1966 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
The 1966 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 8, 1966. Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall retired after serving for 22 years. Republican Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke defeated Democratic former Governor of Massachusetts Endicott Peabody in a landslide.
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Brooke was the first African-American U.S. Senator elected after the end of Reconstruction and the first ever popularly elected, as Reconstruction ended before the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Edward Brooke, Massachusetts Attorney General since 1963
- Alan MacKay, conservative activist[1]
Declined
- Leverett Saltonstall, incumbent Senator since 1945
Campaign
MacKay campaigned against Brooke for refusing to back Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign. However, Goldwater endorsed Brooke in May.[1]
Results
Brooke won the party endorsement at the June 25 convention and was unopposed in the September primary.[1]
Democratic primary
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Candidates
- Thomas Boylston Adams, academic and member of the Adams political family
- John F. Collins, Mayor of Boston
- Endicott Peabody, former Governor of Massachusetts
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Endicott Peabody | 320,967 | 50.35% | |
| Democratic | John F. Collins | 265,016 | 41.85% | |
| Democratic | Thomas Boylston Adams | 51,435 | 8.07% | |
| Total votes | 637,418 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Edward Brooke, Massachusetts Attorney General since 1963 (Republican)
- Lawrence Gilfedder, perennial candidate[2] (Socialist Labor)
- Endicott Peabody, former Governor of Massachusetts (Democratic)
- Mark R. Shaw, perennial candidate and nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1964 (Prohibition)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Edward Brooke | 1,213,473 | 60.68% |  4.49 | |
| Democratic | Endicott Peabody | 774,761 | 38.74% |  4.72 | |
| Socialist Labor | Lawrence Gilfedder | 6,790 | 0.34% | 0.10 | |
| Prohibition | Mark R. Shaw | 4,833 | 0.24% | 0.12 | |
| Total votes | 1,999,857 | 100.00% | |||
See also
References
- Rudin, Ken (25 June 2010). "Flashback Friday: On This Day In 1966, Mass. GOP Backs Ed Brooke For Senate". NPR.com.
- Lawrence Gilfedder at ourcampaigns.com
External links and references
- Race details at ourcampaigns.com