1960 Massachusetts elections

A Massachusetts general election was held on November 8, 1960 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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 13, 1960.

Statewide elections

United States Senator

Republican Leverett Saltonstall was re-elected over Democrat Thomas J. O'Connor, Socialist Labor candidate Lawrence Gilfedder, and Prohibition candidate Mark R. Shaw.

Governor

Republican John A. Volpe was elected over Democrat Joseph D. Ward, Socialist Labor candidate Henning A. Blomen, and Prohibition candidate Guy S. Williams.

Lieutenant Governor

Democrat Edward F. McLaughlin, Jr. was elected Lieutenant Governor over Republican Augustus Gardner Means, Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano, and Prohibition candidate Thomas Maratea. This is the last time that a Lieutenant Governor would not be from the same party as the Governor.

Attorney General

Incumbent Attorney General Edward J. McCormack, Jr. defeated Republican George Michaels, Socialist Workers candidate August Johnson, and Prohibition candidate William D. Ross.

Massachusetts Attorney General Election, 1960^[1]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	Edward J. McCormack, Jr.	1,386,452	58.81%
Republican	George Michaels	954,136	40.47%
Socialist Workers	August Johnson	11,839	0.50%
Prohibition	William D. Ross	5,240	0.22%
Write-in		2	0.00%

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Incumbent Secretary of the Commonwealth Joseph D. Ward did not run for re-election as he instead ran for Governor.

Kevin White defeated Francis X. Ahearn and Margaret McGovern in the Democratic primary.

The Republicans nominated Edward Brooke, who became the first African-American to be nominated for Massachusetts statewide office by a major party.^[2]

White defeated Brooke, Socialist Labor candidate Fred M. Ingersoll, and Prohibition candidate Julia Kohler in the general election.

Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Democratic Primary, 1960^[3]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	Kevin White	203,292	39.44%
Democratic	Francis X. Ahearn	188,275	36.52%
Democratic	Margaret McGovern	123,907	24.04%
Write-in		10	0.00%

Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Election, 1960^[4]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	Kevin White	1,206,844	52.02%
Republican	Edward Brooke	1,095,054	47.21%
Socialist Workers	Fred M. Ingersoll	11,046	0.48%
Prohibition	Julia Kohler	6,827	0.29%
Write-in		1	0.00%

Treasurer and Receiver-General

Incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General John Francis Kennedy did not run for re-election as he instead ran for Governor.

In the Democratic primary, John T. Driscoll defeated Patrick F. McDonough, John B. Kennedy, George F. Hurley, John M. Kennedy, and Robert J. Sullivan.

Walter J. Trybulski defeated Francis Andrew Walsh for the Republican nomination.

Driscoll defeated Trybulski, Socialist Labor candidate Domenico DiGirolamo, and Prohibition candidate Warren Carberg in the general election.

Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Democratic Primary, 1960^[5]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	John T. Driscoll	204,299	39.36%
Democratic	Patrick F. McDonough	99,899	19.25%
Democratic	John B. Kennedy	83,799	16.14%
Democratic	George F. Hurley	61,094	11.77%
Democratic	John M. Kennedy	36,249	6.98%
Democratic	Robert J. Sullivan	33,760	6.50%
Write-in		3	0.00%

Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Republican Primary, 1960^[6]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Republican	Walter J. Trybulski	137,479	67.10%
Republican	Francis Andrew Walsh	67,365	32.88%
Write-in		58	0.02%

Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General Election, 1960^[7]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	John T. Driscoll	1,338,202	58.14%
Republican	Walter J. Trybulski	941,904	40.92%
Socialist Workers	Domenico DiGirolamo	13,772	0.60%
Prohibition	Warren Carberg	7,846	0.34%
Write-in		3	0.00%

Auditor

Incumbent Auditor Thomas J. Buckley defeated John Hynes in the Democratic primary and Republican Gardner Wardwell, Socialist Labor candidate Arne Sortell, and Prohibition candidate John B. Lauder in the general election.

Massachusetts Auditor Democratic Primary, 1960^[8]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	Thomas J. Buckley	414,524	82.49%
Democratic	John Hynes	88,013	17.51%
Write-in		7	0.00%

Massachusetts Auditor Election, 1960^[9]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	Thomas J. Buckley	1,530,715	66.00%
Republican	Gardner Wardwell	774,772	33.41%
Socialist Workers	Arne Sortell	7,897	0.34%
Prohibition	John B. Lauder	5,787	0.25%
Write-in		2	0.00%

References

^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 444. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ "Negro Nominated In Massachusetts". Associated Press. June 11, 1960. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 450. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 450. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 179. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 271. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 299. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 184. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 382. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[1] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 444. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[2] "Negro Nominated In Massachusetts". Associated Press. June 11, 1960. Retrieved 16 July 2011.

[3] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 450. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[4] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 450. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[5] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 179. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[6] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 271. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[7] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 299. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[8] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 184. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[9] Massachusetts Election Statistics 1960. p. 382. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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v t e State elections in Massachusetts
General	1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1982 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Governor	1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 (April) 1831 (November) 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1868 1869 1870 1871 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Mass. Senate	1787 1788 ... 1824 ... 1908 ... 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Mass. House	2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Gov.'s Council	2002 2006 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
"s/" = Special election See also: Political party strength in Massachusetts For federal elections, see Template:Federal elections in Massachusetts footer.