1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

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%

County results Municipality results 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 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

• Francis Bellotti, Lieutenant Governor
• Pasquale Caggiano, perennial candidate
• John J. Droney, Middlesex County District Attorney
• Endicott Peabody, incumbent Governor

Declined

• Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General (brother of President John F. Kennedy)

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

• John Volpe, former Governor

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

• 1963–1964 Massachusetts legislature

References

1. 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. "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.