 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Gubernatorial elections were held in Massachusetts 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.
Contents
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[5]
- Edith Hamilton MacFadden, author
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[7]
- Washington Cook, brother of Alonzo Cook and independent candidate for United States Senate in 1922 and 1926
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% | |||
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.
See also
This page was last edited on 25 August 2019, at 20:43