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/28/us/the-1994-campaign-massachusetts.html Kennedy and Romney Clash in Second and Final Debate Adam Clymer Adam Clymer The New York Times October 28, 1994 One post-debate October general election poll showed Kennedy leading 50 percent to 32, and another by 56 to 36 percent. A second debate, held two days later at Holyoke Community College, focused more on policy details, and lacked the intensity of the first one; Romney failed to gain any traction from it. Polling Pollster Date M.o.E. Kennedy Romney UnsureBoston Globe/WBZ-TV http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-8289197.html Poll finds Kennedy's base firm; Challengers trail 16 to 20 points Frank Phillips and Scot Lehigh The Boston Globe July 24, 1994 August 27, 2009July 24, 1994 50%34%16% Boston Globe/WBZ-TV http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8297443.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121026120146/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8297443.html usurped October 26, 2012 Frank Phillips and Scot Lehigh The Boston Globe September 25, 1994 August 27, 2009 HighBeam Research subscription Boston, MA Article: Kennedy, Romney tied in poll September 25, 1994±5.0% 48% 46% 6%Opinion Dynamics of Cambridge https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/27/us/the-1994-campaign-massachusetts-kennedy-and-romney-look-to-round-2.html The 1994 Campaign: Massachusetts; Kennedy and Romney look to Round 2 Adam Clymer NY Times October 27, 2009 August 27, 2009October 27, 1994±5.0% 52%33%15% Results In the November general election, despite a bad national year for Democrats overall, Kennedy easily won re-election, by a 58% to 41% margin,Hersh, The Shadow President, pp. 152, 153. the closest re-election race of his career and the only such contest where Kennedy failed to capture at least 60% of the vote; only his initial victory in the 1962 special election was closer.Taranto, James Latter-day President?: A Mitt Romney candidacy would test the religious right The Wall Street Journal Saturday, December 31, 2005; retrieved October 29, 2006. 1994 United States Senate election in Massachusettshttp://electionstats.state.ma.us/elections/view/6092/ Massachusetts Elections Division PD43+ >> 1994 U.S. Senate General Election July 23, 2018 Democratic Party (United States) Ted Kennedy (incumbent) 1,266,011 58.07 –6.90 Republican Party (United States) Mitt Romney 894,005 41.01 +7.08 Libertarian Party (United States) Lauraleigh Dozier 14,484 0.66 +0.15 LaRouche Was Right William A. Ferguson, Jr. 4,776 0.22 +0.22 688 0.03 +.02 2,179,964 71.54 Democratic Party (United States) See also 1994 United States Senate elections References 2 External links 1994 Congressional Election results Massachusetts 1994 Category:1994 Massachusetts elections Category:Ted Kennedy Category:Mitt Romney