, ▁a ▁state ▁that ▁had ▁voted ▁Democratic ▁only ▁once ▁( in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ) ▁in ▁its ▁history ▁prior ▁to ▁this ▁series ▁of ▁consecutive ▁Democratic ▁wins . ▁ ▁However ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁still ▁closely ▁divided ▁between ▁the ▁newly ▁emer ging ▁Democratic ▁majority ▁coal ition , ▁and ▁its ▁traditional ▁New ▁England ▁Republican ▁roots , ▁and ▁consequ ently ▁Massachusetts ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁F DR ’ s ▁weak est ▁vict ories . ▁As ▁Ro ose vel t ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁nation ally ▁in ▁a ▁massive ▁lands lide , ▁Massachusetts ▁we ighed ▁in ▁as ▁about ▁fifteen ▁percent ▁more ▁Republican ▁than ▁the ▁national ▁average . ▁New ▁England ▁overall ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁only ▁region ▁where ▁Land on ▁was ▁at ▁all ▁compet itive ; ▁Land on ’ s ▁only ▁vict ories ▁in ▁the ▁entire ▁nation ▁were ▁neighbor ing ▁Verm ont ▁and ▁Maine . ▁Where as ▁pre - New ▁De al ▁Republic ans ▁from ▁south ▁and ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ▁showed ▁very ▁little ▁loyal ty ▁following ▁the ▁De pression , ▁in ▁New ▁England ▁Republic ans ▁became ▁gal van ized ▁to ▁slow ▁F DR ’ s ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁sector . ▁ ▁A ▁contrib uting ▁factor ▁to ▁Ro ose vel t ’ s ▁relative ▁weak ness ▁in ▁Massachusetts ▁was ▁the ▁strong ▁showing ▁of ▁William ▁Lem ke ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁Lem ke ▁and ▁his ▁Union ▁Party ▁ran ▁on ▁a ▁popul ist ▁platform ▁that ▁appe aled ▁to ▁many ▁working ▁class ▁vot ers ▁who ▁would ▁otherwise ▁have ▁been ▁natural ▁members ▁of ▁Ro ose vel t ’ s ▁New ▁De