1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
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  Volpe: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Bellotti: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Massachusetts |
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The 1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent Governor Endicott Peabody ran for re-election, but was defeated by then-Lieutenant Governor Francis X. Bellotti in the Democratic Party primary. Bellotti went on to lose the general election to former Governor John Volpe.[1]
The race between Volpe and Bellotti was the first time in Massachusetts history that the two major parties backed sons of Italian immigrants for governor.[2]
This was the final election held before the governor's term of office was extended from two to four years.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Francis Bellotti, Lieutenant Governor
- Pasquale Caggiano, perennial candidate
- John J. Droney, Middlesex County District Attorney
- Endicott Peabody, incumbent Governor
Declined
- Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General (brother of President John F. Kennedy)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Francis X. Bellotti | 363,675 | 49.61% | |
| Democratic | Endicott Peabody (incumbent) | 336,780 | 45.94% | |
| Democratic | John J. Droney | 27,357 | 3.73% | |
| Democratic | Pasquale Caggiano | 5,250 | 0.72% | |
| Total votes | 733,062 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- John Volpe, former Governor
Defeated at convention
- Philip A. Graham, State Senator from Hamilton and Senate Minority Leader[4]
- Francis W. Perry, State Representative from Duxbury and nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1962[4]
Withdrew
- Edward Brooke, Attorney General of Massachusetts (withdrew ahead of convention, ran for re-election)[4]
Results
Volpe ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
General election
Results
Volpe defeated Bellotti by less than 25,000 votes. Volpe's victory came in a year in which Democrats gained seats in the United States House of Representatives and Senate and Lyndon Johnson won the presidential election in a landslide.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John A. Volpe | 1,176,462 | 50.27% | ||
| Democratic | Francis X. Bellotti | 1,153,416 | 49.29% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Francis A. Votano | 6,273 | 0.27% | ||
| Prohibition | Guy S. Williams | 3,713 | 0.16% | ||
| Write-in | All others | 266 | 0.01% | ||
See also
References
- ^ a b Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 438.
- ^ "Democrats Close Ranks Behind Lt. Gov. Bellotti". Hartford Courant. September 12, 1964.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - MA Governor - D Primary Race - Sep 15, 1964". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ a b c "Nominations Due in Massachusetts; Little Excitement Expected at Party Conventions". The New York Times. June 14, 1964. p. 56.
- ^ "Republicans Gain One Governor's Mansion". Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1964.