1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
November 3, 1964
 
Nominee John Volpe Francis Bellotti
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,176,462 1,153,416
Percentage 50.27% 49.29%
Municipal results
Governor before election

Endicott Peabody
Democratic

 Elected Governor

John Volpe
Republican

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]

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

Candidates

Declined

Results

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

Candidates

Defeated at convention

  • Philip A. Graham, State Senator from Hamilton and Senate Minority Leader[4]
  • Francis W. Perry, State Representative from Duxbury and nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1962[4]

Withdrew

  • Edward Brooke, Attorney General of Massachusetts (withdrew ahead of convention, ran for re-election)[4]

Results

Volpe ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

General election

Results

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%

See also

References

  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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