PolitiFinder

1978 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election

Massachusetts · 2 candidates · See every 1978 Governor race

Who won the 1978 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election?

Edward J. King won the 1978 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election. Edward J. King received 1,030,294 popular votes (52.51%). The main challenger was Francis W. Hatch Jr. (47.19%).

See the full head-to-head between King and Jr.

King +5.3 pts · won by 104,222 votes
Edward J. KingDemocraticWINNER52.51%
1,030,294 votes
Francis W. Hatch Jr.Republican47.19%
926,072 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.