1972 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1972 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
| country = Massachusetts
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1966 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
| previous_year = 1966
| next_election = 1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
| next_year = 1978
| election_date = November 7, 1972
| image1 = File:Edward brooke senator (cropped).jpg
| nominee1 = Edward Brooke
| party1 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 1,505,932
| percentage1 = 63.53%
| image2 = File:3x4.svg
| image_size = 150x150px
| nominee2 = John J. Droney
| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 823,278
| percentage2 = 34.73%
| map_image = {{switcher
|County results
|File:1972 United States Senate Election in Massachusetts by Municipality.svg
|Municipality results
|default=1
}}
| map_size = 250px
| map_caption = Brooke: {{legend0|#FFB2B2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#E27F7F|50–60%}} {{legend0|#D75D5D|60–70%}} {{legend0|#D72F30|70–80%}} {{legend0|#C21B18|80–90%}} {{legend0|#A80000|>90%}}
Droney: {{legend0|#A5B0FF|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996E2|50–60%}}
| title = U.S. Senator
| before_election = Edward Brooke
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = Edward Brooke
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{ElectionsMA}}
The United States Senate election of 1972 in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Senator Edward Brooke defeated Democratic nominee John Droney in a landslide. As of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, this remains the last time that a Republican has been elected to Massachusetts’s Class 2 Senate seat and the last time a Republican has been elected to either Senate seat for a full term. This was also the last time until 2010 that a Republican would win any U.S. Senate election in the state. This election was the first time ever that an African-American United States senator was re-elected to the United States Senate.
Republican primary
=Candidates=
- Edward Brooke, incumbent Senator since 1967
Senator Edward Brooke was unopposed for re-nomination. At the state convention on June 24, he was renominated by acclamation.{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|title=Republicans' Parley Renominates Brooke
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/25/archives/republicans-parley-renominates-brooke.html|date=26 Jun 1972|access-date=8 Jun 2022|page=41}}
Democratic primary
=Candidates=
- John J. Droney, Middlesex County District Attorney[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=14037 John Droney] at ourcampaigns.com
- Gerald O'Leary, Boston City Councilor
- John P. Lynch, Hampden County Register of Deeds
==Eliminated at the convention==
==Declined==
=Campaign=
John Droney won the party endorsement at the June 11 convention on the sixth ballot. The party platform endorsed legalized marijuana and an end to the Vietnam War.{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1972/06/12/79470482.html?pageNumber=30|title=DEMOCRATS ENDORSE BROOKE OPPONENT|page=30|date=12 Jun 1972|access-date=8 Jun 2022}} Droney himself did not oppose the war, stating that there was no right or wrong stand on Vietnam.{{cite news |last1=Nyhan |first1=David |title=Galbraith exits, Droney enters Senate race |work=The Boston Globe |date=June 7, 1972}} He received the support of state attorney general Robert H. Quinn, Boston Mayor Kevin White and state legislative leadership. After losing at the convention, Norfolk County district attorney George Burke dropped out of the race and backed Droney. However Boston City Councilor Gerald O'Leary, who was seen as the most liberal candidate, and Hampden County Register of Deeds John Pierce Lynch chose to stay in the race and face Droney in the Democratic primary.{{cite news |last1=Nyhan |first1=David |title=Nine hours, six ballots later Droney has the nomination |work=The Boston Globe |date=June 12, 1972}}
=Results=
File:Massachusetts United States Senate Democratic primary results by municipality, 1972.svg
{{Election box begin no change
| title=Democratic Primary}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = John J. Droney
|votes = 215,523
|percentage = 45.05%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Gerald O'Leary
|votes = 169,876
|percentage = 35.51%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = John P. Lynch
|votes = 92,979
|percentage = 19.43%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 478,378
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
=Candidates=
- Edward Brooke, incumbent Senator since 1967 (Republican)
- John J. Droney, Middlesex County District Attorney (Democratic)
- Donald Gurewitz, anti-war activist (Socialist Workers)
=Campaign=
Brooke centered his campaign on experience and his sponsorship of an amendment to end the Vietnam War. Droney ran on a law and order platform supporting Richard Nixon's conservative nominees to the United States Supreme Court and questioning the value of the Fifth Amendment. He also supported some of the president's foreign policy initiatives and did not come out against the Vietnam War. He chose to focus his attacks on Brooke's record as Massachusetts Attorney General, an office Brooke held from 1963 to 1966, rather than on his record in the senate. Droney criticized Brooke for files that had allegedly disappeared during his administration (an investigative panel could not determine if the files went missing under Brooke's watch or that of his successor Elliot Richardson) as well for his handling of the Boston Strangler case.{{cite news |last1=Nyhan |first1=David |title=Unlikely rivals in Senate race |work=The Boston Globe |date=August 8, 1972}}
Brooke held a large lead throughout the campaign. He led Droney 72% to 18% in an October poll conducted by Becker Research and 66% to 23% in a poll conducted by the same firm shortly before election day.{{cite news |title=Voters favor Brooke over Droney by 4-1 margin in Senate race |work=The Boston Globe |date=October 17, 1972}}{{cite news |title=Droney behind by 3-1 margin Brooke leads 66-23% in poll |work=The Boston Globe |date=November 5, 1972}}
=Results=
{{Election box begin
| title=General election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Edward Brooke (incumbent)
|votes = 1,505,932
|percentage = 63.53%
|change = {{increase}}2.85
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = John J. Droney
|votes = 823,278
|percentage = 34.73%
|change = {{decrease}}4.01
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Socialist Workers Party (United States)
|candidate = Donald Gurewitz
|votes = 41,369
|percentage = 1.75%
|change = {{increase}}1.41
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 2,370,579
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
See also
External links and references
- [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=6511 Race details] at ourcampaigns.com
{{reflist}}
{{Federal elections in Massachusetts footer}}
{{United States elections, 1972}}