1946 Massachusetts general election
November 5, 1946
Part of the
1946 United States elections

The 1946 Massachusetts general election was held on November 5, 1946, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on June 18.

At the federal level, Republican Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. was elected to the United States Senate over incumbent Senator David I. Walsh, and Republicans won nine of fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives. Future President of the United States John F. Kennedy was elected to his first term in the House.

In the race for Governor, Republican Lt. Governor Robert F. Bradford defeated incumbent Democrat Maurice Tobin. Overall, Republicans won five of the six elected state-wide offices. Only incumbent Democratic Auditor Thomas J. Buckley retained his office.

Governor

Republican Lieutenant Governor Robert F. Bradford defeated incumbent Democratic Governor Maurice Tobin. Tobin survived a Democratic primary challenge from attorney Francis Harrigan, while Bradford was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Lieutenant governor

In the race for lieutenant governor, Republican State Senator Arthur W. Coolidge defeated Democratic former attorney general Paul A. Dever.

Republican primary

State Senator Arthur W. Coolidge defeated Lynn mayor Albert Cole in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor.[1]

1946 Republican Lt. gubernatorial primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur W. Coolidge 124,804 66.39%
Republican Albert Cole 63,072 33.61%
Total votes 187,876 100.00%

Democratic primary

Former Attorney General Paul A. Dever defeated Roger Putnam, Daniel J. O'Connell, and John B. Carr for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor.[2]

1946 Democratic Lt. gubernatorial primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul A. Dever 135,991 52.01%
Democratic Roger Putnam 87,868 33.60%
Democratic Daniel J. O'Connell 19,669 7.52%
Democratic John B. Carr 17,908 6.87%
Total votes 261,436 100.00%

General election

1946 Massachusetts Lt. gubernatorial election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Arthur W. Coolidge 827,192 49.71%
Democratic Paul A. Dever 820,405 49.31%
Socialist Labor Francis A. Votano 10,708 0.64%
Prohibition Alfred Erickson 5,398 0.34%
Total votes 1,663,703 100.00%

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Incumbent Republican Secretary of the Commonwealth Frederic W. Cook ran for re-election to a thirteenth two-year term in office.

The Democratic Party nominated Benedict F. Fitzgerald Jr.

The Socialist Labor Party nominated Malcolm T. Rowe.

Democratic primary

1946 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Democratic Primary[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Benedict F. Fitzgerald Jr. 113,606 51.07%
Democratic John J. Concannon 55,235 24.83%
Democratic Paul H. Snow 31,320 14.08%
Democratic Leo Moran 22,302 10.03%
Write-in All others 2 0.00%
Total votes 222,465 100.00%

General election

1946 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Frederic W. Cook (incumbent) 970,797 59.31%
Democratic Benedict F. Fitzgerald Jr. 660,602 40.36%
Socialist Labor Malcolm T. Rowe 15,392 0.94%
Write-in All others 1 0.00%
Total votes 1,646,792 100.00%

Attorney general

Incumbent Republican attorney general Clarence A. Barnes ran for re-election to a second consecutive term. He defeated Democratic former Lt. Governor Francis E. Kelly in the general election.

Democratic primary

1946 Massachusetts Attorney General Democratic Primary[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 103,684 41.78%
Democratic Joseph M. McDonough 86,642 34.92%
Democratic Michael F. Hourihan 25,610 10.32%
Democratic Harry E. Casey 17,970 7.24%
Democratic Edward A. Hutchinson 14,241 5.73%
Write-in All others 3 0.00%
Total votes 248,150 100.00%

General election

1946 Massachusetts Attorney General Election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Clarence A. Barnes (incumbent) 886,354 54.09%
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 733,420 44.76%
Socialist Labor William F. Oro 13,063 0.79%
Prohibition Howard B. Rand 5,766 0.35%
Write-in All others 6 0.00%
Total votes 1,638,609 100.00%

Treasurer and Receiver-General

Incumbent Democratic Treasurer and Receiver-General John E. Hurley ran for re-election to a second term in office. He was defeated by Republican former State Senator Laurence Curtis.

The Prohibition Party nominated Charles H. Vaughn, and the Socialist Labor party nominated Lawrence Gilfedder.

Democratic primary

1946 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Democratic Primary[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John E. Hurley (incumbent) 215,026 89.71%
Democratic Thomas Khoury 24,664 10.29%
Write-in All others 1 0.00%
Total votes 239,691 100.00%

Republican primary

1946 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Republican Primary[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Laurence Curtis 126,487 68.87%
Republican Fred J. Burrell 57,168 31.13%
Write-in All others 1 0.00%
Total votes 183,656 100.00%

General election

1946 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Laurence Curtis 867,961 52.94%
Democratic John E. Hurley (incumbent) 753,890 45.89%
Socialist Labor Lawrence Gilfedder 12,767 0.78%
Prohibition Charles H. Vaughn 4,974 0.30%
Write-in All others 2 0.00%
Total votes 1,639,594 100.00%

Auditor

Incumbent Democratic Auditor Thomas J. Buckley ran for re-election to a fourth term in office. He was re-elected narrowly over Republican Russell A. Wood.

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

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

1946 Massachusetts Auditor Republican Primary[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Russell A. Wood 123,197 71.11%
Republican Wallace E. Stearns 50,035 28.89%
Write-in All others 1 0.00%

General election

1946 Massachusetts Auditor General Election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Thomas J. Buckley (incumbent) 808,654 49.76%
Republican Russell A. Wood 796,980 49.04%
Socialist Labor Pearl A. Votano 14,491 0.89%
Prohibition Robert A. Simmons 5,041 0.31%
Write-in All others 1 0.00%
Total votes 1,625,167 100.00%

United States Senate

Incumbent Democratic Senator David I. Walsh ran for re-election to a fourth term. He was defeated by former Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., who had resigned from Massachusetts's other Senate seat in order to serve in World War II.

United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 1946[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. 989,736 59.55 Increase17.17
Democratic David I. Walsh (incumbent) 660,200 39.72 Decrease15.92
Socialist Labor Henning A. Blomen 9,221 0.56 Increase0.35
Prohibition Mark R. Shaw 2,898 0.17 Decrease0.32
Total votes 1,662,055 100.00%

United States House of Representatives

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

Nine seats were won by Republican Party candidates.

Twelve seats were won by candidates seeking re-election. The 4th District seat (based in Worcester) was won by Democrat Harold Donohue, defeating incumbent Republican Pehr Holmes. The 11th District seat (based in Boston and Cambridge) was won by John F. Kennedy after incumbent James Michael Curley vacated the seat to become Mayor of Boston.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1946.
  2. 1 2 Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1946.
  3. ↑ Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1946.
  4. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1946. p. 50.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Massachusetts Election Statistics 1946. p. 4.
  6. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1946. p. 62.
  7. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1946. p. 53.
  8. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1946. p. 145.
  9. ↑ Cornelius Owens (June 19, 1946). "DEVER AND COOLIDGE WIN: Wood Republican Choice for Auditor". The Boston Globe. p. 1.
  10. ↑ Cornelius Owens (October 16, 1946). "MEET THE CANDIDATES: Russell A. Wood Now Sticks Close to Republican Line". The Boston Globe. p. 17.
  11. ↑ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1946. p. 151.
  12. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MA US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1946".
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