Washington Cook
| Washington Cook | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council from the 2nd District | |
|
In office 1925–1927 |
|
| Preceded by | William W. Ollendorff |
| Succeeded by | Chester I. Campbell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 22, 1873 Boston |
| Died | October 12, 1955 (aged 82) Haverhill, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican / Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Bertha Hodgdon (?–1943; her death) |
Washington Cook (February 22, 1873 – October 12, 1955) was an American politician who served one term on the Massachusetts Governor's Council. He was the brother of Massachusetts State Auditor Alonzo B. Cook.
Cook was born on February 22, 1873 in Boston. He attended public school in Boston and Somerville, Massachusetts. Cook later moved to Sharon, Massachusetts, where he served on the town's school committee.
On March 9, 1922, Cook announced that he would challenge Henry Cabot Lodge for his United States Senate seat. He ran on a platform that supported the League of Nations, women's suffrage, enforcement of the 18th Amendment, measures to stop the lynching of African-Americans in the south, creation of a national divorce law, and adequate compensation for soldiers. He finished fifth out of six candidates with 0.9%.
In 1924, Cook upset incumbent Executive Councilor William W. Ollendorff in the 2nd District Republican primary.
In 1926, Cook ran for reelection to his council seat and also ran as an independent for the office of United States Senator. In his second run for the U.S. Senate, Cook supported modification of the Volstead Act, old age pensions, public ownership of coal mines, railroads, oil fields, and hydroelectric power, and elimination of the Electoral College. Cook finished a distant third in the 2nd District Republican primary behind Chester I. Campbell and William W. Ollendorff and received 0.47% of the vote in the U.S. Senate election.
In 1930, Cook challenged his brother, Alonzo, for his office of Massachusetts State Auditor. It was reported that the Cooks "[had] not been friendly for some time" and their disagreements once led to a physical altercation. Washington Cook later withdrew from the race, but not after he launched what the Boston Daily Globe described as "a vigorous attack" on his brother.
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