The 1926 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1926.
Incumbent Republican Governor
Alvan T. Fuller was elected over Democrat
William A. Gaston
William Alexander Gaston (May 1, 1859 – July 17, 1927) was an American lawyer, banker, and politician who was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Massachusetts in 1902, 1903, and 1926 and the United States Senate in 1905 and 1922. Ou ...
. This was Gaston's third and final unsuccessful bid for governor.
Republican primary
Governor
Candidates
*
Alvan T. Fuller, incumbent governor
Results
Governor Fuller was unopposed for renomination.
Lieutenant governor
Candidates
*
Frank G. Allen, incumbent lieutenant governor
Results
Allen was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Democratic primary
Governor
Candidates
*
William A. Gaston
William Alexander Gaston (May 1, 1859 – July 17, 1927) was an American lawyer, banker, and politician who was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Massachusetts in 1902, 1903, and 1926 and the United States Senate in 1905 and 1922. Ou ...
, son of former governor
William Gaston
William J. Gaston (September 19, 1778 – January 23, 1844) was a jurist and United States Representative from North Carolina. Gaston is the author of the official state song of North Carolina, "The Old North State". Gaston County, North Carolin ...
, nominee for governor in 1908 and 1909, and nominee for United States Senate in 1922
=Withdrew
=
*John J. Cummings, former member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
and Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor in 1924
Results
Gaston was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Lt. Governor
Candidates
*
Joseph B. Ely
Joseph Buell Ely (February 22, 1881 – June 13, 1956) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Massachusetts. As a conservative Democrat, Ely was active in party politics from the late 1910s, helping to build, in conjunction with ...
, former District Attorney for the Western District of Massachusetts and candidate for governor in 1922
=Withdrew
=
*Harry J. Dooley (name remained on primary ballot)
Campaign
Harry J. Dooley and
Joseph B. Ely
Joseph Buell Ely (February 22, 1881 – June 13, 1956) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Massachusetts. As a conservative Democrat, Ely was active in party politics from the late 1910s, helping to build, in conjunction with ...
competed for the Democratic nomination for
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
. Ely, an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1922, was tapped by the party leadership so that the party could present an ethnically diverse and geographically balanced ticket.
On August 28, Dooley dropped out of the race and endorsed Ely in order to unite the party. As Dooley did not exit the race before the August 13 deadline for withdrawals, his name remained on the ballot. Nevertheless, Dooley ended up winning the primary with the support of
Irish American
, image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png
, image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state
, caption = Notable Irish Americans
, population =
36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...
s. Dooley refused the nomination as did Ely, who believed the means to be an embarrassment (but officially cited his mother's illness as his reason for declining).
Dooley was replaced on the general election ballot by
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
Mayor
Edmond P. Talbot
Edmond Patrick Talbot (1884-1951) was a Canadian-born American politician who served as Mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, and Sheriff of Bristol County, Massachusetts. He was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in ...
. Party leadership hoped that the popular French-Canadian politician would help the ticket attract votes from the state's 75,000 to 80,000 French-speaking residents, 75% of which were believed to be Republican supporters.
Results
General election
Candidates
*
Alvan T. Fuller, incumbent governor (Republican)
*
William A. Gaston
William Alexander Gaston (May 1, 1859 – July 17, 1927) was an American lawyer, banker, and politician who was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Massachusetts in 1902, 1903, and 1926 and the United States Senate in 1905 and 1922. Ou ...
, son of former governor
William Gaston
William J. Gaston (September 19, 1778 – January 23, 1844) was a jurist and United States Representative from North Carolina. Gaston is the author of the official state song of North Carolina, "The Old North State". Gaston County, North Carolin ...
, nominee for governor in 1908 and 1909, and nominee for United States Senate in 1922 (Democratic)
*Walter S. Hutchins, perennial candidate (Socialist)
*Samuel Leger, nominee for Secretary of the Commonwealth in 1924 (Socialist Labor)
*Lewis Marks (Workers)
Results
See also
*
1925–1926 Massachusetts legislature
The 144th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1925 and 1926.
Senators
Representatives
See also
* 1926 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
* 69th United St ...
References
Bibliography
{{1926 United States elections
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
1926
November 1926 events