1998 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
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 Results by town. Red indicates towns carried by Paul Cellucci, blue indicates towns carried by Scott Harshbarger. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Massachusetts |
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The 1998 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Acting Governor Paul Cellucci was elected to his first term as Governor of Massachusetts.
Primary
Governor
Cellucci was challenged in the Republican primary by Treasurer and Receiver-General Joe Malone. The race between Cellucci and Malone was acrimonious, with each candidate accusing the other of committing ethical violations.[1]
On September 16, Cellucci defeated Malone to win his party's nomination.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul Cellucci | 136,258 | 58.57% | ||
| Republican | Joe Malone | 95,963 | 41.25% | ||
| Write-in | 442 | 0.19% | |||
Former Congressman and Kennedy family member Joseph Patrick Kennedy II was considered to be the early front-runner for the Democratic nomination, but personal and family problems resulted in him ending his campaign in August 1997.[4]
Attorney General Scott Harshbarger defeated State Senator Patricia McGovern and former United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Brian J. Donnelly in the Democratic primary.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Scott Harshbarger | 296,212 | 51.35% | ||
| Democratic | Patricia McGovern | 180,429 | 31.28% | ||
| Democratic | Brian J. Donnelly | 98,774 | 17.12% | ||
| Write-in | 1,484 | 0.26% | |||
Lt. Governor
Cellucci's Secretary of Consumer Affairs, Jane M. Swift, defeated Malone's running mate, radio host Janet E. Jeghelian for the Republican nomination.[6] Cellucci chose Swift as his running mate after Secretary of Administration and Finance of Massachusetts Charlie Baker and Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph C. Martin II declined to run.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jane M. Swift | 116,476 | 54.38% | ||
| Republican | Janet E. Jeghelian | 97,411 | 45.48% | ||
| Write-in | 323 | 0.15% | |||
State Senator Warren Tolman defeated Governor's Councilor Dorothy Kelly Gay in the Democratic primary.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Warren Tolman | 270,791 | 53.75% | ||
| Democratic | Dorothy Kelly Gay | 232,250 | 46.10% | ||
| Write-in | 768 | 0.15% | |||
General election
In a January opinion poll, Cellucci lead Harshbarger 50%-30%. By August, Harshbarger had taken a 37%-35% lead over Cellucci.[9] After Harshbarger's primary victory, many moderate Democrats who had voted for McGovern or Donnelly, chose to support the socially liberal, fiscally moderate Cellucci instead of the more liberal Harshbarger.[10][11]
On November 3, Cellucci defeated Harshbarger by 65,317 votes.[12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul Cellucci (Jane Swift) |
967,160 | 50.81 | ||
| Democratic | Scott Harshbarger (Warren Tolman) |
901,843 | 47.38 | ||
| Libertarian | Dean Cook (Eli Israel) |
32,184 | 1.69 | ||
| Write-in | 2,149 | 0.11 | |||
| Turnout | 1,903,336 | 51.19% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ^ Jill Zuckman and Frank Phillips (September 10, 1998). "Malone, Cellucci trade blows on ethics". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=16324
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=16324
- ^ Harden, Blaine (1997-08-29). "Joseph Kennedy Ends Gubernatorial Bid". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=16323
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=557524
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=557524
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=665324
- ^ Brian C. Mooney (August 15, 1998). "Surplus Stumble Illustrates Why Cellucci's Falling". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ Adrian Walker (September 19, 1998). "Democratic Dissidents Back Cellucci". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ Scot Lehigh (October 6, 1998). "Cellucci Seen Seizing Initiative from Harshbarger". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=219