| Election Name: | 1970 Massachusetts gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Massachusetts |
| Flag Year: | 1908 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1966 Massachusetts gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1966 |
| Next Election: | 1974 Massachusetts gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1974 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1970 |
| Image1: | Image:Governor Francis Sargent (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Francis Sargent |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Running Mate1: | Donald R. Dwight |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,058,623 |
| Percentage1: | 56.67% |
| Nominee2: | Kevin White |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Running Mate2: | Michael Dukakis |
| Popular Vote2: | 799,269 |
| Percentage2: | 42.79% |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Francis Sargent |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Francis Sargent |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
The 1970 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. Acting Governor Francis W. Sargent was elected to a four-year term.[1] He defeated incumbent Boston Mayor Kevin H. White in the general election.[2]
This was the first Massachusetts election in which the governor and lieutenant governor were elected as a ticket rather than separately.
Acting Governor Francis Sargent was unopposed for renomination.
With Sargent's support, Dwight won the endorsement of the state party at the Republican convention.[3] State Rep. 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.[4]
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.[5]
Despite losing at the convention, White went on to win the Democratic primary, defeating Donahue by 12,940 votes.[6]
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%.[7]
| 1970 United States gubernatorial election in Massachusetts (by county) [8] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Sargent % | Sargent # | White % | White # | Others % | Others # | Total # | ||
| 70.5% | 30,271 | 23.4% | 10,051 | 6.1% | 2,634 | 42,956 | |||
| 48.8% | 24,967 | 36.3% | 18,573 | 14.8% | 7,578 | 51,118 | |||
| 42.0% | 68,994 | 44.5% | 73,024 | 13.5% | 22,155 | 164,173 | |||
| 59.3% | 1,731 | 27.4% | 800 | 13.3% | 388 | 2,919 | |||
| 51.4% | 128,265 | 38.0% | 94,779 | 10.7% | 26,634 | 249,678 | |||
| 54.1% | 12,328 | 34.5% | 7,848 | 11.4% | 2,604 | 22,780 | |||
| 38.9% | 58,656 | 48.6% | 73,200 | 12.5% | 18,812 | 150,668 | |||
| 44.9% | 18,179 | 45.4% | 18,393 | 9.7% | 3,933 | 40,505 | |||
| 55.2% | 283,312 | 37.1% | 190,617 | 7.6% | 39,183 | 513,112 | |||
| 59.9% | 854 | 31.8% | 453 | 8.3% | 118 | 1,425 | |||
| 60.9% | 142,806 | 32.8% | 77,036 | 6.3% | 14,840 | 234,682 | |||
| 60.1% | 67,294 | 32.5% | 36,424 | 7.4% | 8,303 | 112,021 | |||
| 50.02% | 113,801 | 42.5% | 96,636 | 7.5% | 17,094 | 227,531 | |||
| 46.5% | 106,495 | 44.3% | 101,435 | 9.2% | 21,119 | 229,049 | |||