1968 United States presidential election in Florida

The 1968 United States presidential election in Florida was held on November 5, 1968. Florida voters chose fourteen electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

November 5, 1968
Turnout	79%
Nominee Richard Nixon Hubert Humphrey George Wallace Party Republican Democratic American Independent Home state New York[lower-alpha 1] Minnesota Alabama Running mate Spiro Agnew Edmund Muskie Curtis LeMay Electoral vote 14 0 0 Popular vote 886,804 676,794 624,207 Percentage 40.53% 30.93% 28.53%
County Results Nixon   30-40%   40-50%   50-60%   60-70% Humphrey   30-40%   40-50% Wallace   30-40%   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90%
President before election Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic Elected President Richard Nixon Republican

Background

Between the imposition of a poll tax in 1889 and the migration of numerous northerners seeking a hotter climate in the 1940s,[1] Florida had been a one-party Democratic state, lacking any traditional white Republicanism due to the absence of mountains or German "Forty-Eighter" settlements. So late as the landmark court case of Smith v. Allwright, half of Florida's registered Republicans were still black,[2] although very few blacks in Florida had ever voted within the previous fifty-five years. When new migrants from traditionally Republican northern states in Central Florida took their Republican voting habits with them at the presidential level,[3] the GOP restricted Harry Truman to under half the statewide vote in 1948 and under Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon carried the state in the following three elections.

1964 saw a complete reversal of the 1950s voting pattern of a largely Republican south and central Florida and continuing Democratic loyalty in the North, with almost zero correlation between 1960 and 1964 county returns.[4] Incumbent Lyndon Johnson narrowly carried the state with black[5] and retiree votes but lost most Panhandle Kennedy support to Goldwater.

Following his landslide sweep of the northern states, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society at first appeared to be helping him in Florida;[6] however the relationship soured quickly as the Democratic Party factionalized. In 1966, via a campaign portraying his opponent as a dangerous liberal, Claude R. Kirk defeated Miami Mayor Robert King Hugh to become (alongside Winthrop Rockefeller) the first GOP Governor of any Confederate State since Alfred A. Taylor in 1922.[7]

Further political unrest, including a major teacher's strike in the winter of 1967–1968, along with the stalemate in Vietnam,[8] further cut into the Democratic Party's local popularity, which was further affected by Alabama Governor George Wallace entering the race under the "American Independent" banner.

Vote

After contentious primaries, Florida was initially considered a state which all three candidates had a chance to carry.

Republican candidate Richard Nixon won the state of Florida by a margin of 9.60% or 210,010 votes.[9]

Nixon obtained his support in Central Florida, Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey got his support from Southern Florida, and third-party candidate George Wallace got his support from the Florida Panhandle, or Northern Florida. This was one of the better states for George Wallace, due to the Northern part of the state being against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which Lyndon Johnson had signed into law. This led to Democratic party gains in support from black voters. The party simultaneously lost the great majority of white voters. One exception to this abandonment by white voters came in the Jewish sections of Miami.[10] It is estimated that over 80% of the non-Hispanic white electorate backed Nixon or Wallace, with Wallace being the choice among those whites in the northern counties with larger numbers of proximate black voters, and Nixon in those areas with few or no blacks.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Escambia County, Clay County, Okaloosa County, and Santa Rosa County did not support the Republican candidate.[11]

Results

Electoral results

Presidential candidate	Party	Home state	Popular vote		Electoral vote	Running mate
			Count	Percentage		Vice-presidential candidate	Home state	Electoral vote
Richard Nixon	Republican	New York	886,804	40.53%	14	Spiro Agnew	Maryland	14
Hubert Humphrey	Democrat	Minnesota	676,794	30.93%	0	Edmund Muskie	Maine	0
George Wallace	George Wallace Party	Alabama	624,207	28.53%	0	Curtis LeMay	California	0
Total			2,187,805	100%	14			14
Needed to win					270			270

Results by county

County	Richard M. Nixon Republican		Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic		George C. Wallace George Wallace Party		Margin		Total votes cast
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Alachua	9,670	34.02%	10,060	35.39%	8,696	30.59%	-390	-1.37%	28,426
Baker	294	10.72%	487	17.75%	1,962	71.53%	-1,475[lower-alpha 2]	-53.78%	2,743
Bay	5,121	21.07%	4,020	16.54%	15,161	62.39%	-10,040[lower-alpha 3]	-41.32%	24,302
Bradford	718	15.18%	1,173	24.79%	2,840	60.03%	-1,667[lower-alpha 2]	-35.24%	4,731
Brevard	37,124	48.02%	18,281	23.65%	21,909	28.34%	15,215[lower-alpha 3]	19.68%	77,314
Broward	106,122	54.50%	56,613	29.07%	31,992	16.43%	49,509	25.43%	194,727
Calhoun	356	11.38%	398	12.72%	2,375	75.90%	-1,977[lower-alpha 2]	-63.18%	3,129
Charlotte	6,056	50.58%	3,647	30.46%	2,270	18.96%	2,409	20.12%	11,973
Citrus	2,767	38.71%	1,775	24.83%	2,606	36.46%	161[lower-alpha 3]	2.25%	7,148
Clay	3,251	35.14%	1,954	21.12%	4,046	43.74%	-795[lower-alpha 3]	-8.60%	9,251
Collier	5,362	50.85%	2,230	21.15%	2,952	28.00%	2,410[lower-alpha 3]	22.85%	10,544
Columbia	1,553	21.13%	1,750	23.81%	4,046	55.06%	-2,296[lower-alpha 2]	-31.25%	7,349
Dade	135,222	37.02%	176,689	48.37%	53,391	14.62%	-41,467	-11.35%	365,302
DeSoto	1,103	26.94%	937	22.89%	2,054	50.17%	-951[lower-alpha 3]	-23.23%	4,094
Dixie	217	10.39%	325	15.57%	1,546	74.04%	-1,221[lower-alpha 2]	-58.47%	2,088
Duval	51,585	30.89%	54,834	32.84%	60,559	36.27%	-5,725[lower-alpha 2]	-3.43%	166,978
Escambia	15,089	22.07%	16,281	23.81%	37,000	54.12%	-20,719[lower-alpha 2]	-30.31%	68,370
Flagler	360	20.25%	601	33.80%	817	45.95%	-216[lower-alpha 2]	-12.15%	1,778
Franklin	529	16.86%	699	22.28%	1,909	60.85%	-1,210[lower-alpha 2]	-38.57%	3,137
Gadsden	1,337	14.76%	3,274	36.15%	4,446	49.09%	-1,172[lower-alpha 2]	-12.94%	9,057
Gilchrist	183	12.12%	208	13.77%	1,119	74.11%	-911[lower-alpha 2]	-60.34%	1,510
Glades	261	23.92%	230	21.08%	600	55.00%	-339[lower-alpha 3]	-31.08%	1,091
Gulf	364	9.58%	711	18.71%	2,725	71.71%	-2,014[lower-alpha 2]	-53.00%	3,800
Hamilton	337	12.34%	820	30.03%	1,574	57.63%	-754[lower-alpha 2]	-27.60%	2,731
Hardee	1,278	28.34%	703	15.59%	2,529	56.08%	-1,251[lower-alpha 3]	-27.74%	4,510
Hendry	900	27.04%	791	23.76%	1,638	49.20%	-738[lower-alpha 3]	-22.16%	3,329
Hernando	2,053	34.42%	1,524	25.55%	2,387	40.02%	-334[lower-alpha 3]	-5.60%	5,964
Highlands	4,560	42.95%	2,582	24.32%	3,475	32.73%	1,085[lower-alpha 3]	10.22%	10,617
Hillsborough	49,441	34.77%	45,848	32.24%	46,913	32.99%	2,528[lower-alpha 3]	1.78%	142,202
Holmes	377	7.00%	312	5.79%	4,700	87.21%	-4,323[lower-alpha 3]	-80.21%	5,389
Indian River	6,518	51.25%	3,179	24.99%	3,022	23.76%	3,339	26.26%	12,719
Jackson	1,236	10.02%	2,472	20.05%	8,622	69.93%	-6,150[lower-alpha 2]	-49.88%	12,330
Jefferson	459	14.84%	1,066	34.48%	1,567	50.68%	-501[lower-alpha 2]	-16.20%	3,092
Lafayette	137	9.28%	215	14.56%	1,125	76.17%	-910[lower-alpha 2]	-61.61%	1,477
Lake	11,763	47.42%	4,599	18.54%	8,442	34.03%	3,321[lower-alpha 3]	13.39%	24,804
Lee	14,376	46.23%	7,978	25.66%	8,741	28.11%	5,635[lower-alpha 3]	18.12%	31,095
Leon	9,288	28.49%	10,440	32.02%	12,878	39.50%	-2,438[lower-alpha 2]	-7.48%	32,606
Levy	745	18.81%	767	19.36%	2,449	61.83%	-1,682[lower-alpha 2]	-42.47%	3,961
Liberty	154	8.96%	242	14.09%	1,322	76.95%	-1,080[lower-alpha 2]	-62.86%	1,718
Madison	654	13.81%	1,378	29.10%	2,703	57.09%	-1,325[lower-alpha 2]	-27.99%	4,735
Manatee	18,247	52.51%	8,286	23.85%	8,214	23.64%	9,961	28.66%	34,747
Marion	7,468	32.66%	5,798	25.36%	9,600	41.98%	-2,132[lower-alpha 3]	-9.32%	22,866
Martin	5,179	50.63%	2,580	25.22%	2,471	24.15%	2,599	25.41%	10,230
Monroe	5,094	34.19%	5,534	37.14%	4,271	28.67%	-440	-2.95%	14,899
Nassau	1,301	19.91%	1,598	24.46%	3,634	55.63%	-2,036[lower-alpha 2]	-31.17%	6,533
Okaloosa	5,525	26.54%	3,059	14.69%	12,237	58.77%	-6,712[lower-alpha 3]	-32.23%	20,821
Okeechobee	862	28.66%	542	18.02%	1,604	53.32%	-742[lower-alpha 3]	-24.66%	3,008
Orange	50,874	50.54%	22,548	22.40%	27,247	27.07%	23,627[lower-alpha 3]	23.47%	100,669
Osceola	4,172	43.90%	1,870	19.68%	3,462	36.43%	710[lower-alpha 3]	7.47%	9,504
Palm Beach	62,191	53.19%	32,837	28.08%	21,894	18.73%	29,354	25.11%	116,922
Pasco	9,743	42.36%	6,292	27.36%	6,966	30.29%	2,777[lower-alpha 3]	12.07%	23,001
Pinellas	109,235	51.71%	68,209	32.29%	33,814	16.01%	41,026	19.42%	211,258
Polk	27,839	36.98%	15,898	21.12%	31,540	41.90%	-3,701[lower-alpha 3]	-4.92%	75,277
Putnam	2,955	26.80%	2,920	26.49%	5,150	46.71%	-2,195[lower-alpha 3]	-19.91%	11,025
St. Johns	3,880	34.31%	2,748	24.30%	4,682	41.40%	-802[lower-alpha 3]	-7.09%	11,310
St. Lucie	7,281	43.02%	5,232	30.92%	4,410	26.06%	2,049	12.10%	16,923
Santa Rosa	2,567	20.19%	1,600	12.58%	8,549	67.23%	-5,982[lower-alpha 3]	-47.04%	12,716
Sarasota	30,160	63.73%	10,127	21.40%	7,041	14.88%	20,033	42.33%	47,328
Seminole	10,821	44.69%	6,120	25.27%	7,275	30.04%	3,546[lower-alpha 3]	14.65%	24,216
Sumter	910	17.96%	1,277	25.21%	2,879	56.83%	-1,602[lower-alpha 2]	-31.62%	5,066
Suwannee	845	14.13%	1,182	19.76%	3,955	66.12%	-2,773[lower-alpha 2]	-46.36%	5,982
Taylor	794	15.71%	941	18.62%	3,318	65.66%	-2,377[lower-alpha 2]	-47.04%	5,053
Union	179	10.78%	290	17.46%	1,192	71.76%	-902[lower-alpha 2]	-54.30%	1,661
Volusia	28,024	39.91%	24,987	35.58%	17,209	24.51%	3,037	4.33%	70,220
Wakulla	247	10.49%	440	18.68%	1,668	70.83%	-1,228[lower-alpha 2]	-52.15%	2,355
Walton	963	13.45%	1,064	14.86%	5,135	71.70%	-4,071[lower-alpha 2]	-56.84%	7,162
Washington	528	10.71%	722	14.64%	3,682	74.66%	-2,960[lower-alpha 2]	-60.02%	4,932
Totals	886,804	40.53%	676,794	30.93%	624,207	28.53%	210,010	9.60%	2,187,805

Notes

1. Although he was born in California and he served as a U.S. Senator from California, in 1968 Richard Nixon's official state of residence was New York, because he moved there to practice law after his defeat in the 1962 California gubernatorial election. 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.
2. In this county where Nixon ran third behind Wallace, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Humphrey percentage minus Wallace percentage.
3. In this county where Humphrey ran third behind Wallace, margin given is Nixon vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Nixon percentage minus Wallace percentage.

References

1. Silbey, Joel H. and Bogue, Allan G.; The History of American Electoral Behavior, p. 210 ISBN 140087114X
2. See Price, Hugh Douglas; 'The Negro and Florida Politics, 1944-1954'; The Journal of Politics, Vol. 17, No. 2 (May, 1955), pp. 198-220
3. Seagull, Louis M.; Southern Republicanism, p. 73 ISBN 0470768762
4. Lamis, Alexander P.; The Two-Party South, p. 180 ISBN 0195065794
5. Bullock, Charles S. and Gaddie, Ronald Keith; The Triumph of Voting Rights in the South, p. 254 ISBN 0806185309
6. Grantham, Dewey W.; The Life and Death of the Solid South: A Political History, pp. 172-173 ISBN 0813148723
7. Grantham; The Life and Death of the Solid South, p. 165
8. Sullivan, James; 'The Florida Teacher Walkout in the Political Transition of 1968', in Zieger, Robert H. (editor); Southern Labor in Transition, 1940-1995, pp. 205-223
9. "1968 Presidential General Election Results – Florida". Retrieved March 7, 2017.
10. Phillips, Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 281-282 ISBN 1400852293
11. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016