1968 United States presidential election in Nevada

The 1968 United States presidential election in Nevada took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. State voters chose three[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1968 United States presidential election in Nevada

November 5, 1968[1]

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 Marvin Griffin Electoral vote 3 0 0 Popular vote 73,188 60,598 20,432 Percentage 47.5% 39.3% 13.3%

County Results Nixon   30-40%   40-50%   50-60%   60-70% Humphrey   40-50%   50-60%

President before election Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic Elected President Richard Nixon Republican

Background

Since William Jennings Bryan's three elections, Nevada had been a bellwether state voting for every winner since 1912. However, relative to the nation the Silver State had trended Republican since the end of World War II when Populist radicalism gave way to small-town and rural conservatism due to demographic and technological change.[3] Although Democrats had a large advantage in registration, the 1966 midterm elections saw Republican Lieutenant Governor Paul Laxalt take most of the Mormon and Catholic vote in traditionally Democratic Clark County,[4] which was becoming the center of the state's rapid demographic growth. This Republican trend was aided by a fall in demand for construction work in Las Vegas and several major strikes across the state.[4]

In the early stages of the campaign, the Democratic Party viewed Nixon – despite losing strongly Catholic Nevada to Kennedy in 1960 – as much more dangerous in Nevada than Ronald Reagan or George Romney.[5] As a part of his national third party segregationist campaign, former Alabama Governor George Wallace became the first third-party candidate to obtain the necessary eight thousand signatures to get on the ballot in Nevada since his namesake for the "Progressive Party" in 1948.[6]

Vote

In the earliest polls Nevada's past Republican trend was confirmed, with it being given clearly to Nixon in the second week of September,[7] and confirmed by further polls[8] until the last few days before the election. During this period Humphrey made a brief visit to Nevada[9] and came back substantially nationwide, whilst a strong poll for Wallace made the state doubtful.[10]

Ultimately former Vice President Richard Nixon, with 47.46% of the popular vote,[11] won Nevada more substantially than predicted by the last polls, though by less than thought likely in September and early October. "Independent American" candidate George Wallace finished with 13.25% of the popular vote, close to his national average but his best performance outside the Confederacy and Border States. Wallace's success was largely due to his endorsement by state congressman Walter S. Baring Jr., a conservative "States' Rights Democrat" who consistently managed huge majorities in Nevada's rural 'Cow Counties' (the 14 counties apart from Clark, Washoe, and Carson City).[12]

Nixon had previously lost Nevada in 1960 but would later win it a second time in 1972.

Results

1968 United States presidential election in Nevada[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard Nixon	73,188	47.46%
	Democratic	Hubert Humphrey	60,598	39.29%
	American Independent	George Wallace	20,432	13.25%
Total votes			154,218	100%

Results by county

County	Richard Milhous Nixon Republican		Hubert Horatio Humphrey Democratic		George Corley Wallace Independent American		Margin		Total votes cast
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Churchill	1,954	52.25%	1,211	32.38%	575	15.37%	743	19.87%	3,740
Clark	31,522	41.99%	33,225	44.26%	10,318	13.75%	-1,703	-2.27%	75,065
Douglas	1,801	64.37%	670	23.95%	327	11.69%	1,131	40.42%	2,798
Elko	2,687	54.48%	1,686	34.18%	559	11.33%	1,001	20.30%	4,932
Esmeralda	138	39.09%	118	33.43%	97	27.48%	20	5.67%	353
Eureka	277	56.53%	149	30.41%	64	13.06%	128	26.12%	490
Humboldt	1,287	50.97%	885	35.05%	353	13.98%	402	15.92%	2,525
Lander	461	50.72%	301	33.11%	147	16.17%	160	17.60%	909
Lincoln	555	49.87%	414	37.20%	144	12.94%	141	12.67%	1,113
Lyon	1,616	53.88%	939	31.31%	444	14.80%	677	22.57%	2,999
Mineral	927	32.31%	1,242	43.29%	700	24.40%	-315	-10.98%	2,869
Nye	843	40.70%	728	35.15%	500	24.14%	115	5.55%	2,071
Ormsby	3,169	56.58%	1,770	31.60%	662	11.82%	1,399	24.98%	5,601
Pershing	567	46.74%	466	38.42%	180	14.84%	101	8.33%	1,213
Storey	222	50.00%	172	38.74%	50	11.26%	50	11.26%	444
Washoe	23,492	54.65%	14,560	33.87%	4,936	11.48%	8,932	20.78%	42,988
White Pine	1,670	40.65%	2,062	50.19%	376	9.15%	-392	-9.54%	4,108
Totals	73,188	47.46%	60,598	39.29%	20,432	13.25%	12,590	8.16%	154,218

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.

References

1. "United States Presidential election of 1968 – Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved May 25, 2017.
2. "1968 Election for the Forty-Sixth Term (1969-73)". Retrieved May 25, 2017.
3. Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 458, 463 ISBN 9780691163246
4. Bushnell; Eleanore; 'The 1966 Election in Nevada', The Western Political Quarterly, volume 20, no. 2, Part 2 (June 1967), pp. 581-585
5. Turner, Wallace; 'Democrats Chart Strategy in West: Delegates From Six States Discuss Campaign Plans'; The New York Times, January 15, 1968, p. 24
6. 'Wallace Wins Spot on Nevada Ballot'; The Washington Post, May 2, 1968, p. A2
7. Broder, David S.; 'Early Analysis Gives Nixon Commanding Lead in Race' The Washington Post, September 10, 1968, p. A15
8. 'Gallup Gives Nixon Big Lead in Midwest and West'; The New York Times (Special); October 25, 1968, p. 17
9. Bushnell, Eleanore and Driggs, Don W.; The Western Political Quarterly, volume 22, no. 3 (September 1969), pp. 504-509
10. 'A Final State-by-State Political Survey...: ...A Last Reading on the Campaign of 1968'; The Washington Post, November 3, 1968, p. B4
11. "The American Presidency Project – Election of 1968". Retrieved May 25, 2017.
12. "Presidential candidates thinking big think Elko". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
13. "1968 Presidential General Election Results – Nevada". Retrieved May 25, 2017.