United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 1962

United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 1962

1958 ← November 6, 1962 → 1964

Nominee Ted Kennedy George C. Lodge Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,162,611 877,668 Percentage 55.44% 41.85%

Senator before election Benjamin A. Smith II Democratic Elected Senator Ted Kennedy Democratic

The United States Senate special election of 1962 in Massachusetts was held on November 6, 1962.

History

Senator John F. Kennedy resigned the seat to become President of the United States after winning the presidential election in 1960. Benjamin A. Smith II, a Kennedy family friend, was appointed to succeed Kennedy, serving as a placeholder for Ted Kennedy, who at the time was too young to be constitutionally eligible for the seat.

Ted Kennedy first faced a Democratic Party primary challenge from Edward J. McCormack, Jr., the state Attorney General. Kennedy's slogan was "He can do more for Massachusetts", the same one John had used in his first campaign for the seat ten years earlier. McCormack had the support of many liberals and intellectuals, who thought Kennedy inexperienced ("I back Jack but Teddy ain't ready") and knew of his suspension from Harvard, a fact which subsequently became public during the race. Kennedy also faced the notion that with one brother President and another U.S. Attorney General, "Don't you think that Teddy is one Kennedy too many?" But Kennedy proved to be an effective street-level campaigner. In a televised debate, McCormack said "The office of United States senator should be merited, and not inherited," and said that if his opponent's name was Edward Moore rather than Edward Moore Kennedy, his candidacy "would be a joke." Voters thought McCormack's performance overbearing; combined with the family political machine's finally getting fully behind him, Kennedy won the September 1962 primary by a two-to-one margin.

In the Republican primary, George C. Lodge, a former member of the Eisenhower administration and the son of Henry Cabot Lodge, defeated Laurence Curtis, the Representative from Massachusetts's 10th congressional district in the Republican primary.

In the November special election, Kennedy defeated Lodge, whose father had lost this seat to John F. Kennedy in 1952 U.S. Senate election. In winning, Kennedy gained 55 percent of the vote.

Results

Primaries

Elections in Massachusetts
Federal government Presidential elections 1972 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 U.S. Senate elections 1898 1904 1910 1916 1918 1922 1924 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1946 1948 1952 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 U.S. House elections 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Special elections Senate, 1944 Senate, 1962 1st district, 1991 9th district, 2001 5th district, 2007 Senate, 2010 Senate, 2013
State government Gubernatorial elections 1839 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 State Senate elections 2004 2006 2008 State House elections 2006 2008 Governor's Council elections 2006
Ballot measures 1980 Proposition 2½ 2002 English Language Education in Public Schools 2008 Greyhound Protection Sensible Marijuana Policy State Income Tax Repeal 2010 No Sales Tax for Alcohol Sales Tax Relief Comprehensive Permits and Regional Planning 2012 Right to Repair vehicle at non dealer Physician Assisted Suicide Medical Marijuana policy
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Elections by year State elections 1960 1962 1964 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Democratic primary for the United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 1962
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Ted Kennedy	559,303	69.33
	Democratic	Edward J. McCormack, Jr.	247,403	30.67
Majority
Turnout

Source: Our Campaigns - MA US Senate - D Primary Race - Sep 18, 1962

Republican primary for the United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 1962
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	George Cabot Lodge	244,921	55.49
	Republican	Laurence Curtis	196,444	44.51

General election

United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 1962
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Ted Kennedy	1,162,611	55.44
	Republican	George Cabot Lodge II	877,668	41.85
	Independent	H. Stuart Hughes	50,013	2.38
	Socialist Labor	Lawrence Gilfedder	5,330	0.25
	Prohibition	Mark R. Shaw	1,439	0.07
Majority
Turnout
	Democratic hold

Source: