1944 Massachusetts general election
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The 1944 Massachusetts general election was held on November 7, 1944, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on July 11.

At the federal level, Republican Governor Leverett Saltonstall was elected to the United States Senate over Cambridge mayor John H. Corcoran in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.'s resignation and Republicans won ten of fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives.

In the race for Governor, Republican Lt. Governor Robert F. Bradford defeated incumbent Democrat Maurice Tobin. Overall, Republicans and Democrats evenly split the state-wide offices, with each party won three of the six elected offices. Republicans won both houses of the Massachusetts General Court

Governor

Main article: 1944 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

Republican Incumbent Leverett Saltonstall ran for a seat in the United States Senate rather than seeking reelection. Democratic Mayor of Boston Maurice J. Tobin defeated Republican Lieutenant Governor Horace T. Cahill.

Lieutenant governor

In the race for lieutenant governor, Middlesex County District Attorney Robert F. Bradford (R) defeated Democratic former attorney general Paul A. Dever.

Republican primary

Middlesex County District Attorney Robert F. Bradford defeated Senate President Jarvis Hunt, Speaker of the House Rudolph King, Beverly mayor Daniel E. McLean, and perennial candidate William McMasters for the Republican nomination.

Republican Lt. gubernatorial primary, 1944[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Robert F. Bradford 106,684 54.06%
Republican Jarvis Hunt 37,866 19.19%
Republican Rudolph King 33,860 17.16%
Republican Daniel E. McLean 12,780 6.47%
Republican William McMasters 6,142 3.11%

Democratic primary

Somerville assessor John B. Carr defeated former Worcester mayor John S. Sullivan, former state representative Alexander F. Sullivan, and Everett city councilor Alfred P. Farese for the Democratic nomination. Although he was a relative unknown in statewide politics, Carr did have a similar name to his party's 1942 lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, John C. Carr.[2]

Democratic Lt. gubernatorial primary, 1944[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John B. Carr 61,222 33.38%
Democratic John S. Sullivan 55,140 30.07%
Democratic Alexander F. Sullivan 53,267 29.04%
Democratic Alfred P. Farese 13,754 7.50%

General election

Massachusetts Lt. gubernatorial election, 1944[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Robert F. Bradford 975,537 51.65%
Democratic John B. Carr 893,487 47.30%
Socialist Labor George Leo McGlynn 11,159 0.59%
Prohibition Alfred Erickson 8,662 0.46%

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Twelve-term Republican Incumbent Frederic W. Cook ran unopposed in the primary and defeated Democrat Margaret O'Riordan in the general election for Secretary of the Commonwealth. John M. Bresnahan had defeated Margaret O'Riordan in the Democratic primary, but gave up the nomination to instead run for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.[5]

Democratic primary

Lynn school committee member John M. Bresnahan defeated Democratic National Committeewoman Margaret O'Riordan in the Democratic primary. Bresnahan also won the Democratic primary for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district. As he could not be the nominee in both races, Bresnahan relinquished his nomination for Secretary of the Commonwealth.[6] O'Riordan was chosen by acclamation by the State Democratic Committee to replace Bresnahan on the ballot.[5]

1944 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Democratic Primary[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John M. Bresnahan 99,373 56.67%
Democratic Margaret O'Riordan 75,973 43.32%
Write-in All others 2 0.00%
Total votes 175,346 100.00%

General election

1944 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Frederic W. Cook (incumbent) 1,072,267 59.31%
Democratic Margaret O'Riordan 782,664 40.36%
Socialist Labor Horace I. Hillis 13,764 0.94%
Write-in All others 4 0.00%
Total votes 1,646,792 100.00%

Treasurer and Receiver-General

Incumbent Democratic Treasurer and Receiver-General Francis X. Hurley ran for Governor rather than seeking reelection. Democrat John E. Hurley defeated Republican Fred J. Burrell to succeed Hurley.

Republican primary

Former state treasurer Fred J. Burrell defeated former state senator Laurence Curtis for the Republican nomination.

1944 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Republican Primary[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Fred J. Burrell 92,236 50.17%
Republican Laurence Curtis 91,578 49.82%
Write-in All others 3 0.00%
Total votes 183,814 100.00%

Democratic primary

John E. Hurley, a former State Representative and secretary to Attorney General Paul A. Dever defeated attorney and Medfield assessor Francis C. McKenna, Democratic state committeeman Michael A. O'Leary, and state Auditor Thomas J. Buckley’s former confidential secretary John F. Welch to win the Democratic primary. Hurley was the fourth consecutive person in the past 14 years named Hurley to win the Democratic nomination for state treasurer, following Charles F. Hurley, William E. Hurley, and Francis X. Hurley.[10]

1944 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Democratic Primary[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John E. Hurley 118,955 66.30%
Democratic Michael A. O’Leary 24,525 13.67%
Democratic John F. Welch 20,040 11.17%
Democratic Francis C. McKenna 15,886 8.85%
Write-in All others 1 0.00%
Total votes 179,404 100.00%

General election

1944 Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John E. Hurley 1,035,093 56.24%
Republican Fred J. Burrell 782,664 42.52%
Socialist Labor Herbert Crabtree 14,170 0.76%
Prohibition Earle L. Smith 8,310 0.45%
Write-in All others 35 0.00%
Total votes 1,840,272 100.00%

Auditor

Incumbent Democratic Auditor Thomas J. Buckley ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Frank A. Goodwin in the general election.

Republican primary

Registrar of Motor Vehicles Frank A. Goodwin defeated former Auditor Russell A. Wood and Young Republican Wallace E. Stearns in the Republican primary.

1944 Massachusetts Auditor Republican Primary[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank A. Goodwin 108,036 56.82%
Republican Russell A. Wood 65,028 34.20%
Republican Wallace E. Stearns 17,049 8.96%
Write-in All others 3 0.00%

General election

1944 Massachusetts Auditor Election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Thomas J. Buckley 972,910 52.17%
Republican Frank A. Goodwin 875,930 46.97%
Socialist Labor Gote Elvel Palmquist 10,368 0.55%
Prohibition Charles E. Vaughn 5,550 0.29%
Write-in All others 6 0.00%
Total votes 1,864,764 100.00%

Attorney general

Incumbent Republican attorney general Robert T. Bushnell did not run for reelection and was not a candidate for any other office. Republican Clarence A. Barnes defeated Democratic former Lt. Governor Francis E. Kelly to succeed Bushnell.

Republican primary

Massachusetts Governor’s Councilor Clarence A. Barnes defeated attorneys Charles Fairhurst and James E. Farley in the Republican primary.

1944 Massachusetts Attorney General Republican Primary[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Clarence A. Barnes 110,723 58.79%
Republican James E. Farley 53,071 28.18%
Republican Charles Fairhurst 24,502 13.01%
Write-in All others 15 0.00%
Total votes 188,311 100.00%

Democratic primary

Former Lieutenant Governor Francis E. Kelly defeated former director of the state department of public works’ securities division John H. Backus, attorney Francis D. Harrigan, and World War II veteran Joseph M. McDonough in the Democratic primary.

1944 Massachusetts Attorney General Democratic Primary[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 83,248 43.35%
Democratic Joseph M. McDonough 53,392 27.80%
Democratic Francis D. Harrigan 32,883 17.12%
Democratic John H. Backus 22,454 11.69%
Write-in All others 20 0.01%
Total votes 191,997 100.00%

General election

1944 Massachusetts Attorney General Election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Clarence A. Barnes 929,320 49.86%
Democratic Francis E. Kelly 918,559 49.28%
Socialist Labor Fred E. Oelcher 10,439 0.56%
Prohibition Howard Rand 5,444 0.29%
Write-in All others 15 0.00%
Total votes 1,863,777 100.00%

United States Senate

Main article: 1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts

Governor Leverett Saltonstall (R) defeated Cambridge mayor John H. Corcoran (D) in a special election for the United States Senate seat previously held by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., who had resigned from Massachusetts's other Senate seat in order to serve in World War II.

General election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leverett Saltonstall 1,228,754 64.29% Increase11.85
Democratic John H. Corcoran 667,086 34.90% Decrease11.71
Socialist Labor Bernard G. Kelly 12,296 0.64% Increase0.29
Prohibition E. Tallmadge Root 3,269 0.17% Decrease0.09
Total votes 1,911,405 100.00%

United States House of Representatives

Main article: 1944 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts

All of Massachusetts' fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1944.

Ten seats were won by Republican Party candidates.

Eleven seats were won by candidates seeking re-election. The 1st District seat (based in Western Massachusetts) was won by Republican John W. Heselton. Heselton defeated Democrat James P. McAndrews in a close race to succeed the retired Allen T. Treadway

See also

References

  1. ^ Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944. 1943–1945. p. 116.
  2. ^ Ainley, Leslie G. (November 25, 1945). "Proposed Bill for June State Primary Promises Short, Merry Campaign". The Boston Daily Globe. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944. 1943–1945. p. 185.
  4. ^ Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944. 1943–1945. p. 3.
  5. ^ a b "Mrs. O'Riordan Choice of Democrats for Secretary of State". Boston Daily Globe. July 15, 1944.
  6. ^ Ainley, Leslie G. (March 31, 1946). "Politics and Politicians: First Legislative Lame Duck Session in State's History Looms". Boston Daily Globe.
  7. ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1944. p. 188.
  8. ^ a b c d Election Statistics; The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1944. 1943–1945. p. 3.
  9. ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1944. p. 122.
  10. ^ Harris, John J. (August 2, 1942). "Politics and Politicians: Senatorial Race Holds Spotlight in Massachusetts". The Boston Daily Globe.
  11. ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1944. p. 194.
  12. ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1944. p. 125.
  13. ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1944. p. 128.
  14. ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1944. p. 203.

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