November 6, 1956 1958 → 52.76% 46.87% | 1,234,618 1,096,759 | |
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The 1956 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1956. Democrat Foster Furcolo was elected Governor of Massachusetts to replace incumbent Christian Herter, who did not run for re-election. Furcolo defeated Republican Sumner G. Whittier, Socialist Labor candidate Henning A. Blomen, and Prohibition candidate Mark R. Shaw.
In the race for Lieutenant Governor, Democrat Robert F. Murphy defeated Republican Charles Gibbons, Prohibition candidate Harold E. Bassett, and Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano.
Primaries
Former Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts Foster Furcolo defeated former Massachusetts Auditor Thomas Henry Buckley for the Democratic nomination. Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Sumner Whittier ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
In the lieutenant gubernatorial race, former State Representative Robert F. Murphy defeated Executive Councilor George A. Wells and former State Representative James A. Burke for the Democratic nomination. Former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Charles Gibbons ran unopposed in the Republican primary.