1954 Massachusetts elections

A Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1954 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

1954 Massachusetts general election

November 2, 1954
Part of the 1954 United States elections

The election included:

• statewide elections for United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, and Auditor;
• district elections for U.S. Representatives, State Representatives, State Senators, and Governor's Councillors; and
• ballot questions at the state and local levels.

Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held on September 14, 1954.

Governor

Further information: Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1954

Republican Christian A. Herter was re-elected over Democrat Robert F. Murphy, Socialist Labor candidate Lawrence Gilfedder, and Prohibition candidate Guy S. Williams.

Lieutenant governor

Further information: Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1954

Republican Sumner G. Whittier was re-elected lieutenant governor over Democrat James A. Burke, Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano, and Prohibition candidate Donald E. Babcock.

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1954

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Sumner G. Whittier	972,745	52.01%
	Democratic	James A. Burke	883,440	47.23%
	Socialist Labor	Francis A. Votano	9,215	0.49%
	Prohibition	Donald E. Babcock	5,067	0.27%

Attorney general

Republican attorney general George Fingold was re-elected over Democratic State Senator John F. Collins, Socialist Workers candidate Malcolm T. Rowe, and Prohibition candidate Howard B. Rand in the general election.

Massachusetts Attorney General Election, 1954

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	George Fingold (incumbent)	950,865	51.22%
	Democratic	John F. Collins	893,825	48.16%
	Socialist Workers	Malcolm T. Rowe	6,004	0.32%
	Prohibition	Howard B. Rand	5,425	0.29%
	Write-in		1	0.00%

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Incumbent Secretary of the Commonwealth Edward J. Cronin defeated Republican state representative Michael J. McCarthy, Socialist Labor candidate Fred M. Ingersoll, and Prohibition candidate William D. Ross in the general election.

Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election, 1954

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Edward J. Cronin (incumbent)	1,018,428	55.62%
	Republican	Michael J. McCarthy	793,121	43.32%
	Socialist Workers	Fred M. Ingersoll	10,613	0.58%
	Prohibition	William D. Ross	8,833	0.48%
	Write-in		1	0.00%

Treasurer and Receiver-General

Incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General Foster Furcolo ran for a U.S. Senate seat instead of seeking re-election. John Francis Kennedy defeated Norwood Selectman Clement A. Riley and State Representative and Boston School Committee Chair William F. Carr in the Democratic primary and Republican Augustus Gardner Means, Socialist Labor candidate Henning A. Blomen, and Prohibition candidate Isaac Goddard in the general election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• William F. Carr, Boston School Committee chair and former State Representative from South Boston
• John Francis Kennedy, Gillette stockroom supervisor
• Clement A. Riley, Norwood selectman

Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Democratic Primary, 1954

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Francis Kennedy	124,884	36.84%
	Democratic	Clement A. Riley	110,221	32.53%
	Democratic	William F. Carr	103,857	30.63%
	Write-in		3	0.00%

General election

Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election, 1954

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Francis Kennedy	1,004,145	54.37%
	Republican	Augustus Gardner Means	830,263	44.96%
	Socialist Workers	Henning A. Blomen	7,325	0.40%
	Prohibition	Issac Goddard	5,069	0.27%
	Write-in		1	0.00%

Auditor

Incumbent Auditor Thomas J. Buckley defeated Republican state representative William P. Constantino, Socialist Labor candidate Anthony Martin, and Prohibition candidate John B. Lauder in the general election.

Massachusetts Auditor Election, 1954

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Thomas J. Buckley (incumbent)	1,075,162	58.69%
	Republican	William P. Constantino	741,082	40.45%
	Socialist Workers	Anthony Martin	9,483	0.52%
	Prohibition	John B. Lauder	6,198	0.34%
	Write-in		2	0.00%

U.S. Senator

Further information: United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 1954

Republican Leverett Saltonstall was re-elected over Democrat Foster Furcolo, Socialist Labor candidate Thelma Ingersoll, and Prohibition candidate Harold J. Ireland.