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1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

The 1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent Governor Endicott Peabody ran for re-election, but was defeated by then-Lieutenant Governor Francis X. Bellotti in the Democratic Party primary. Bellotti went on to lose the general election to former Governor John Volpe.[1]

1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
← 1962
November 3, 1964
1966 →
 
Nominee John Volpe Francis Bellotti
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,176,462 1,153,416
Percentage 50.27% 49.29%
Volpe:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Bellotti:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Governor before election

Endicott Peabody
Democratic

 Elected Governor

John Volpe
Republican

The race between Volpe and Bellotti was the first time in Massachusetts history that the two major parties backed sons of Italian immigrants for governor.[2]

This was the final election held before the governor's term of office was extended from two to four years.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Declined

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Results

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1964 Democratic gubernatorial primary[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Francis X. Bellotti 363,675 49.61%
Democratic Endicott Peabody (incumbent) 336,780 45.94%
Democratic John J. Droney 27,357 3.73%
Democratic Pasquale Caggiano 5,250 0.72%
Total votes 733,062 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Defeated at convention

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Withdrew

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Results

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Volpe ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

General election

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Candidates

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  • Francis Bellotti, lieutenant governor (Democratic)
  • John Volpe, former governor (Republican)
  • Francis A. Votano (Socialist Labor)
  • Guy S. Williams (Prohibition)

Results

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Volpe defeated Bellotti by less than 25,000 votes. Volpe's victory came in a year in which Democrats gained seats in the United States House of Representatives and Senate and Lyndon Johnson won the presidential election in a landslide.[5]

1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John A. Volpe 1,176,462 50.27%
Democratic Francis X. Bellotti 1,153,416 49.29%
Socialist Labor Francis A. Votano 6,273 0.27%
Prohibition Guy S. Williams 3,713 0.16%
Write-in All others 266 0.01%

Results by county

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County John Volpe
Republican		 Francis Bellotti
Democratic		 All others Margin Total votes
# % # % # % # %
Barnstable 24,007 67.9% 11,228 31.8% 116 0.4% 12,779 36.1% 35,351
Berkshire 36,650 57.7% 26,475 41.7% 423 0.7% 10,175 16.0% 63,548
Bristol 73,560 39.5% 111,818 60.1% 705 0.4% -38,258 -20.6% 186,083
Dukes 1,894 59.4% 1,285 40.3% 11 0.4% 609 19.1% 3,190
Essex 138,334 48.9% 143,051 50.6% 1,355 0.5% -4,717 -1.7% 282,740
Franklin 13,302 51.9% 12,198 47.6% 128 0.5% 1,104 4.3% 25,628
Hampden 83,554 47.3% 92,209 52.2% 1,035 0.5% -8,655 -4.9% 176,798
Hampshire 21,829 50.2% 21,414 49.3% 198 0.4% 415 0.9% 43,441
Middlesex 319,252 55.3% 255,061 44.2% 2,641 0.5% 64,191 11.1% 576,954
Nantucket 1,114 63.6% 635 36.2% 3 0.2% 479 27.4% 1,752
Norfolk 147,298 57.5% 108,180 42.2% 900 0.3% 39,118 15.3% 256,378
Plymouth 66,579 55.1% 53,785 44.5% 393 0.4% 12,794 10.6% 120,757
Suffolk 120,013 40.6% 174,571 59.0% 1,289 0.4% -54,558 -18.4% 295,873
Worcester 129,076 47.5% 141,506 52.1% 1,052 0.4% -12,430 25.2% 271,634
Totals1,176,46250.3%1,153,41649.3%10,2520.4%12,0461.0%2,340,130

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Massachusetts Election Statistics 1964. p. 438.
  2. ↑ "Democrats Close Ranks Behind Lt. Gov. Bellotti". Hartford Courant. September 12, 1964.
  3. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MA Governor - D Primary Race - Sep 15, 1964". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  4. 1 2 3 "Nominations Due in Massachusetts; Little Excitement Expected at Party Conventions". The New York Times. June 14, 1964. p. 56.
  5. ↑ "Republicans Gain One Governor's Mansion". Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1964.
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