November 3, 1970 1974 → 56.67% 42.79% | 1,058,623 799,269 | |
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The 1970 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. Acting Governor Francis W. Sargent was elected to a four-year term. He defeated incumbent Boston Mayor Kevin H. White in the general election.
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Conventions and primaries
The Democratic Primary was a four way contest between Kevin White, Senate President Maurice A. Donahue, former Presidential aide Kenneth O'Donnell, and former Lieutenant Governor Francis X. Bellotti. Donahue won the vote of the state convention held on June 15 at the Curry Hicks Cage. Donahue received 697 votes, White received 589, and the remaining 78 went to Bellotti. Despite losing at the convention, White went on to win the Democratic Primary; defeating Donahue by 12,940 votes.
State Representative Michael Dukakis defeated Somerville treasurer Rocco Antonelli, Boston School Committeeman and former Governor's Councillor John J. Craven, Jr., former Boston School Committeewoman Kathleen Ryan Dacey, and attorney James McCormack to become the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor.
Commissioner of Finance and Administration Donald R. Dwight defeated State Senator John M. Quinlan and Springfield Mayor Frank H. Freedman at the Republican convention to win his party's nomination for Lieutenant Governor. State Representative Martin A. Linsky was Sargent's original choice for the nomination, however two weeks before the convention, Linsky dropped out of the race after it was revealed that police officers had once stopped his car and informed him that the woman was traveling with was a prostitute. After Linsky dropped out, Sargent endorsed Dwight.
General election
Sargent defeated White by 259,354 votes. He won 11 of the Massachusetts' 14 counties and beat White in his home city of Boston 54–45%.