1964 Massachusetts general election
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 3, 1964 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
| Elections in Massachusetts |
|---|
 |
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 10, 1964.
This was the final election before the Term of office for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, and Auditor was extended from two to four years.
Statewide elections
United States Senator
Democrat Ted Kennedy was re-elected over Republican Howard J. Whitmore, Jr., Socialist Labor candidate Lawrence Gilfedder, and Prohibition candidate Grace F. Luder.
Governor
Republican John A. Volpe was elected over Democrat Francis X. Bellotti, Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano, and Prohibition candidate Guy S. Williams. Incumbent Governor Endicott Peabody lost in the Democratic primary to Bellotti, his Lieutenant Governor.
Lieutenant Governor
Republican Elliot L. Richardson was elected Lieutenant Governor over Democrat John W. Costello, Socialist Labor candidate Edgar E. Gaudet, and Prohibition candidate Prescott E. Grout.
Attorney General
Incumbent Attorney General Edward Brooke defeated Democrat James W. Hennigan, Jr., Socialist Workers candidate Willy N. Hogseth, and Prohibition candidate Howard B. Rand in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Edward Brooke | 1,036,739 | 67.18% | ||
| Democratic | James W. Hennigan, Jr. | 746,390 | 32.48% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Willy N. Hogseth | 4,716 | 0.21% | ||
| Prohibition | Howard B. Rand | 3,030 | 0.13% | ||
| Write-in | 4 | 0.00% | |||
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Incumbent Secretary of the Commonwealth Kevin White, defeated Republican Wallace B. Crawford, Socialist Labor candidate Fred M. Ingersoll, and Prohibition candidate Julia B. Kohler in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kevin White | 1,572,871 | 71.20% | ||
| Republican | Wallace B. Crawford | 621,894 | 28.15% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Fred M. Ingersoll | 8,369 | 0.38% | ||
| Prohibition | Julia B. Kohler | 6,074 | 0.28% | ||
| Write-in | 7 | 0.00% | |||
Treasurer and Receiver-General
Incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General John T. Driscoll did not run for re-election as he had been appointed Chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.
Robert Q. Crane defeated Louise Day Hicks, John Francis Kennedy, and John J. Buckley in the Democratic primary.
Crane defeated Republican Robert C. Hahn, Socialist Labor candidate Arne A. Sortell, and Prohibition candidate Warren C. Carberg in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Q. Crane | 238,629 | 35.87% | ||
| Democratic | Louise Day Hicks | 163,201 | 24.53% | ||
| Democratic | John Francis Kennedy | 139,736 | 21.01% | ||
| Democratic | John J. Buckley | 123,519 | 18.57% | ||
| Write-in | 175 | 0.03% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Q. Crane | 1,390,921 | 64.16% | ||
| Republican | Robert C. Hahn | 762,593 | 35.18% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Arne A. Sortell | 8,017 | 0.37% | ||
| Prohibition | Warren C. Carberg | 6,295 | 0.29% | ||
| Write-in | 3 | 0.00% | |||
Auditor
Incumbent Auditor Thomas J. Buckley died on September 9, 1964, the night before the Democratic primary. Rocco Antonelli, Richard J. Mulhern, Peter F. Hines, James Linchan, and Raymond Rigney ran sticker campaigns, but none of them received enough votes to win the nomination.
The Democratic State Committee chose Thaddeus M. Buczko over John J. Buckley, Louise Day Hicks, and Peter F. Hines to succeed Buckley for the Democratic nomination.
In the general election, Buczko defeated Republican Elwynn Miller, Socialist Labor candidate Ethelbert L. Nevens, and Prohibition candidate John C. Hedges in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Thomas J. Buckley (Deceased) | 375,917 | 95.95% | ||
| Other | 4,355 | 1.11% | |||
| Democratic | Rocco Antonelli (Write-in) | 2,859 | 0.73% | ||
| Democratic | Richard J. Mulhern (Write-in) | 2,839 | 0.73% | ||
| Democratic | Peter F. Hines (Write-in) | 2,837 | 0.72% | ||
| Democratic | James Linchan (Write-in) | 2,545 | 0.65% | ||
| Democratic | Raymond Rigney (Write-in) | 436 | 0.11% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Thaddeus M. Buczko | 40 | 56.34% | ||
| Democratic | John J. Buckley | 23 | 32.39% | ||
| Democratic | Louise Day Hicks | 7 | 9.86% | ||
| Democratic | Peter F. Hines | 1 | 1.41% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Thaddeus M. Buczko | 1,247,674 | 58.38% | ||
| Republican | Elwynn Miller | 868,813 | 40.66% | ||
| Prohibition | John C. Hedges | 11,368 | 0.53% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Ethelbert L. Nevens | 9,175 | 0.43% | ||
| Write-in | 9 | 0.00% | |||
References
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 444.
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 450.
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 241.
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 456.
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 247.
- Hanron, Robert (September 19, 1964). "Democrats Pick Buczko As Nominee for Auditor". Boston Globe.
- Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 462.