1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
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 County results Allen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Cole: 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1928.
Incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Frank G. Allen was elected to a two-year term, defeating Democrat Charles H. Cole.
The 1928 election represents a major turning point in Massachusetts political history. Al Smith's victory in the state's presidential contest and the competitive gubernatorial election marked a departure from decades of Republican dominance.
Republican primary[]
Governor[]
Candidates[]
Declared[]
- Frank G. Allen, Lieutenant Governor
- Frank A. Goodwin, Registrar of Motor Vehicles
Results[]
Lieutenant Governor Frank Allen was nominated over Frank A. Goodwin.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank G. Allen | 270,022 | 61.20% | |
| Republican | Frank A. Goodwin | 171,167 | 38.80% | |
| Write-in | All others | 6 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 441,189 | 100.00% | ||
Lieutenant Governor[]
Candidates[]
Declared[]
- George A. Bacon, former Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party
- Charles L. Burrill, former Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
- Pehr G. Holmes, member of the Massachusetts Executive Council and former Mayor of Worcester
- John C. Hull, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Robert M. Leach, former U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 15th congressional district
- Wycliffe C. Marshall
- John H. Sherburne
- William S. Youngman, incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
Results[]
Treasurer William S. Youngman won the highly competitive primary election by 21,099 votes over Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives John C. Hull.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William S. Youngman | 113,805 | 26.68% | |
| Republican | John C. Hull | 92,706 | 21.73% | |
| Republican | Robert M. Leach | 66,544 | 15.60% | |
| Republican | John H. Sherburne | 64,822 | 15.20% | |
| Republican | Pehr G. Holmes | 32,945 | 7.72% | |
| Republican | Charles L. Burrill | 26,420 | 6.19% | |
| Republican | George A. Bacon | 24,798 | 5.81% | |
| Republican | Wycliffe C. Marshall | 4,524 | 1.06% | |
| Write-in | All others | 3 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 426,569 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary[]
Governor[]
Candidates[]
Declared[]
- Brig. Gen. Charles H. Cole, former Adjutant General of Massachusetts and Commissioner of the Boston Fire and Police Departments
- John J. Cummings, candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1922 and 1924
Results[]
Brigadier General Charles Cole easily defeated John J. Cummings for the Democratic nomination.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles H. Cole | 165,174 | 80.63% | |
| Democratic | John J. Cummings | 39,643 | 19.35% | |
| Write-in | All others | 40 | 0.02% | |
| Total votes | 204,857 | 100.00% | ||
Lt. Governor[]
Candidates[]
Declared[]
- John F. Malley, resident of Chestnut Hill
- Charles S. Murphy, resident of Worcester
Results[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John F. Malley | 115,912 | 61.02% | |
| Democratic | Charles S. Murphy | 74,013 | 38.97% | |
| Write-in | All others | 19 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 189,944 | 100.00% | ||
Independents and third parties[]
Independent[]
- Edith Hamilton MacFadden, author[5]
MacFadden became the first female candidate for Governor in the history of Massachusetts. She ran on a platform of reducing tax exemptions. She is the mother of actor Hamilton MacFadden. She stated that she found "no opposition to a woman aspiring to the executive position of Governor."[6]
Prohibition[]
- Washington Cook, brother of Alonzo B. Cook and independent candidate for United States Senate in 1922 and 1926[7]
Socialist[]
- Mary Donovan Hapgood, Secretary of the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee
Socialist Labor[]
- Stephen Surridge
Workers[]
- Chester W. Bixby, founding member of the Communist Party of the United States of America
General election[]
Results[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank G. Allen | 769,372 | 50.06% |  8.70
| |
| Democratic | Charles H. Cole | 750,137 | 48.81% |  8.56
| |
| Socialist | Mary Donovan Hapgood | 7,486 | 0.49% | 0.02
| |
| Workers | Chester W. Bixby | 4,495 | 0.29% | 0.01
| |
| Prohibition | Washington Cook | 3,098 | 0.20% | 0.20
| |
| Socialist Labor | Stephen Surridge | 1,374 | 0.09% | 0.11
| |
| Independent | Edith Hamilton MacFadden | 928 | 0.06% | N/A | |
| Write-in | All others | 9 | 0.00% | 
| |
| Total votes | 1,536,899 | 100.00% | |||
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 96.
- ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 102.
- ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 135.
- ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 181.
- ^ Listed on ballot as "Independent Citizen"
- ^ "Candidate Calls Tax Exemption Crying Evil". The Boston Globe. 31 July 1928. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Listed on ballot as "Vigorous Prohibition Enforcement"
- ^ "MA Governor, 1928". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 341.
Bibliography[]
Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth (1926). Election Statistics, 1928. Boston, MA.
- 1928 Massachusetts elections
- Massachusetts gubernatorial elections
- 1928 United States gubernatorial elections
- November 1928 events in the United States