Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1956

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1956
Massachusetts
November 6, 1956

 
Nominee Foster Furcolo Sumner G. Whittier
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,234,618 1,096,759
Percentage 52.76% 46.87%

Governor before election

Christian A. Herter
Republican

Elected Governor

Foster Furcolo
Democratic

The 1956 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1956. Democrat Foster Furcolo was elected Governor of Massachusetts to replace incumbent Christian Herter, who did not run for re-election. Furcolo defeated Republican Sumner G. Whittier, Socialist Labor candidate Henning A. Blomen, and Prohibition candidate Mark R. Shaw.

In the race for Lieutenant Governor, Democrat Robert F. Murphy defeated Republican Charles Gibbons, Prohibition candidate Harold E. Bassett, and Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano.

Primaries

Former Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts Foster Furcolo defeated former Massachusetts Auditor Thomas Henry Buckley for the Democratic nomination. Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Sumner Whittier ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Democratic gubernatorial primary, 1956 [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Foster Furcolo 358,051 78.65%
Democratic Thomas Henry Buckley 131,496 21.35%

In the lieutenant gubernatorial race, former State Representative Robert F. Murphy defeated Executive Councilor George A. Wells and former State Representative James A. Burke for the Democratic nomination. Former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Charles Gibbons ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary, 1956 [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Robert F. Murphy 280,781 62.06%
Democratic James A. Burke 95,111 21.02%
Democratic George A. Wells 76,514 16.92%

General election

Governor

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Foster Furcolo 1,234,618 52.76%
Republican Sumner G. Whittier 1,096,759 46.87%
Socialist Labor Henning A. Blomen 5,799 0.25%
Prohibition Mark R. Shaw 2,692 0.12%

Lieutenant Governor

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Robert F. Murphy 1,158,704 51.23%
Republican Charles Gibbons 1,082,113 47.84%
Socialist Labor Francis A. Votano 13,286 0.59%
Prohibition Harold E. Bassett 7,894 0.39%

References

Hayden, Irving N.; Grove, Lawrence R. (1957). A Manual for the Use of the General Court for 1957-1958. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Company. pp. 298–99. Retrieved September 23, 2010.