The 1948 Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1948, throughout Massachusetts.

Primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

s took place on September 14. Despite some Republican success at the federal level, the 1948 election was an historic victory for the Massachusetts Democratic Party. In the race for Governor, Republican incumbent

Robert F. Bradford Robert Fiske Bradford (December 15, 1902 – March 18, 1983) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as the List of Governors of Massachusetts, 57th Governor of Massachusetts, from 1947 to 1949. Early years Robert Fiske Bra ...

lost re-election to former attorney general Paul Dever. Democrats swept the six statewide offices, defeating incumbents in five races, and took control of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the first time since the American Civil War. At the federal level, Harry Truman carried the state over

Thomas Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...

in the presidential election, but Republican Leverett Saltonstall was re-elected to the United States Senate, and Republicans won eight of fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Governor

Republican governor

was defeated by Democratic former attorney general Paul Dever in a landslide.

Lieutenant governor

In the race 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 ...

, Democratic mayor of Worcester defeated incumbent Republican

Arthur W. Coolidge Arthur William Coolidge (October 13, 1881 – January 23, 1952) was a Massachusetts politician who served multiple positions within the state government. Early life Coolidge was born in Cumberland County, Maine. Career Coolidge worked as a ...

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Declared

= *Charles F. "Jeff" Sullivan, Mayor of Worcester *Benedict FitzGerald, attorney *Edward P. Barry

Results

General election

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Incumbent Republican Secretary of the Commonwealth Frederic W. Cook ran for re-election to a record fifteenth two-year term in office, but was narrowly defeated by Democrat

Edward J. Cronin Edward Joseph Cronin (February 25, 1912 – November 24, 1958) was a Massachusetts lawyer and politician who served as Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Secretary of the Commonwealth from 1949 to 1958. References

1912 bir ...

. The Socialist Labor Party nominated Gote E. Palmquist.

Democratic primary

General election

Attorney general

Incumbent Republican

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Clarence A. Barnes Clarence Alfred Barnes (August 28, 1882 – May 26, 1970) was an American politician who served as Attorney General of Massachusetts from 1945 to 1949. Barnes political career began in Mansfield, Massachusetts, where he served as town counsel a ...

ran for re-election to a third consecutive term. He was defeated Democratic former lieutenant governor

Francis E. Kelly Francis E. Kelly (March 26, 1903 – January 27, 1982) was an American politician who served as a member of the Boston City Council from 1930 to 1933, the 53rd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1937 to 1939 and Massachusetts Attorney G ...

in the general election. This was a re-match of the 1946 election.

Democratic primary

General election

Treasurer and Receiver-General

Incumbent Republican Treasurer and Receiver-General

Laurence Curtis Laurence Curtis (September 3, 1893 – July 11, 1989) was an American attorney and Republican Party politician from Massachusetts. Early life, military service, and education Laurence Curtis was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 3, 1 ...

ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Democratic former Treasurer

. This was a re-match of the 1946 election. The Prohibition Party nominated Harold J. Ireland, and the Socialist Labor party nominated Malcolm T. Rowe.

Auditor

Incumbent Democratic Auditor

Thomas J. Buckley Thomas J. Buckley (February 3, 1895 – September 9, 1964) was an American politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject an ...

ran for re-election to a fifth term in office. He was re-elected in a landslide over Republican

Russell A. Wood Russell Abner Wood (March 25, 1880 – September 19, 1952) was an American politician who was a Perennial candidate for statewide office in Massachusetts. He served as Massachusetts State Auditor from 1939 to 1941. Early life Wood was born on ...

, who he had defeated in 1940, 1942, and 1946. The Prohibition Party nominated Robert A. Simmons, and the Socialist Labor Party nominated Francis A. Votano.

Republican primary

General election

United States Senate

Incumbent Republican Senator Leverett Saltonstall ran for re-election to a full term in office. Saltonstall won the seat in the 1944 special election created by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr's resignation.

United States House of Representatives

All of Massachusetts' fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1946. Eight seats were won by Republican Party incumbents, and six were won by Democratic candidates. Thirteen seats were won by candidates seeking re-election. The 2nd District seat (based in Springfield) was won by Democrat Foster Furcolo over incumbent Republican

Charles R. Clason Charles Russell Clason (September 3, 1890 – July 7, 1985) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts and an attorney. Clason was born in Gardiner, Maine. He attended Bates College, and received his ...

References

External links

{{Massachusetts elections Massachusetts