Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1978

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1978

← 1974 November 7, 1978 1982 →
Nominee Edward J. King Francis W. Hatch, Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,030,294 926,072 Percentage 52.51% 47.19%
Results by town. Red indicates towns carried by Francis W. Hatch, blue indicates towns carried by Edward J. King.
Governor before election Michael Dukakis Democratic Elected Governor Edward J. King Democratic

Michael Dukakis
Democratic

Edward J. King
Democratic

The 1978 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Former Massachusetts Port Authority executive director Edward J. King was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 1979, until January 6, 1983. King won the Democratic nomination by defeating incumbent Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis in the Democratic primary.

A number of Democrats considered challenging incumbent Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis for the party's nomination, including State Senator Alan Sisitsky, State Senate President Kevin B. Harrington, State Representative Charles Flaherty, former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives David M. Bartley, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Paul Guzzi, former Massachusetts Attorney General Robert H. Quinn, University of Massachusetts President Robert Wood, former Mayor of Cambridge Barbara Ackermann, and former executive director of the Massachusetts Port Authority Edward J. King. King also considered running as an Independent or a Republican.