1944 Massachusetts elections

none February 2026 September 2023 1944 Massachusetts general election parliamentary Massachusetts 1942 Massachusetts general election 1942 1946 Massachusetts general election 1946 November 7, 1944 Part of the1944 United States elections The 1944 Massachusetts general election was held on November 7, 1944, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on July 11. At the federal level, Republican Governor Leverett Saltonstall was elected to the United States Senate over Cambridge mayor John H. Corcoran in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.'s resignation and Republicans won ten of fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives. In the race for Governor, Republican Lt. Governor Robert F. Bradford defeated incumbent Democrat Maurice Tobin. Overall, Republicans and Democrats evenly split the state-wide offices, with each party won three of the six elected offices. Republicans won both houses of the Massachusetts General Court Governor 1944 Massachusetts gubernatorial election Republican Incumbent Leverett Saltonstall ran for a seat in the United States Senate rather than seeking reelection. Democratic Mayor of Boston Maurice J. Tobin defeated Republican Lieutenant Governor Horace T. Cahill. Lieutenant governor In the race for lieutenant governor, Middlesex County District Attorney Robert F. Bradford (R) defeated Democratic former attorney general Paul A. Dever. Republican primary Middlesex County District Attorney Robert F. Bradford defeated Senate President Jarvis Hunt, Speaker of the House Rudolph King, Beverly mayor Daniel E. McLean, and perennial candidate William McMasters for the Republican nomination. Republican Lt. gubernatorial primary, 1944Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944 1943–1945 116 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass Republican Party (United States) Robert F. Bradford 106,684 54.06% Republican Party (United States) Jarvis Hunt 37,866 19.19% Republican Party (United States) Rudolph King 33,860 17.16% Republican Party (United States) Daniel E. McLean 12,780 6.47% Republican Party (United States) William McMasters 6,142 3.11% Democratic primary Somerville assessor John B. Carr defeated former Worcester mayor John S. Sullivan, former state representative Alexander F. Sullivan, and Everett city councilor Alfred P. Farese for the Democratic nomination. Although he was a relative unknown in statewide politics, Carr did have a similar name to his party's 1942 lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, John C. Carr.Ainley, Leslie G. Proposed Bill for June State Primary Promises Short, Merry Campaign https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77568829/ 2021-05-12 The Boston Daily Globe November 25, 1945 Democratic Lt. gubernatorial primary, 1944Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944 1943–1945 185 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass Democratic Party (United States) John B. Carr 61,222 33.38% Democratic Party (United States) John S. Sullivan 55,140 30.07% Democratic Party (United States) Alexander F. Sullivan 53,267 29.04% Democratic Party (United States) Alfred P. Farese 13,754 7.50% General election Massachusetts Lt. gubernatorial election, 1944Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944 1943–1945 3 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass Republican Party (United States) Robert F. Bradford 975,537 51.65% Democratic Party (United States) John B. Carr 893,487 47.30% Socialist Labor Party of America George Leo McGlynn 11,159 0.59% Prohibition Party Alfred Erickson 8,662 0.46% Secretary of the Commonwealth Twelve-term Republican Incumbent Frederic W. Cook ran unopposed in the primary and defeated Democrat Margaret O'Riordan in the general election for Secretary of the Commonwealth. John M. Bresnahan had defeated Margaret O'Riordan in the Democratic primary, but gave up the nomination to instead run for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.Mrs. O'Riordan Choice of Democrats for Secretary of State Boston Daily Globe July 15, 1944 Democratic primary Lynn school committee member John M. Bresnahan defeated Democratic National Committeewoman Margaret O'Riordan in the Democratic primary. Bresnahan also won the Democratic primary for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district. As he could not be the nominee in both races, Bresnahan relinquished his nomination for Secretary of the Commonwealth.Ainley, Leslie G. Politics and Politicians: First Legislative Lame Duck Session in State's History Looms Boston Daily Globe March 31, 1946 O'Riordan was chosen by acclamation by the State Democratic Committee to replace Bresnahan on the ballot. 1944 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Democratic PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1944 188 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass/page/188/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) John M. Bresnahan 99,373 56.67% Democratic Party (US) Margaret O'Riordan 75,973 43.32% Write-in All others 2 0.00% 175,346 100.00% General election 1944 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth ElectionElection Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944 1943–1945 3 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass/page/n55/mode/2up? Republican Party (US) Frederic W. Cook (incumbent) 1,072,267 59.31% Democratic Party (US) Margaret O'Riordan 782,664 40.36% Socialist Labor Party of America Horace I. Hillis 13,764 0.94% Write-in All others 4 0.00% 1,646,792 100.00% Treasurer and Receiver-General Incumbent Democratic Treasurer and Receiver-General Francis X. Hurley ran for Governor rather than seeking reelection. Democrat John E. Hurley defeated Republican Fred J. Burrell to succeed Hurley. Republican primary Former state treasurer Fred J. Burrell defeated former state senator Laurence Curtis for the Republican nomination. 1944 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Republican PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1944 122 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass/page/122/mode/2up Republican Party (US) Fred J. Burrell 92,236 50.17% Republican Party (US) Laurence Curtis 91,578 49.82% Write-in All others 3 0.00% 183,814 100.00% Democratic primary John E. Hurley, a former State Representative and secretary to Attorney General Paul A. Dever defeated attorney and Medfield assessor Francis C. McKenna, Democratic state committeeman Michael A. O'Leary, and state Auditor Thomas J. Buckley’s former confidential secretary John F. Welch to win the Democratic primary. Hurley was the fourth consecutive person in the past 14 years named Hurley to win the Democratic nomination for state treasurer, following Charles F. Hurley, William E. Hurley, and Francis X. Hurley.Harris John J. Politics and Politicians: Senatorial Race Holds Spotlight in Massachusetts The Boston Daily Globe August 2, 1942 1944 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Democratic PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1944 194 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass/page/194/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) John E. Hurley 118,955 66.30% Democratic Party (US) Michael A. O’Leary 24,525 13.67% Democratic Party (US) John F. Welch 20,040 11.17% Democratic Party (US) Francis C. McKenna 15,886 8.85% Write-in All others 1 0.00% 179,404 100.00% General election 1944 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election Democratic Party (US) John E. Hurley 1,035,093 56.24% Republican Party (US) Fred J. Burrell 782,664 42.52% Socialist Labor Party of America Herbert Crabtree 14,170 0.76% Prohibition Party Earle L. Smith 8,310 0.45% Write-in All others 35 0.00% 1,840,272 100.00% Auditor Incumbent Democratic Auditor Thomas J. Buckley ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Frank A. Goodwin in the general election. Republican primary Registrar of Motor Vehicles Frank A. Goodwin defeated former Auditor Russell A. Wood and Young Republican Wallace E. Stearns in the Republican primary. 1944 Massachusetts Auditor Republican PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1944 125 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass/page/124/mode/2up Republican Party (US) Frank A. Goodwin 108,036 56.82% Republican Party (US) Russell A. Wood 65,028 34.20% Republican Party (US) Wallace E. Stearns 17,049 8.96% Write-in All others 3 0.00% General election 1944 Massachusetts Auditor Election Democratic Party (US) Thomas J. Buckley 972,910 52.17% Republican Party (US) Frank A. Goodwin 875,930 46.97% Socialist Labor Party of America Gote Elvel Palmquist 10,368 0.55% Prohibition Party Charles E. Vaughn 5,550 0.29% Write-in All others 6 0.00% 1,864,764 100.00% Attorney general Incumbent Republican attorney general Robert T. Bushnell did not run for reelection and was not a candidate for any other office. Republican Clarence A. Barnes defeated Democratic former Lt. Governor Francis E. Kelly to succeed Bushnell. Republican primary Massachusetts Governor’s Councilor Clarence A. Barnes defeated attorneys Charles Fairhurst and James E. Farley in the Republican primary. 1944 Massachusetts Attorney General Republican PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1944 128 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass/page/128/mode/2up Republican Party (US) Clarence A. Barnes 110,723 58.79% Republican Party (US) James E. Farley 53,071 28.18% Republican Party (US) Charles Fairhurst 24,502 13.01% Write-in All others 15 0.00% 188,311 100.00% Democratic primary Former Lieutenant Governor Francis E. Kelly defeated former director of the state department of public works’ securities division John H. Backus, attorney Francis D. Harrigan, and World War II veteran Joseph M. McDonough in the Democratic primary. 1944 Massachusetts Attorney General Democratic PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1944 203 https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19431945mass/page/202/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Francis E. Kelly 83,248 43.35% Democratic Party (US) Joseph M. McDonough 53,392 27.80% Democratic Party (US) Francis D. Harrigan 32,883 17.12% Democratic Party (US) John H. Backus 22,454 11.69% Write-in All others 20 0.01% 191,997 100.00% General election 1944 Massachusetts Attorney General Election Republican Party (US) Clarence A. Barnes 929,320 49.86% Democratic Party (US) Francis E. Kelly 918,559 49.28% Socialist Labor Party of America Fred E. Oelcher 10,439 0.56% Prohibition Party Howard Rand 5,444 0.29% Write-in All others 15 0.00% 1,863,777 100.00% United States Senate 1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts Governor Leverett Saltonstall (R) defeated Cambridge mayor John H. Corcoran (D) in a special election for the United States Senate seat previously held by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., who had resigned from Massachusetts's other Senate seat in order to serve in World War II. General election Republican Party (US) Leverett Saltonstall 1,228,754 64.29% 11.85 Democratic Party (US) John H. Corcoran 667,086 34.90% 11.71 Socialist Labor Party of America Bernard G. Kelly 12,296 0.64% 0.29 Prohibition Party E. Tallmadge Root 3,269 0.17% 0.09 1,911,405 100.00% United States House of Representatives 1944 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 1944. Ten seats were won by Republican Party candidates. Eleven seats were won by candidates seeking re-election. The 1st District seat (based in Western Massachusetts) was won by Republican John W. Heselton. Heselton defeated Democrat James P. McAndrews in a close race to succeed the retired Allen T. Treadway See also 154th Massachusetts General Court (1945–1946) References 30em External links Massachusetts