1948 Massachusetts general election

The 1948 Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1948, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on September 14.

Elections in Massachusetts

At the federal level, Republican Leverett Saltonstall was re-elected to the United States Senate, and Republicans won eight of fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives.

In the race for Governor, Republican incumbent Robert F. Bradford lost re-election to former Attorney General Paul Dever. Democrats swept the six statewide offices, defeating incumbents in five races.

Governor
Main article: 1948 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

Republican Governor Robert F. Bradford was defeated by Democratic former Attorney General Paul Dever in a landslide.

Lieutenant Governor

In the race for Lieutenant Governor, Democratic Mayor of Worcester defeated incumbent Republican Arthur W. Coolidge.

Democratic primary

Candidates
Declared
  • Charles F. "Jeff" Sullivan, Mayor of Worcester[1]
  • Benedict FitzGerald, attorney[1]
  • Edward P. Barry[1]

Results
1948 Democratic Lt. gubernatorial primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles F. Sullivan 127,948 48.05%
Democratic Benedict FitzGerald 99,712 37.44%
Democratic Edward P. Barry 38,637 14.51%
Total votes 266,297 100.00%

General election
Massachusetts Lt. gubernatorial election, 1948 [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Charles F. Sullivan 1,163,041 56.69% 7.38
Republican Arthur W. Coolidge 870,864 42.45% 6.86
Socialist Labor Lawrence Gilfedder 12,127 0.59% 0.05
Prohibition Guy S. Williams 5,457 0.27% 0.07
Total votes 2,051,489 100.00%

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Incumbent Republican Secretary of the Commonwealth Frederic W. Cook ran for re-election to a record fifteenth two-year term in office, but was narrowly defeated by Democrat Edward J. Cronin.

The Socialist Labor Party nominated Gote E. Palmquist.

Democratic primary
1948 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Democratic Primary[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edward J. Cronin 148,545 61.82%
Democratic Jerome P. Troy 93,362 35.94%
Write-in All others 2 0.00%
Total votes 241,909 100.00%

General election
1948 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Edward J. Cronin 1,011,397 49.98% 9.62
Republican Frederic W. Cook 997,764 49.30% 10.01
Socialist Labor Gote E. Palmquist 14,416 0.71% 0.23
Write-in All others 1 0.00%
Total votes 2,023,578 100.00%

Attorney General

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Clarence A. Barnes ran for re-election to a third consecutive term. He was defeated Democratic former Lt. Governor Francis E. Kelly in the general election. This was a re-match of the 1946 election.

Democratic primary
1948 Massachusetts Attorney General Democratic Primary[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 98,370 35.94%
Democratic Patrick Gilbert Sullivan 66,395 24.26%
Democratic John F. Kelley 63,678 23.27%
Democratic Enrico Cappucci 45,227 16.53%
Write-in All others 5 0.00%
Total votes 273,675 100.00%

General election
1948 Massachusetts Attorney General Election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 1,077,504 53.26% 8.50
Republican Clarence A. Barnes 927,779 45.86% 8.23
Socialist Labor Anthony Martin 17,649 0.87% 0.08
Write-in All others 10 0.00%
Total votes 2,022,942 100.00%

Treasurer and Receiver-General

Incumbent Republican Treasurer and Receiver-General Laurence Curtis ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Democratic former Treasurer Francis E. Kelly. This was a re-match of the 1946 election.

The Prohibition Party nominated Harold J. Ireland, and the Socialist Labor party nominated Malcolm T. Rowe.

1948 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic John E. Hurley 1,120,989 55.21% 9.32
Republican Laurence Curtis 888,767 43.78% 9.16
Socialist Labor Malcolm T. Rowe 13,087 0.64% 0.14
Prohibition Harold J. Ireland 7,279 0.36% 0.06
Write-in All others 4 0.00%
Total votes 2,030,126 100.00%

Auditor

Incumbent Democratic Auditor Thomas J. Buckley ran for re-election to a fifth term in office. He was re-elected in a landslide over Republican Russell A. Wood, who was also the nominee in 1946. This was a re-match of the much closer 1946 election.

The Prohibition Party nominated Robert A. Simmons, and the Socialist Labor Party nominated Francis A. Votano.

Republican primary
1948 Massachusetts State Auditor Republican Primary[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Russell A. Wood 91,768 40.18%
Republican Edwin L. Olander 81,109 35.51%
Republican Douglas Lawson 41,497 18.17%
Republican Wallace E. Stearns 14,025 6.14%
Write-in All others 0 0.00%
Total votes 228,399 100.00%

General election
1948 Massachusetts Auditor General Election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Thomas J. Buckley 1,241,653 61.58% 11.82
Republican Russell A. Wood 752,430 37.32% 11.72
Socialist Labor Francis A. Votano 12,510 0.62% 0.27
Prohibition Robert A. Simmons 6,916 0.34% 0.03
Write-in All others 5 0.00%
Total votes 2,016,214 100.00%

United States Senate
Main article: 1948 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

Incumbent Republican Senator Leverett Saltonstall ran for re-election to a full term in office. Saltonstall won the seat in the 1944 special election created by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr's resignation.

General election
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Leverett Saltonstall 1,088,475 52.95% 11.34
Democratic John I. Fitzgerald 954,398 46.43% 11.53
Socialist Labor Henning A. Blomen 9,266 0.44% 0.20
Prohibition E. Tallmadge Root 3,652 0.18% 0.01
Total votes 2,055,791 100.00%

United States House of Representatives

All of Massachusetts' fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1946.

Eight seats were won by Republican Party incumbents, and six were won by Democratic candidates.

Thirteen seats were won by candidates seeking re-election. The 2nd District seat (based in Springfield) was won by Democrat Foster Furcolo over incumbent Republican Charles R. Clason.

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References
  1. Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1948.
  2. Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1948.
  3. Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 228.
  4. Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 3.
  5. Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 239.
  6. Massachusetts Election Statistics 1948. p. 153.
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