▁better ▁spent ▁on ▁military ▁needs ▁and ▁foreign ▁policy ▁initi atives ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Plan . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁he ▁made ▁an ▁un success ful ▁bid ▁for ▁election ▁to ▁fill ▁a ▁vac ancy ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate , ▁losing ▁to ▁Pres c ott ▁Bush . ▁ ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁his ▁legal ▁practice ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁he ▁ran ▁for ▁governor ▁against ▁inc umb ent ▁Republican ▁John ▁Davis ▁L odge , ▁winning ▁the ▁election ▁by ▁a ▁little ▁over ▁three ▁thousand ▁votes . ▁As ▁governor ▁( 1 9 5 5 – 1 9 6 1 ), ▁Rib ico ff ▁soon ▁faced ▁the ▁challenge ▁of ▁re building ▁his ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁dev ast ating ▁flo ods ▁that ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁summer ▁and ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁lead ▁b ipart isan ▁efforts ▁to ▁aid ▁dam aged ▁areas . ▁Rib ico ff ▁then ▁successfully ▁argued ▁for ▁increased ▁state ▁sp ending ▁on ▁schools ▁and ▁w elf are ▁programs . ▁He ▁also ▁supported ▁an ▁am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁constitution ▁that ▁enabled ▁local ▁municipal ities ▁to ▁have ▁greater ▁gover ning ▁powers . ▁E as ily ▁re elect ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁Rib ico ff ▁had ▁by ▁now ▁become ▁active ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁political ▁scene . ▁A ▁long time ▁friend ▁of ▁Senator ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy , ▁Rib ico ff ▁had ▁nominated ▁his ▁fellow ▁New ▁England er ▁for ▁vice ▁president ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁Democratic