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1972 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

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 2026, 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 ==Democratic primary==
Democratic primary
Candidates • John J. Droney, Middlesex County District Attorney • Gerald O'Leary, Boston City Councilor • John P. Lynch, Hampden County Register of Deeds Eliminated at the convention • George Burke, Norfolk County district attorney (endorsed Droney) 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. Droney himself did not oppose the war, stating that there was no right or wrong stand on Vietnam. 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. Results {{Election box begin no change ==General election==
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. 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. Results {{Election box begin ==See also==
External links and references
• Race details at ourcampaigns.com
Source: Wikipedia ↗
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