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1962 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

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1962 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

← 1960 November 6, 1962 1964 →
 
Nominee Endicott Peabody John Volpe
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,052,322 1,047,891
Percentage 49.92% 49.71%

Peabody:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Volpe:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

John Volpe
Republican

Elected Governor

Endicott Peabody
Democratic

The 1962 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1962. Former Executive Councilor Endicott Peabody defeated incumbent Governor John A. Volpe in the general election.[1]

The election is notable as a demonstration of the political individualism of Italian Americans and historic lack of ethnic bloc voting among Americans of Italian descent, instead preferring to vote based on individual candidates and issues. John Volpe, just the second Massachusetts governor of Italian ancestry, lost his 1962 re-election campaign by a razor-thin 0.21%—a final margin that could be more than sufficiently explained by Volpe polling only 51% among the state's significant population of Italian Americans, roughly half of whom voted for the old-line Anglo-Saxon Protestant Endicott Peabody over a fellow ethnic.[2]

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Governor Volpe was unopposed for renomination.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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1962 Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial primary [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Endicott Peabody 596,553 79.96%
Democratic Clement A. Riley 149,499 20.04%
Total votes 746,052 100.00%

General election

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Results

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Peabody defeated Volpe by 4,431 votes. Peabody's slim margin of victory prompted a recount.[3] On December 20, Volpe conceded the election to Peabody.[4]

1962 Massachusetts gubernatorial election [1]: 9 
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Endicott Peabody 1,052,322 49.92% Increase 3.13
Republican John A. Volpe (incumbent) 1,047,891 49.71% Decrease 2.80
Socialist Labor Henning A. Blomen 5,477 0.26% Decrease 0.13
Prohibition Guy S. Williams 2,394 0.11% Decrease 0.20
Total votes 2,108,084 100.00%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Election statistics : The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1962). Office of Secretary of the Commonwealth. 1962. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  2. ^ Sowell, Thomas (1981). Ethnic America: A History. New York: Basic Books. p. 128. ISBN 0465020755.
  3. ^ "Recount Asked In Massachusetts Governor's Race". Park City Daily News. November 9, 1962. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  4. ^ "Volpe Concedes Governor Race". The Deseret News. December 20, 1962. Retrieved July 25, 2010.