1938 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
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The 1938 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938.
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November 8, 1938
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| Turnout | 41.55% (total pop.) | ||||||||||||||||
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Saltonstall: 40â50% 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% 80â90% >90% Curley: 40â50% 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Former governor James Michael Curley defeated incumbent governor Charles F. Hurley in the Democratic primary, but Curley was defeated by former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Leverett Saltonstall in the general election.
Saltonstall's victory returned control of Beacon Hill to the Republicans after an unprecedented eight years of Democratic Governors.
Democratic primary
Governor
Candidates
- James Michael Curley, former governor, Mayor of Boston, and U.S. Representative
- Charles F. Hurley, incumbent governor
- Francis E. Kelly, incumbent lieutenant governor
- Richard M. Russell, former United States Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James Michael Curley | 210,286 | 41.13% | |
| Democratic | Charles F. Hurley (incumbent) | 168,161 | 32.89% | |
| Democratic | Francis E. Kelly | 101,978 | 19.95% | |
| Democratic | Richard M. Russell | 30,485 | 5.96% | |
| Write-in | All others | 383 | 0.07% | |
| Total votes | 511,293 | 100.00% | ||
| None | Blank votes | 13,882 | â | |
| Turnout | 525,175 | 100.00% | ||
Lt. Governor
Candidates
- James Henry Brennan, former state senator and member of the Executive Council[2]
- Edward T. Collins, Member of the Executive Council
- Alexander F. Sullivan, former state representative
- Joseph C. White, state senator
- William P. Yoerg, Mayor of Holyoke
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James Henry Brennan | 139,653 | 30.50% | |
| Democratic | Joseph C. White | 132,716 | 28.98% | |
| Democratic | Edward T. Collins | 76,008 | 16.60% | |
| Democratic | Alexander F. Sullivan | 66,007 | 14.42% | |
| Democratic | William P. Yoerg | 34,221 | 7.47% | |
| Write-in | All others | 241 | 0.05% | |
| Total votes | 457,898 | 100.00% | ||
| None | Blank votes | 67,277 | â | |
| Turnout | 525,175 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Governor
Candidates
- Frederick Butler, chairman of the Essex County Board of Commissioners and former state senator[4]
- William McMasters, publicity agent for Charles Ponzi and candidate for governor in 1936
- Leverett Saltonstall, former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and nominee for Lt. Governor in 1936
- Richard Whitcomb, director of the Boston Survey Commission[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Leverett Saltonstall | 323,003 | 72.73% | |
| Republican | William McMasters | 48,133 | 10.84% | |
| Republican | Richard Whitcomb | 45,139 | 10.16% | |
| Republican | Frederick Butler | 27,739 | 6.25% | |
| Write-in | All others | 122 | 0.03% | |
| Total votes | 444,136 | 100.00% | ||
| None | Blank votes | 24,993 | â | |
| Turnout | 469,129 | 100.00% | ||
Following his loss in the Republican primary, McMasters declared his campaign as an independent on the Townsend Recovery Act line.
Lt. Governor
Candidates
- Dewey G. Archambault, Mayor of Lowell
- Horace T. Cahill, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
- J. Watson Flett, Chairman of the Belmont Board of Selectmen[7]
- Charles P. Howard, Massachusetts State Commissioner of Administration and Finance
- Kenneth D. Johnson, Judge for the Quincy District Court
- Robert Gardiner Wilson Jr., Member of the Boston City Council
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Horace T. Cahill | 112,140 | 26.78% | |
| Republican | Kenneth D. Johnson | 93,538 | 22.33% | |
| Republican | Charles P. Howard | 84,477 | 20.17% | |
| Republican | Dewey G. Archambault | 52,358 | 12.50% | |
| Republican | Robert Gardiner Wilson | 38,920 | 9.29% | |
| Republican | J. Watson Flett | 37,329 | 8.91% | |
| Write-in | All others | 50 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 418,812 | 100.00% | ||
| None | Blank votes | 50,317 | â | |
| Turnout | 469,129 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Henning A. Blomen, perennial candidate (Socialist Labor)
- Roland S. Bruneau of Cambridge (independent)
- Jeffrey Campbell, black Universalist Unitarian minister (Socialist)
- James Michael Curley, former governor, Mayor of Boston, and U.S. Representative (Democratic)
- William A. Davenport, former state representative (Independent Tax Reform)
- Otis Archer Hood, candidate for governor in 1936 (Communist)
- Charles L. Manser of Boston (Sound, Sensible Government)
- William McMasters, publicity agent and whistleblower in the Charles Ponzi case (Townsend Recovery Act)
- Leverett Saltonstall, former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and nominee for Lt. Governor in 1936 (Republican)
- George L. Thompson, former Chairman of the New Hampshire Prohibition Party (Prohibition)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Leverett Saltonstall | 941,465 | 53.32% |  7.24 | |
| Democratic | James Michael Curley | 793,884 | 47.62% |  2.66 | |
| Townsend | William McMasters | 7,206 | 0.41% | N/A | |
| Socialist | Jeffrey W. Campbell | 5,691 | 0.32% | 0.20 | |
| Socialist Labor | Henning A. Blomen | 3,927 | 0.22% | 0.01 | |
| Communist | Otis Archer Hood | 3,488 | 0.20% | 0.08 | |
| Independent | Roland S. Bruneau | 3,400 | 0.19% | N/A | |
| Independent Tax Reform | William A. Davenport | 3,118 | 0.18% | N/A | |
| Prohibition | Alfred H. Evans | 2,046 | 0.12% | 0.07 | |
| Sound, Sensible Government | Charles L. Manser | 1,533 | 0.09% | N/A | |
| Write-in | All others | 111 | 0.01% | 0.01 | |
| Total votes | 1,765,869 | 100.00% | |||
| None | Blank votes | 29,820 | â | ||
| Turnout | 1,795,689 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||