▁Texas , ▁while ▁Land on ’ s ▁running ▁mate ▁was ▁newspaper ▁publish er ▁Frank ▁Kno x ▁of ▁Illinois . ▁Also ▁running ▁that ▁year ▁was ▁William ▁Lem ke ▁of ▁the ▁short - l ived ▁Union ▁Party , ▁and ▁his ▁running ▁mate ▁Thomas ▁C . ▁O ' B rien . ▁ ▁Ro ose vel t ▁carried ▁the ▁state ▁with ▁ 5 1 . 2 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁to ▁Land on ’ s ▁ 4 1 . 7 6 %, ▁a ▁Democratic ▁victory ▁margin ▁of ▁ 9 . 4 6 % t . ▁Lem ke ▁came ▁in ▁third , ▁with ▁ 6 . 4 5 %, ▁while ▁in ▁a ▁distant ▁fourth ▁was ▁Social ist ▁Norman ▁Thomas ▁with ▁only ▁ 0 . 2 8 %. ▁ ▁Once ▁a ▁typical ▁Yan kee ▁Republican ▁bast ion ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Massachusetts ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁Democratic - lean ing ▁state ▁since ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁when ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁Irish ▁Catholic ▁and ▁other ▁eth nic ▁imm igr ant ▁vot ers ▁primarily ▁based ▁in ▁urban ▁areas ▁turned ▁Massachusetts ▁and ▁neighbor ing ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁into ▁New ▁England ’ s ▁only ▁reli ably ▁Democratic ▁states . ▁Massachusetts ▁voted ▁for ▁Al ▁Smith ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁and ▁for ▁Franklin ▁Ro ose vel t ▁in ▁his ▁national ▁Democratic ▁lands lide ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁Ro ose vel t ’ s ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁victory ▁thus ▁marked ▁the ▁third ▁straight ▁win ▁for ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁in ▁Massachusetts