Another in our series on past election results – see the “Elections” link in the upper right corner for more statistics.

The Massachusetts Presidential primary was held on March 2, 1976. The Republicans had a two man race: Incumbent Gerald Ford and former California Governor Ronald Reagan. In the Massachusetts primary, Ford defeated Reagan, 115,375 to 63,555. The Democrats had a much bigger field – 14 candidates. Here’s how they did statewide:

1. Henry Jackson – 164,393
2. Morris Udall – 130,440
3. George Wallace – 123,112
4. Jimmy Carter – 101,948
5. Fred Harris – 55,701
6. Sargent Shriver – 53,252
7. Birch Bayh – 34,963
8. Ellen McCormack – 25,772
9. Milton Shapp – 21,693
10. Hubert Humphrey – 7851
11. Edward Kennedy – 1623
12. Robert Kelleher – 1603
13. Lloyd Bentsen – 364
14. Terry Sanford – 351

Carter, of course, was the Democrat nominee and the eventual winner of the November 2, 1976 general election. In November, the Carter/Walter Mondale ticket defeated Gerald Ford/Bob Dole in Massachusetts, 1,429,475 to 1,030,276. Carter also won Lowell, 24,609 to 11,328.

In the September 14, 1976 state primary, incumbent US Senator Ted Kennedy was challenged by three candidates:

1. Ted Kennedy – 534,725
2. Robert Dinsmore – 117,496
3. Fred Langone – 59,315
4. Bernard Shannon – 12,399

Kennedy won the general election, defeating Republican Michael Robertson, 1,726,657 to 722,641. Kennedy also won in Lowell, 28,898 to 7083. In the Fifth Congressional District, incumbent Paul Tsongas was unopposed in the Democratic Primary and defeated Republican Roger Durkin in the general election, 144,217 to 70,036.

In the First Middlesex State Senate District, Democratic incumbent Joe Tully was unopposed in the primary and defeated Republican Eleanor Foster and independent Wayne Peters in the general election. (Tully – 40,937; Peters – 14,757; Foster – 7074). In 1976, Lowell still had four state representative districts. In the 45th, Phil Shea was reelected without opposition as was Ed LeLacheur in the 47th. In the 46th, incumbent Bob Kennedy defeated Independent Anna Martin, 6514 to 2707. In the 44th District, Leo Farley was elected without opposition in the general election after winning the Democratic primary in a field of five candidates:

1. Leo Farley – 1653
2. Bruce Desmond – 1512
3. Dennis O’Dea – 1325
4. George Gath – 365
5. Marie Hurley – 203

At the county level, Edward Sullivan was reelected Clerk of Courts, defeating Republican Joan Needleman. For Middlesex North Register of Deeds, Edward Early was elected with no opposition in the general election after defeated Buddy Flynn in the Democratic Primary, 15,661 to 12,522. For County Commissioner, S. Lester Ralph and Mike McLaughlin were both elected after prevailing in a crowded Democratic Primary:

1. Mike McLaughlin – 92,382
2. S Lester Ralph – 69,199
3. Thomas Coughlin – 45,378
4. Joyce Beatty – 26,093
5. Bernard Hennessy – 25,181
6. Richard Caples – 21,213