
Nominee | Richard Nixon | George Wallace |
Party | Republican | American Independent |
Home state | New York | Alabama |
Running mate | Spiro Agnew | Curtis LeMay |
Electoral vote | 301 | 46 |
Why did Nixon not win the popular vote in 1968?
Because of the strong showing of third-party candidate George Wallace, neither Nixon nor Humphrey received more than 50 percent of the popular vote; Nixon beat Humphrey by less than 500,000 votes. Nixon campaigned on a platform designed to reach the “silent majority” of middle class and working class Americans.
What was the result of the 1968 presidential election?
Winning one of the closest elections in U.S. history, Republican challenger Richard Nixon defeats Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Because of the strong showing of third-party candidate George Wallace, neither Nixon nor Humphrey received more than 50 percent of the popular vote; Nixon beat Humphrey by less than 500,000 votes.
How did Richard Nixon win the election of 1972?
Richard Nixon was able to win the Electoral College, dominating several regions in the Western United States, Midwest, Upland South, and portions of the Northeast, while winning the popular vote by a relatively small 511,944 votes over Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey.
Who won more electoral votes Nixon or Humphrey?
In the electoral college Nixon's victory was larger, as he carried 32 states with 301 electoral votes, compared to Humphrey's 13 states and 191 electoral votes and Wallace's five states and 46 electoral votes. [111]
Who won the electoral vote in 1968?
In the presidential election, Republican former Vice President Richard Nixon defeated Democratic incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Nixon won the popular vote by less than one point, but took most states outside the Northeast, and comfortably won the electoral vote.
What was the voter turnout in 1968?
About 68 percent of the civilian population, excluding persons residing in institutions, were reported as having voted in the November 1968 Presidential election according to the results of the Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census in November 1968.
How many electoral votes did Richard Nixon gain during the 1960 election?
1960 United States presidential electionNomineeJohn F. KennedyRichard NixonPartyDemocraticRepublicanHome stateMassachusettsCaliforniaRunning mateLyndon B. JohnsonHenry Cabot Lodge, Jr.Electoral vote3032194 more rows
Why was the 1968 election a turning point in history?
Why was the 1968 election a turning point in US political history? It saw the end of the New Deal coalition. Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What was the outcome of the 1968 presidential election quizlet?
What was the outcome of the 1968 presidential election? Richard Nixon won the presidency by a narrow margin of the popular vote.
Who won the electoral vote in 1960?
John F. Kennedy, a wealthy Democratic senator from Massachusetts, was elected president in 1960, defeating Vice President Richard Nixon. Though he clearly won the electoral vote, Kennedy's received only 118,000 more votes than Nixon in this close election.
What did Richard Nixon do in the 1960s?
He ran for president in 1960, narrowly lost to John F. Kennedy, then failed again in a 1962 race for governor of California, after which it was widely believed that his political career was over.
Who ran against JFK in 1968?
Kennedy presidential campaign began on March 16, 1968, when Robert Francis Kennedy, a United States Senator from New York, mounted an unlikely challenge to incumbent Democratic United States President Lyndon B. Johnson.
How many people voted in 1868?
The 1868 election is the only election since the Civil War in which the two major party candidates won over 99.9% of the vote. Out of a total of over 5.7 million votes, just 46 ballots were cast for anyone other than Grant and Seymour.
What has been the average voter turnout rate in the US since the 1960s quizlet?
Voter turnout in presidential elections has averaged 55 percent since the 1960s, and midterm election turnout has not exceeded 50 percent since 1920. Feedback: Turnout in U.S. elections is relatively low compared to other democracies. Since the 1960s, turnout in presidential elections has averaged 55 percent.
What was the voter turnout in 1964?
An estimated 69 percent of the civilian noninstitutional population of voting age1 said they voted in the November 1964 national election according to the November 1964 Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Could 18 year olds vote in 1968?
Our Founders built that recognition into its original design, providing a mechanism to amend our Constitution as our Nation evolved. On July 1, 1971, our Nation ratified the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age to 18.
How many votes did Nixon have at the 1968 Republican Convention?
See also: 1968 Miami riot. As the 1968 Republican National Convention opened on August 5 in Miami Beach, Florida, the Associated Press estimated that Nixon had 656 delegate votes – 11 short of the number he needed to win the nomination.
What states did Nixon win in 1968?
The key states proved to be California, Ohio, and Illinois, all of which Nixon won by three percentage points or less.
What was Nixon's campaign theme?
Nixon campaigned on a theme to restore " law and order ," which appealed to many voters angry with the hundreds of violent riots that had taken place across the country in the previous few years. Following the murder of Martin Luther King in April 1968, there was massive rioting in inner city areas.
How many presidential elections did Nixon win?
Nixon's victory is often considered a realigning election in American politics. From 1932 to 1964, the Democratic Party was undoubtedly the majority party, winning seven out of nine presidential elections, and their agenda influenced policies undertaken by the Republican Eisenhower administration. The 1968 election reversed the situation completely. From 1968 until 2004, Republicans won seven out of ten presidential elections, and its policies clearly affected those enacted by the Democratic Clinton administration via the Third Way.
Who was the first Republican to run against Nixon?
A Gallup poll in mid-1967 showed Nixon with 39%, followed by Romney with 25%. After a fact-finding trip to Vietnam, Romney told Detroit talk show host Lou Gordon that he had been "brainwashed" by the military and the diplomatic corps into supporting the Vietnam War; the remark led to weeks of ridicule in the national news media. Turning against American involvement in Vietnam, Romney planned to run as the anti-war Republican version of Eugene McCarthy. But, following his " brainwashing " comment, Romney's support faded steadily; with polls showing him far behind Nixon, he withdrew from the race on February 28, 1968.
Who was Wallace's running mate?
Prior to deciding on LeMay, Wallace gave serious consideration to former U.S. senator, governor, and Baseball Commissioner A.B. Happy Chandler of Kentucky as his running mate. Chandler and Wallace met a number of times; however, Chandler said that he and Wallace were unable to come to an agreement regarding their positions on racial matters. Paradoxically, Chandler supported the segregationist Dixiecrats in the 1948 presidential elections. However, after being reelected Governor of Kentucky in 1955, he used National Guard troops to enforce school integration.
Who were the first black women to run for president?
Harold Munn for the Prohibition Party; and Charlene Mitchell – the first African-American woman to run for president, and the first woman to receive valid votes in a general election – for the Communist Party. Comedians Dick Gregory and Pat Paulsen were notable write-in candidates. A facetious presidential candidate for 1968 was a pig named Pigasus, as a political statement by the Yippies, to illustrate their premise that "one pig's as good as any other."
How many votes were cast in the 1960 presidential election?
1960 Presidential election. There were 537 electoral votes, up from 531 in 1956, because of the addition of 2 U.S. Senators and 1 U.S. Representative from each of the new states of Alaska and Hawaii. (The House of Representatives was temporarily expanded from 435 members to 437 to accommodate this, and would go back to 435 when reapportioned ...
Where did Richard Nixon live?
During his first term as president, Nixon re-established his residency in California. Consequently, most reliable reference books list Nixon's home state as New York in the 1968 election and his home state as California in the 1972 (and 1960) election. ^ "Electoral Votes for President and Vice President". Senate Manual.
How many electoral votes were there in 1956?
There were 537 electoral votes, up from 531 in 1956, because of the addition of 2 U.S. Senators and 1 U.S. Representative from each of the new states of Alaska and Hawaii.
Who did Irwin vote for?
(c) Oklahoma faithless elector Henry D. Irwin, though pledged to vote for Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., instead voted for non-candidate Harry F. Byrd.
Who ran unopposed in the 1948 primary?
Nixon ran unopposed in and won the 1948 Republican primary.
Who was the 37th President of the United States?
Electoral history of Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States (1969–1974), 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961); United States Senator (1950–1953) and United States Representative (1947–1950) from California .
Who did Nixon vote for in North Carolina?
National JavaCompare! In North Carolina, one Nixon Elector cast his vote for George Wallace (President) and Curtis LeMay (Vice President). Electoral Vote Map Note: there is no implied geographical significance as to the location of the shaded areas for North Carolina's split electoral votes.
Who did Nixon elect to be President of North Carolina?
In North Carolina, one Nixon Elector cast his vote for George Wallace (President) and Curtis LeMay (Vice President).
Table of Contents
The 1968 election was won by the Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon. It was a watershed year in many different ways.
The 1968 Election Democratic Nomination
Hubert Humphrey who was Lyndon Johnson's vice president jumped into the Democratic nomination contest after LBJ said that he would not seek reelection. He announced his candidacy on April 27, 1968. Senators Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy were already in the race.
The 1968 Election Republican Nomination
The Republican candidates for the nomination were Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, Harold Stassen, George W. Romney, and Richard M. Nixon.
The 1968 Presidential Election Results
At the election, Independent party candidate George Wallace won five southern states and that gave him 46 electoral votes with 14% of the popular vote. Nixon won the popular vote over Humphrey by a very slim margin. Nixon got 43.4% and Humphrey 42.7%. Nixon also won 301 electoral votes and Humphrey won 191.
How many percent did Nixon win?
Gallup was close to predicting the results exactly: Nixon won 43.4 percent of the popular vote while Humphrey won 42.7 percent (Wallace finished with 13.5 percent). It was the fifth-closest presidential election as ranked by percentage of the popular vote.
What was the final stage of the 1968 presidential election?
The final stage of the 1968 presidential contest resembled the Trump–Clinton battle in significant ways. By the end of September, Richard Nixon had maintained a significant lead for months. Though he’d had his own party unity issues in nailing down the GOP nomination, he faced an opponent with intense intra-party opposition, a funding disadvantage, perceived organizational incompetence, and a miasma of pessimism. Humphrey held little if any allegiance from antiwar Democrats after the Chicago convention with its angry cops clubbing peace demonstrators and reporters alike. And he was losing millions of ancestral Democrats as well to the racist demagogue Wallace, whose southern base was bolstered by white working-class voters in many industrial states.
What was the Nixon telethon?
The Nixon telethon was a more somber event: The scene at his television studio contrasted the vivacity of the Humphrey set: Nixon, sitting stiffly in a chair and looking tired, spoke in a calm, authoritative voice, but there was little life to him. He would be in control until the bitter end.
Why did Nixon refuse to talk about Vietnam?
Given Nixon’s pious refusals to talk about Vietnam out of concern for interfering with the Johnson administration’s war and diplomacy, his campaign’s secret scuttling of a peace initiative was infamously ironic. In a conversation with Republican leader Everett Dirksen, LBJ accuses Nixon campaign of "treason.".
Why did the Nixon campaign put a biographical ad on Humphrey?
So the Nixon campaign deployed a 30-minute biographical ad that emphasized his sunnier characteristics — particularly the formative influence of his Quaker mother, Hannah:
What were the factors that led to the decline of Wallace?
Historians agree that multiple factors fed the steady decline of Wallace’s menacing presence that looked so formidable up until the final month. There was increasingly negative media coverage of his campaign events, and the incitement to violence he regularly offered. There was the natural tendency of minor party candidates to lose altitude as voters realized they couldn’t win (Wallace’s actual strategy — denying Nixon and Humphrey an Electoral College majority, giving the South a big bargaining chip for its regional grievances in an election to be determined in the U.S. House — was too abstract and fanciful to energize actual voters). And then there was an aggressive campaign by the labor movement — still very powerful 50 years ago — to convince their members that Wallace and his state were no friends of the working stiff.
What was George Wallace's effect on the 1972 presidential election?
The GOP also deployed right-wing southern Republicans like 1948 Dixiecrat presidential candidate Strom Thurmond to undercut Wallace. In fact, the “Southern Strategy” that characterized Nixon’s 1972 reelection campaign and the GOP’s national efforts in later years began as a flanking maneuver against George Wallace.
What was Nixon's campaign?
Nixon campaigned on a platform designed to reach the “silent majority” of middle class and working class Americans. He promised to “bring us together again,” and many Americans, weary after years of antiwar and civil rights protests, were happy to hear of peace returning to their streets. Foreign policy was also a major factor in the election.
What was the foreign policy of Nixon?
Foreign policy was also a major factor in the election. Humphrey was saddled with a Democratic foreign policy that led to what appeared to be absolute futility and agony in Vietnam. Nixon promised to find a way to “peace with honor” in Vietnam, though he was never entirely clear about how this was to be accomplished.
What was Nixon's policy during the Cold War?
During his presidency, Nixon oversaw some dramatic changes in U.S. Cold War foreign policy, most notably his policy of detente with the Soviet Union and his 1972 visit to communist China. His promise to bring peace with honor in Vietnam, however, was more difficult to accomplish. American troops were not withdrawn until 1973, and South Vietnam fell to communist forces in 1975. Nixon's presidency was eventually marred by the Watergate scandal .
Who was the 28th president of the United States?
Democrat Woodrow Wilson is elected the 28th president of the United States, with Thomas R. Marshall as vice president. In a landslide Democratic victory, Wilson won 435 electoral votes against the eight won by Republican incumbent William Howard Taft and the 88 won by third-party ...read more
Who was the Republican candidate that beat Hubert Humphrey?
Richard Nixon elected president. Winning one of the closest elections in U.S. history, Republican challenger Richard Nixon defeats Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Because of the strong showing of third-party candidate George Wallace, neither Nixon nor Humphrey received more than 50 percent of the popular vote; Nixon beat Humphrey by less ...
Who won the vote in New Hampshire on March 7?
When New Hampshire voted on March 7, Muskie won the hollowest of victories, 46 percent of the vote, far below the predicted 65 percent. McGovern, reaping the benefit of his early start and vigorous organization, was close behind with 37 percent. In Florida the Democratic battle turned over the issue of busing.
How many percent of the vote did McGovern get?
McGovern’s year-old campaign organization paid off, as he finished first with 30 percent of the popular vote. Surprisingly, Wallace finished second with 22 percent, buttressed by the fact that some one-third of the state’s Republican voters crossed party lines to vote for him.
What did McGovern's rise make Democrats nervous?
McGovern’s rise made many Democrats nervous. Some were worried about his antiwar views, while others thought that he went against traditional Democratic principles. For many, unfairly or not, McGovern came to symbolize a candidacy of radical children, rioters, marijuana smokers, draft dodgers, and hippies.
How many delegates did George Wallace get?
George Wallace proved them wrong by taking 42 percent of Florida’s statewide vote and nearly all of the 81 delegates to the Democratic national convention. Senator Humphrey was second, with 18 percent, and got the few remaining delegates.
When did George McGovern win the Democratic nomination?
But McGovern’s team hoped to mount a serious challenge in New Hampshire, which on March 7, 1972 , would hold the first primary. A victory there, they hoped, would provide the momentum necessary to capture the nomination. George McGovern addressing the Democratic National Convention after his presidential nomination, 1972.
Who was the president of the United States in 1972?
United States presidential election of 1972, American presidential election held on November 7, 1972, in which Republican Pres. Richard Nixon was elected to a second term, defeating Democrat George McGovern in one of the largest landslides in U.S. history.
How many times was Wallace shot?
On May 15, as Wallace campaigned in Maryland, a state he was expected to win, he was shot four times by 21-year-old Arthur Bremer. Wallace survived, but he was paralyzed from the waist down. Maryland’s voters surged out on election day to give Wallace a huge victory, his last of 1972.

Overview
General election
Nixon developed a "Southern strategy" that was designed to appeal to conservative white southerners, who had traditionally voted Democratic, but were opposed to Johnson and Humphrey's support for the civil rights movement, as well as the rioting that had broken out in the ghettos of most large cities. Wallace, however, won over many of the voters Nixon targeted, effectively splitting that voting bloc. Indeed, Wallace deliberately targeted many states he had litt…
Background
In the election of 1964, incumbent Democratic United States President Lyndon B. Johnson won the largest popular vote landslide in U.S. presidential election history over Republican United States Senator Barry Goldwater. During the presidential term that followed, Johnson was able to achieve many political successes, including passage of his Great Society domestic programs (including "War on Poverty" legislation), landmark civil rights legislation, and the continued exploration of sp…
Republican Party nomination
The following candidates were frequently interviewed by major broadcast networks, were listed in publicly published national polls, or ran a campaign that extended beyond their flying home delegation in the case of favorite sons.
Nixon received 1,679,443 votes in the primaries.
The front-runner for the Republican nomination was former Vice President Rich…
Democratic Party nomination
The following candidates were frequently interviewed by major broadcast networks, were listed in publicly published national polls, or ran a campaign that extended beyond their home delegation in the case of favorite sons.
Humphrey received 166,463 votes in the primaries.
Because Lyndon B. Johnson had been elected to the presidency only once, in …
American Independent Party nomination
The American Independent Party, which was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer, nominated former Alabama Governor George Wallace – whose pro-racial segregation policies had been rejected by the mainstream of the Democratic Party – as the party's candidate for president. The impact of the Wallace campaign was substantial, winning the electoral votes of several state…
Results
Nixon's victory is often considered a realigning election in American politics. From 1932 to 1964, the Democratic Party was undoubtedly the majority party, winning seven out of nine presidential elections, and their agenda influenced policies undertaken by the Republican Eisenhower administration. The 1968 election reversed the situation completely. From 1968 until 2004, Republicans won sev…
See also
• 1968 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1968 United States Senate elections
• 1968 United States gubernatorial elections
• History of the United States (1964–1980)
The 1968 Presidential Election
The 1968 Presidential Candidates
1964 Republican Presidential Primaries:
• Barry Goldwater - 2,267,079 (38.33%)
• Nelson Rockefeller - 1,304,204 (22.05%)
• James A. Rhodes - 615,754 (10.41%)
Who Won The 1968 Presidential Election?