1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

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1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

← 1926 November 6, 1928 (1928-11-06) 1930 →
  Frank G Allen.png Charles Cole (cropped).jpg
Nominee Frank G. Allen Charles H. Cole
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 769,372 750,137
Percentage 50.06% 48.81%

1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Allen:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Cole:      60–70%

Governor before election

Alvan T. Fuller
Republican

Elected Governor

Frank G. Allen
Republican

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.

1928 Republican Gubernatorial primary[1]
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.

1928 Republican Lt. Gubernatorial primary[2]
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.

1928 Democratic gubernatorial primary[3]
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[]

1926 Democratic Lt. gubernatorial primary[4]
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[]

1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Frank G. Allen 769,372 50.06% Decrease8.70
Democratic Charles H. Cole 750,137 48.81% Increase8.56
Socialist Mary Donovan Hapgood 7,486 0.49% Increase0.02
Workers Chester W. Bixby 4,495 0.29% Decrease0.01
Prohibition Washington Cook 3,098 0.20% Increase0.20
Socialist Labor Stephen Surridge 1,374 0.09% Decrease0.11
Independent Edith Hamilton MacFadden 928 0.06% N/A
Write-in All others 9 0.00% Steady
Total votes 1,536,899 100.00%

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 96.
  2. ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 102.
  3. ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 135.
  4. ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 181.
  5. ^ Listed on ballot as "Independent Citizen"
  6. ^ "Candidate Calls Tax Exemption Crying Evil". The Boston Globe. 31 July 1928. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  7. ^ Listed on ballot as "Vigorous Prohibition Enforcement"
  8. ^ "MA Governor, 1928". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  9. ^ Election Statistics 1928, p. 341.

Bibliography[]

Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth (1926). Election Statistics, 1928. Boston, MA.

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