1918 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

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1918 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

← 1913 November 5, 1918 1924 →
  David Ignatius Walsh.jpg John Wingate Weeks, Bain bw photo portrait.jpg Thomas W. Lawson.jpg
Nominee David I. Walsh John W. Weeks Thomas W. Lawson
Party Democratic Republican Independent
Popular vote 207,478 188,287 21,985
Percentage 49.66% 45.06% 5.26%

Senator before election

John W. Weeks
Republican

Elected Senator

David I. Walsh
Democratic

The United States Senate election of 1918 in Massachusetts was held on November 5, 1918. Democrat David I. Walsh defeated incumbent Republican John W. Weeks.

Walsh became the first U.S. Senator from Massachusetts elected to a full term as a member of the modern Democratic Party. (A previous Democratic U.S. Senator, Robert Rantoul Jr., served only one month in 1851 after winning a special election.) This was the only senate seat that Democrats flipped during this cycle.

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

Declared[]

  • John W. Weeks, incumbent Senator

Results[]

Senator Weeks was unopposed for re-nomination.

1918 Republican U.S. Senate primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John W. Weeks 77,659 99.90
Write-in All others 79 0.10
Total votes 77,738 100.00

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

Declared[]

  • David I. Walsh, former Governor of Massachusetts

Withdrew[]

  • John F. Fitzgerald, former Mayor of Boston and U.S. Representative (endorsed Walsh)[2]

Results[]

Walsh was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

1918 Democratic U.S. Senate primary[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic David I. Walsh 46,356 99.98
Write-in All others 10 0.02
Total votes 46,366 100.00

Independents and third parties[]

Independent[]

  • Thomas W. Lawson, businessman and author

General election[]

Results[]

General election [4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic David I. Walsh 207,478 49.66%
Republican John W. Weeks 188,287 45.06%
Independent Thomas W. Lawson 21,985 5.26%
Write-in All others 92 0.02%
Total votes 417,842 100.00%

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Office of the Secretary of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1918). Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections.
  2. ^ "David I. Walsh to Run for Senate". The Christian Science Monitor. 30 Jul 1918. p. 5.
  3. ^ Office of the Secretary of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1918). Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections.
  4. ^ Office of the Secretary of State of Massachusetts (1918). Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections.


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