Massachusetts general election, 1998
Encyclopedia
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 3, 1998 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The election included:
Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held September 15, 1998.
Paul Cellucci
and Jane M. Swift
were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively, over Democratic candidates Scott Harshbarger
and Warren Tolman
, and Libertarian candidates Dean Cook and Eli Israel.
did not run for re-election. Middlesex County
District Attorney Thomas Reilly
defeated State Senator Lois Pines
in the Democratic primary and Middlesex County Sheriff Brad Bailey in the general election.
was re-elected Secretary of the Commonwealth
. He defeated Republican Dale C. Jenkins and Libertarian David Atkinson in the general election.
did not run for re-election Joe Malone. Former State Representative Shannon P. O'Brien defeated Republican Robert Maginn and Libertarian Merton B. Baker in the general election.
was re-elected Auditor
. He defeated Republican Michael Duffy and Libertarian Carla Howell
.
Statewide Questions:
The election included:
- statewide elections for GovernorGovernor of MassachusettsThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
, Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of MassachusettsThe Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts...
, Attorney GeneralMassachusetts Attorney GeneralThe Massachusetts Attorney General is an elected executive officer of the Massachusetts Government. The office of Attorney-General was abolished in 1843 and re-established in 1849. The current Attorney General is Martha Coakley....
, Secretary of the CommonwealthMassachusetts Secretary of the CommonwealthThe Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is the principal public information officer of the state government of the U.S...
, Treasurer, and AuditorMassachusetts AuditorThe Massachusetts State Auditor is a statewide elected office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The current auditor is Suzanne Bump.-List of state auditors of Massachusetts:-External links:*...
; - district elections for U.S. Representatives, State RepresentativesMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, State Senators, and Governor's CouncillorsMassachusetts Governor's CouncilThe Massachusetts Governor's Council is a governmental body that provides advice and consent in certain matters such as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutations to the Governor of Massachusetts...
; and - ballot questions at the state and local levels.
Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held September 15, 1998.
Governor & Lieutenant Governor
RepublicansRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Paul Cellucci
Paul Cellucci
Argeo Paul Cellucci is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 69th Governor of Massachusetts and US Ambassador to Canada.-Early life and career:...
and Jane M. Swift
Jane M. Swift
Jane Maria Swift is an American politician, who served as the 69th lieutenant governor from 1999 to 2003 and acting governor of Massachusetts from 2001 to 2003. She is the only woman to perform the duties of governor of Massachusetts, doing so from April 2001 to January 2003...
were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively, over Democratic candidates Scott Harshbarger
Scott Harshbarger
Luther Scott Harshbarger is a lawyer and a Democratic politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.-Education and early career:...
and Warren Tolman
Warren Tolman
Warren E. Tolman is a Massachusetts lawyer and former member of the Massachusetts General Court, serving in both of the Court's houses...
, and Libertarian candidates Dean Cook and Eli Israel.
Attorney General
Incumbent Attorney General Scott HarshbargerScott Harshbarger
Luther Scott Harshbarger is a lawyer and a Democratic politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.-Education and early career:...
did not run for re-election. Middlesex County
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
District Attorney Thomas Reilly
Thomas Reilly
Thomas F. Reilly is an American attorney and politician who served as the 45th Massachusetts Attorney General. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents....
defeated State Senator Lois Pines
Lois Pines
Lois Pines is a Democratic politician from Massachusetts.She ran for Massachusetts Attorney General in 1998 against Thomas Reilly, also a Democrat. Pines has also served in the state legislature for a number of years. In 2002, Pines ran for Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor, but lost in the...
in the Democratic primary and Middlesex County Sheriff Brad Bailey in the general election.
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Democrat William F. GalvinWilliam F. Galvin
William Francis Galvin is the 27th and current Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth .-Early life and career:...
was re-elected Secretary of the Commonwealth
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is the principal public information officer of the state government of the U.S...
. He defeated Republican Dale C. Jenkins and Libertarian David Atkinson in the general election.
Treasurer and Receiver-General
Incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-GeneralTreasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
The Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts is an executive officer, elected state-wide every four years....
did not run for re-election Joe Malone. Former State Representative Shannon P. O'Brien defeated Republican Robert Maginn and Libertarian Merton B. Baker in the general election.
Auditor
Democrat A. Joseph DeNucciA. Joseph DeNucci
A. Joseph "Joe" DeNucci is a former middle-weight boxer and former Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.-Early Life and career:...
was re-elected Auditor
Massachusetts Auditor
The Massachusetts State Auditor is a statewide elected office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The current auditor is Suzanne Bump.-List of state auditors of Massachusetts:-External links:*...
. He defeated Republican Michael Duffy and Libertarian Carla Howell
Carla Howell
Carla A. Howell is an American political activist and small government advocate. She is President of the Center For Small Government. She is most known for organizing tax cut initiative petitions, called ballot measures in other states...
.
Ballot questions
There were four statewide ballot questions, which the Massachusetts voters voted on this election. All were approved. There were also various local ballot questions around the state.Statewide Questions:
- Question 1 - Administration of government. A constitutional amendment that would prevent the legislature from altering its own base pay.
- Question 2 - Elections and campaigns. A law that would create a new state agency would fund campaigns for all state offices.
- Question 3 - Taxes. A law that would cut the state income tax rate on interest and dividend income.
- Question 4 - Business Regulation. A law that, starting in March 1998 would allow customers to choose to buy power from separate generating companies, instead of buying power from the utility that owns the power lines.