1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts

← 1942 November 7, 1944 1948 →
  Leverett Saltonstall cph.3b10555.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Leverett Saltonstall John H. Corcoran
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,228,754 667,086
Percentage 64.29% 34.90%

1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts results map by municipality.svg
Municipal results

U.S. senator before election

Sinclair Weeks
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Leverett Saltonstall
Republican

The 1944 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 1944. Republican Governor Leverett Saltonstall was elected to finish the term of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who had resigned from the Senate to serve in World War II.

Background[]

Incumbent U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. resigned February 3, 1944 to return to active duty in the U.S. Army during World War II. To fill the vacancy until a successor could be duly elected, Republican Governor Leverett Saltonstall appointed Sinclair Weeks on February 8, 1944. A special election was scheduled on November 7.

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

  • Leverett Saltonstall, Governor of Massachusetts since 1939

Results[]

Governor Saltonstall was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

  • John H. Corcoran, Mayor of Cambridge since 1942
  • Joseph A. Langone, Jr., former State Senator
  • Joseph Lee, former Boston School Committee member
  • Richard M. Russell, former United States Representative and Mayor of Cambridge

Results[]

Democratic primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John H. Corcoran 62,537 33.90%
Democratic Joseph Lee 47,514 25.76%
Democratic Richard M. Russell 47,080 25.52%
Democratic Joseph A. Langone, Jr. 27,317 14.82%
Total votes 184,448 100.00%

General election[]

Candidates[]

  • John H. Corcoran, Mayor of Cambridge since 1942 (Democratic)
  • Bernard G. Kelly, nominee for Secretary of the Commonwealth in 1942 and Auditor in 1940[2] (Socialist Labor)
  • E. Tallmadge Root, nominee for Governor of Massachusetts in 1940 (Prohibition)
  • Leverett Saltonstall, Governor of Massachusetts since 1939 (Republican)

Results[]

General election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leverett Saltonstall 1,228,754 64.29% Increase11.85
Democratic John H. Corcoran 667,086 34.90% Decrease11.71
Socialist Labor Bernard G. Kelly 12,296 0.64% Increase0.29
Prohibition E. Tallmadge Root 3,269 0.17% Decrease0.09
Total votes 1,911,405 100.00%

Though he was entitled to be seated immediately upon the certification of the election, Saltonstall did not take office until January 4, 1945, when his term as Governor ended.

See also[]

  • United States Senate elections, 1944

References[]

  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - MA US Senate - Special D Primary Race - Jul 11, 1944".
  2. ^ Bernard G. Kelly at ourcampaigns.com
Retrieved from ""