1974 Massachusetts elections

none February 2026 September 2023 1974 Massachusetts general election parliamentary Massachusetts 1972 Massachusetts general election 1972 1976 Massachusetts general election 1976 November 5, 1974 Part of the1974 United States elections The 1974 Massachusetts general election was held on November 5, 1974, throughout Massachusetts. Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held September 10, 1974. The Democratic primary in this election was notably competitive, with formidable challenges to two incumbent Democrats (Secretary of the Commonwealth John Davoren, who lost, and Treasurer Robert Q. Crane, who narrowly won) and two open primaries (for Governor and Attorney General). In the general election, Democrats swept the statewide offices quite easily. Republican support may have been held down by the weight of the ongoing Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Governor and lieutenant governor 1974 Massachusetts gubernatorial election Democrats Michael Dukakis and Thomas P. O'Neill III were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively, over Republican incumbents Francis W. Sargent and Donald R. Dwight. Attorney general 1974 Massachusetts Attorney General election presidential no 1970 Massachusetts elections#Attorney general 1970 1978 Massachusetts elections#Attorney general 1978 150x150px Francis Bellotti Democratic Party (United States) 912,244 49.7% 150x150px Josiah Spaulding Republican Party (United States) 894,754 48.7% 1974 Massachusetts attorney general election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsBellotti: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70%Spaulding: #E27F7F 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% Attorney General Robert H. Quinn Democratic Party (United States) Francis Bellotti Democratic Party (United States) Attorney General Robert H. Quinn declined to run for re-election and instead ran for Governor. In the open primary to fill his seat, former Lt. Governor Francis X. Bellotti won the Democratic nomination. Bellotti defeated Republican nominee Josiah Spaulding in a close race. Democratic primary Candidates Francis X. Bellotti, former Lt. Governor and nominee for Governor in 1964 Barry T. Hannon, Norfolk County Register of Deeds Edward Francis Harrington, attorney and former prosecutor of Raymond L.S. Patriarca Edward M. O'Brien S. Lester Ralph, mayor of Somerville and Episcopal minister George Sacco, State Representative from Medford Results 1974 Democratic Attorney General primaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1974 218 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/218/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Francis X. Bellotti 274,439 36.21% Democratic Party (US) George Sacco 176,075 23.23% Democratic Party (US) Edward Francis Harrington 126,771 16.71% Democratic Party (US) S. Lester Ralph 90,489 11.94% Democratic Party (US) Edward M. O'Brien 56,796 7.50% Democratic Party (US) Barry T. Hannon 33,240 4.39% 21 0.00% 757,831 100.00% Republican primary Candidates Charles Codman Cabot Jr., chairman of the Outdoor Advertising Board William I. Cowin, Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance Josiah Spaulding, former chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1970 Results 1974 Massachusetts Attorney General Republican PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1974 66 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/n73/mode/2up Republican Party (US) Josiah Spaulding 76,356 41.32% Republican Party (US) Charles Cabot 63,127 34.16% Republican Party (US) William I. Cowin 45,244 24.49% 54 0.03% 184,781 100.00% General election 1974 Massachusetts Attorney General electionMassachusetts Election Statistics 1974 381 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/380/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Francis X. Belotti 912,244 49.67% 12.55 Republican Party (US) Josiah Spaulding 894,754 48.71% 11.79 Socialist Workers Party (United States) Jeanne Lafferty 29,749 1.62% 0.76 20 0.00% 1,836,767 100.00% Secretary of the Commonwealth 1974 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth election presidential no 1970 Massachusetts elections#Secretary of the Commonwealth 1970 1978 Massachusetts elections#Secretary of the Commonwealth 1978 150x150px Paul Guzzi Democratic Party (United States) 1,155,636 64.5% 150x150px John M. Quinlan Republican Party (United States) 636,203 35.5% 250px Municipality results Secretary of the Commonwealth John Davoren Democratic Party (United States) Paul Guzzi Democratic Party (United States) Secretary of the Commonwealth John Davoren was defeated in the Democratic primary by Paul Guzzi. Guzzi went on to defeat Republican State Senator John M. Quinlan in the general election. Democratic primary Candidates John Davoren, incumbent Secretary of the Commonwealth Paul Guzzi, State Representative from Newton Results 1974 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Democratic PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1974 225 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/224/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Paul Guzzi 398,684 56.81% Democratic Party (US) John Davoren (incumbent) 303,097 43.19% 13 0.00% 701,794 100.00% Republican primary Candidates Declared John M. Quinlan, State Senator Withdrew at convention Ron Burton, former Boston Patriots running backSargent defeats Sheehan, 2-1; both declare GOP convention result a victory The Boston Globe June 2, 1974 Peter Lucas Rachelle Patterson Results Following Burton's withdrawal, Quinlan was unopposed for the Republican nomination. General election Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election, 1974Massachusetts Election Statistics 1974 389 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/388/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Paul Guzzi 1,155,636 64.49% 10.65 Republican Party (US) John M. Quinlan 636,203 35.51% 9.17 Write-in All others 48 0.00% 1,791,887 100.00% Treasurer and Receiver-General 1974 Massachusetts Treasurer Democratic primary presidential no 1970 Massachusetts elections#Treasurer and Receiver-General 1970 1978 Massachusetts elections#Treasurer and Receiver-General 1978 150x150px Robert Q. Crane Democratic Party (United States) 355,216 51.0% 150x150px Charles Mark Furcolo Democratic Party (United States) 340,882 49.0% 300px County results 300px Municipal Results 250px Crane: #7996E2 50–60% #6674DE 60–70% #584CDE 70–80% #3933E5 80–90% #0D0596 >90%Furcolo: #51C2C2 50–60% #2AACAC 60–70% #009696 70–80% Treasurer and Receiver-General Robert Q. Crane Democratic Party (United States) Robert Q. Crane Republican Party (United States) Incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General Robert Q. Crane defeated Charles Mark Furcolo in the Democratic Primary. Erna Ballantine ran an unsuccessful sticker campaign for the Republican nomination.Massachusetts Election Statistics 1974 80 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/80/mode/2up Democratic primary Candidates Robert Q. Crane, incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General Charles Mark Furcolo, Boston attorney and son of Foster Furcolo Results 1974 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Democratic PrimaryMassachusetts Election Statistics 1974 232 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/232/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Robert Q. Crane (incumbent) 355,216 51.03% Democratic Party (US) Charles Mark Furcolo 340,882 48.97% 27 0.00% 696,125 100.00% General election Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election, 1974Massachusetts Election Statistics 1974 397 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/396/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Robert Q. Crane (incumbent) 1,387,119 99.97% 34.36 382 0.03% 0.03 1,387,501 100.00% Auditor Incumbent Auditor Thaddeus M. Buczko was unopposed in the Democratic primary and the general election. General election Massachusetts Auditor General Election, 1974 Massachusetts Election Statistics 1974 405 https://archive.org/stream/electionstatisti19741975mass#page/404/mode/2up Democratic Party (US) Thaddeus M. Buczko (incumbent) 1,369,431 99.99% 33.12 196 0.01% 0.01 1,369,627 100.00% United States House of Representatives 1974 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts All of Massachusetts' twelve seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1974. Ten seats were won by candidates seeking re-election. The 3rd District seat was won by Joseph D. Early, who succeeded retiring Democrat Harold Donohue. The 5th District seat was won by Democrat Paul Tsongas, who defeated incumbent Republican Paul W. Cronin. References Massachusetts