| Election name | 1966 Massachusetts gubernatorial election |
|---|---|
| Country | Massachusetts |
| Ongoing | no |
| Previous election | 1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election |
| Previous year | 1964 |
| Next election | 1970 Massachusetts gubernatorial election |
| Next year | 1970 |
| Election date | November 8, 1966 |
| Nominee 1 | John Volpe |
| Party 1 | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular vote 1 | 1,277,358 |
| Percentage 1 | 62.58% |
| Nominee 2 | Edward McCormack Jr. |
| Party 2 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular vote 2 | 752,720 |
| Percentage 2 | 36.88% |
| Before election | John Volpe |
| Before party | Republican Party (United States) |
| After election | John Volpe |
| After party | Republican Party (United States) |
The 1966 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966. Governor John A. Volpe was reelected to a four-year term. He defeated former Attorney General Edward J. McCormack Jr. in the general election.[1] This was the first election held since Governor's term of office was extended from two to four years.
Republican primary
Candidates
- John Volpe, incumbent Governor
Results
Governor Volpe was unopposed for renomination.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Edward J. McCormack Jr., former Massachusetts Attorney General
- Kenneth O'Donnell, former aide to President Kennedy
General election
Results
Volpe defeated McCormack by over a half million votes. He won the majority of the votes in every Massachusetts county.[2] This was the last general election in which the Governor and Lt. Governor were elected separately.
Results by county
| County | John Volpe Republican | Edward McCormack Democratic | All Others | Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | ||||||
| Barnstable | 25,471 | 75.3% | 8,232 | 24.3% | 127 | 0.4% | 17,239 | 41.0% | 33,830 |
| Berkshire | 33,098 | 64.4% | 18,024 | 35.1% | 284 | 0.5% | 15,074 | 29.3% | 51,406 |
| Bristol | 87,629 | 54.6% | 72,140 | 45.0% | 715 | 0.4% | 15,489 | 9.6% | 160,484 |
| Dukes | 1,846 | 71.4% | 726 | 28.1% | 13 | 0.5% | 1,120 | 43.3% | 2,585 |
| Essex | 156,070 | 62.5% | 92,278 | 36.9% | 1,390 | 0.6% | 63,792 | 25.6% | 249,738 |
| Franklin | 14,600 | 69.9% | 6,195 | 29.7% | 83 | 0.4% | 8,405 | 40.2% | 20,878 |
| Hampden | 89,263 | 62.2% | 53,042 | 37.0% | 1,167 | 0.8% | 36,221 | 25.2% | 143,472 |
| Hampshire | 23,766 | 61.7% | 14,570 | 37.8% | 162 | 0.4% | 9,196 | 23.9% | 34,498 |
| Middlesex | 332,958 | 65.2% | 175,185 | 34.3% | 2,596 | 0.5% | 157,773 | 30.9% | 510,739 |
| Nantucket | 942 | 71.4% | 370 | 28.0% | 8 | 0.6% | 572 | 43.4% | 1,320 |
| Norfolk | 157,988 | 67.4% | 75,106 | 32.1% | 1,193 | 0.5% | 82,882 | 35.3% | 234,287 |
| Plymouth | 75,501 | 69.3% | 33,082 | 30.3% | 419 | 0.4% | 42,419 | 39.0% | 109,002 |
| Suffolk | 131,375 | 52.6% | 116,304 | 46.6% | 2,078 | 0.8% | 15,071 | 6.0% | 249,757 |
| Worcester | 146,851 | 62.4% | 87,466 | 37.2% | 864 | 0.3% | 59,385 | 25.2% | 235,181 |
| Totals | 1,277,358 | 62.6% | 752,720 | 36.9% | 11,099 | 0.5% | 524,638 | 25.7% | 2,041,177 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican