Governor Candidates •
Francis Sargent, incumbent governor •
Carroll Sheehan, former State Commerce Commissioner
Campaign In February 1974, Sheehan announced that he would challenge Sargent for the
Republican nomination for governor. Sheehan blamed Sargent for high taxes and dirty and dangerous streets. He referred to the Sargent administration as "administrative experimenters and social tinkerers", singling out Secretary of Human Services
Peter C. Goldmark, Jr. and former Corrections Commissioner John Boone. Although there was a large anti-Sargent sentiment, Sheehan was unable to translate it into support for his candidacy. After he publicly claimed Governor's Councilor Raymond Fontana would run on his ticket, Fontana declined to join the race. At the Republican Convention on June 1, Sheehan had a surprisingly strong showing, gaining 32.5% of the convention votes. Although Sargent held a large lead in the polls in late August, the Governor believed that there was a chance that he could lose the Republican primary and he requested that state party chairman
William Barnstead call a special meeting of the Republican State Committee so he and Sheehan could debate before them and have one of them receive the party's endorsement. Barnstead declined to call the special meeting "for the convenience of the Governor" and said that any debate between Sargent and Sheehan should be held publicly. The Republican State Committee hosted a public debate on September 5 without any endorsement. The debate was televised by
WCVB-TV.
Results Lieutenant governor Incumbent lieutenant governor
Donald R. Dwight was unopposed in the Republican Primary. ==Democratic primary==