1964 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

For related races, see 1964 United States Senate elections.

The 1964 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 3, 1964, with the incumbent Democratic senator, Ted Kennedy, easily defeating his Republican challenger Howard J. Whitmore Jr.

1964 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

November 3, 1964

Nominee Ted Kennedy Howard J. Whitmore Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,716,907 587,663 Percentage 74.26% 25.42%

Kennedy:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Whitmore:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Ted Kennedy Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy Democratic

The election coincided with the 1964 United States presidential election, which was won by incumbent Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson in a landslide, as well as the Senate election in neighboring New York which was won by Kennedy's older brother Robert. It took place less than a year after the assassination of the incumbent Senator's eldest surviving brother, President John F. Kennedy. The two surviving Kennedy brothers thus benefited from both an overall national swing to the Democrats and public sympathy following their sibling's murder. Much of the campaign-appearance burden in Massachusetts on behalf of Ted Kennedy fell on his wife, Joan, because of Ted's serious back injury in a plane crash.

Ted Kennedy recorded his highest-ever percentage of the vote in this election, although he won a larger margin of victory against divided opposition in 2000.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Ted Kennedy, incumbent Senator since 1962

Results

Senator Kennedy was unopposed for renomination.

1964 Democratic U.S. Senate primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ted Kennedy (incumbent)	608,791	99.99
	Write-in	All others	32	0.01
Total votes			608,823	100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

• Howard J. Whitmore Jr., former State Representative and mayor of Newton

Results

Whitmore was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

1964 Republican U.S. Senate primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Howard J. Whitmore Jr.	172,078	99.95%
	Write-in	All others	86	0.05%
Total votes			172,164	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Lawrence Gilfedder, perennial candidate (Socialist Workers)
• Ted Kennedy, incumbent Senator since 1962 (Democratic)
• Grace F. Luder, candidate for Congress in 1950 and 1952 (Prohibition)
• Howard J. Whitmore Jr., former State Representative and mayor of Newton (Republican)

Results

1964 U.S. Senate election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Ted Kennedy (incumbent)	1,716,907	74.26	21.30
	Republican	Howard J. Whitmore Jr.	587,663	25.42	19.08
	Socialist Labor	Lawrence Gilfedder	4,745	0.21	0.03
	Prohibition	Grace F. Luder	2,700	0.12	0.05
	Write-in	All others	13	0.00
Total votes			2,312,028	100.00

See also

• United States Senate elections, 1964

External links

• Race details at ourcampaigns.com

References

Notes

Sources

• Campaigning from a Hospital Bed Recordings of Telephone Calls between Edward Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson during the 1964 campaign