1958 Massachusetts general election
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 4, 1958 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
| Elections in Massachusetts |
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The election included:
- statewide elections for United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, and Auditor;
- district elections for U.S. Representatives, State Representatives, State Senators, and Governor's Councillors; and
- ballot questions at the state and local levels.
Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held on September 9, 1958.
Statewide elections
United States Senator
Democrat John F. Kennedy was re-elected over Republican Vincent J. Celeste, Socialist Labor candidate Lawrence Gilfedder, and Prohibition candidate Mark R. Shaw.
Governor
Democrat Foster Furcolo was re-elected over Republican Charles Gibbons, Socialist Labor candidate Henning A. Blomen, and Prohibition candidate Guy S. Williams.
George Fingold was the only candidate in the Republican primary, however he died nine days before the primary.[1] Gibbons won the nomination as a write-in candidate.[2]
Lieutenant Governor
Democrat Robert F. Murphy was re-elected Lieutenant Governor over Republican Elmer C. Nelson, Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano, and Prohibition candidate Harold E. Bassett.
Attorney General
Incumbent Attorney General George Fingold ran for Governor instead of seeking reelection. He died on August 31, 1958 and Edward J. McCormack Jr., who won the Democratic primary over Endicott Peabody, was chosen by the Massachusetts General Court to finish his term.
McCormack defeated Republican Christian A. Herter Jr., Socialist Workers candidate Charles A. Couper, and Prohibition candidate Gustaf B. Nissan in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edward J. McCormack Jr. | 238,477 | 54.63% | ||
| Democratic | Endicott Peabody | 198,016 | 45.37% | ||
| Write-in | 12 | 0.00% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edward J. McCormack Jr. | 973,303 | 52.01% | ||
| Republican | Christian A. Herter Jr. | 888,385 | 47.47% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Charles A. Couper | 6,048 | 0.32% | ||
| Prohibition | Gustaf B. Nissan | 3,598 | 0.19% | ||
| Write-in | 11 | 0.00% | |||
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Incumbent Secretary of the Commonwealth Edward J. Cronin defeated Republican Marion Curran Boch, Socialist Labor candidate Fred M. Ingersoll, and Prohibition candidate Julia Kohler in the general election.
Cronin died 20 days after the election.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edward J. Cronin | 1,136,783 | 62.38% | ||
| Republican | Marion Curran Boch | 668,217 | 36.67% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Fred M. Ingersoll | 9,547 | 0.52% | ||
| Prohibition | Julia Kohler | 7,814 | 0.43% | ||
| Write-in | 1 | 0.00% | |||
Treasurer and Receiver-General
Incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General John Francis Kennedy defeated Woburn Mayor William G. Shaughnessy in the Democratic primary and Republican State Senator John Yerxa, Socialist Labor candidate John Erlandsson, and Prohibition candidate Warren Carberg in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Francis Kennedy | 256,155 | 61.78% | ||
| Democratic | William G. Shaughnessy | 158,447 | 38.22% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Francis Kennedy | 1,140,765 | 62.00% | ||
| Republican | John Yerxa | 684,954 | 37.23% | ||
| Socialist Workers | John Erlandsson | 7,814 | 0.42% | ||
| Prohibition | Warren Carberg | 6,382 | 0.34% | ||
| Write-in | 25 | 0.00% | |||
Auditor
Incumbent Auditor Thomas J. Buckley defeated Republican Thomas H. Adams, Socialist Labor candidate Arne Sortell, and Prohibition candidate John B. Lauder in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Thomas J. Buckley | 1,150,267 | 63.26% | ||
| Republican | Thomas H. Adams | 654,808 | 36.01% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Arne Sortell | 7,698 | 0.42% | ||
| Prohibition | John B. Lauder | 5,621 | 0.31% | ||
References
- "George Fingold is Dead at 49. Massachusetts Attorney General; G.O.P.Candidate for Governor Had Campaigned Saturday --Serving Third Term". New York Times. September 1, 1958.
- http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=570867
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1958. p. 65.
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1958. p. 5.
- "Edward J. Cronin". New York Times. November 25, 1958.
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1958. p. 62.