1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina

The 1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 5, 1968, and was part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina

November 5, 1968

Nominee Richard M. Nixon George Wallace Hubert Humphrey Party Republican American Independent Democratic Home state New York[lower-alpha 1] Alabama Minnesota Running mate Spiro T. Agnew Curtis LeMay Edmund Muskie Electoral vote 12 1 0 Popular vote 627,192 496,188 464,113 Percentage 39.5% 31.3% 29.2%

County Results Nixon   30-40%   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80% Wallace   30-40%   40-50%   50-60% Humphrey   30-40%   40-50%   50-60%

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

Whereas in the Deep South, Black Belt whites had deserted the national Democratic Party in 1948, in North Carolina, where they had historically been an economically liberalising influence on the state Democratic Party,[1] the white landowners of the Black Belt had stayed exceedingly loyal to the party until after the Voting Rights Act. This allowed North Carolina to be alongside Arkansas the only state to vote for Democrats in all four presidential elections between 1952 and 1964. Nonetheless, in 1964 Republican Barry Goldwater won a small majority of white voters,[2] although he was beaten by virtually universal support for incumbent President Lyndon Johnson by a black vote estimated at 175,000. However, with the VRA's passage, a reaction set in amongst these, and indeed amongst almost all Southern poor whites outside the unionised coalfields of Appalachia.[3] Former Alabama Governor George Wallace, running in North Carolina under the moniker of the “American Party”, appealed very strongly to most white voters in the eastern half of the state who had become extremely critical of black protesters, student radicals, and rising crime rates.[4]

In early polls it was thought that Wallace would carry the state,[5] but a major swing against him and toward Republican nominee Richard Nixon during October and November saw Nixon win the state, with 39.5% of the vote, whilst Wallace's 31.3% still pushed Democratic nominee and incumbent Vice-President Hubert Humphrey into third on 29.2%. The Alabama segregationist carried almost all of the Piedmont and Outer Banks, and some Black Belt areas where black voter registration was still limited – the very areas that had allowed John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson II to carry North Carolina when other Outer South states went Republican. In these previously loyal regions whites felt President Johnson had moved much too far on civil rights issues, and consequent support for highly segregationist candidates in Democratic primary elections[6] led them naturally to Wallace.[7] Humphrey had very limited support outside of black voters, who were estimated to comprise well over half his total vote in the state,[8] with his share of the white vote totalling less than 20 percent and coming mainly from some traditionally Democratic mountain counties and the university communities of Orange and Durham counties.

Nixon won twelve of the state's electoral votes, while one faithless elector that had been pledged to Nixon voted instead for Wallace. Nixon became the first Republican to carry North Carolina in a presidential election since Herbert Hoover in 1928. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Wayne County and Lenoir County did not vote for the Republican presidential candidate.[9]

Results

1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon	627,192	39.51%	12
	American	George Wallace	496,188	31.26%	1
	Democratic	Hubert Humphrey	464,113	29.24%	0
Totals			1,587,493	100.0%	13
Voter turnout					—

Results by county

County	Richard Milhous Nixon[11] Republican		Hubert Horatio Humphrey, jr.[11] Democratic		George Corley Wallace[11] American		Margin[lower-alpha 2]
	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#
Mitchell	72.65%	3,778	15.75%	819	11.60%	603	56.90%	2,959[lower-alpha 3]
Avery	70.76%	3,197	13.97%	631	15.27%	690	55.49%	2,507
Wilkes	60.29%	11,195	24.22%	4,497	15.49%	2,876	36.07%	6,698[lower-alpha 3]
Watauga	55.88%	5,081	32.46%	2,952	11.66%	1,060	23.41%	2,129[lower-alpha 3]
Ashe	53.15%	4,894	37.21%	3,426	9.64%	888	15.94%	1,468[lower-alpha 3]
Clay	54.94%	1,390	33.48%	847	11.58%	293	21.46%	543[lower-alpha 3]
Graham	52.44%	1,570	35.44%	1,061	12.12%	363	17.00%	509[lower-alpha 3]
Cherokee	53.18%	3,768	33.90%	2,402	12.91%	915	19.28%	1,366[lower-alpha 3]
Yadkin	60.51%	5,885	14.84%	1,443	24.65%	2,397	35.87%	3,488
Jackson	48.14%	3,747	37.98%	2,956	13.88%	1,080	10.16%	791[lower-alpha 3]
Catawba	56.33%	18,393	21.36%	6,974	22.31%	7,285	34.02%	11,108
Mecklenburg	52.40%	56,325	28.93%	31,102	18.67%	20,070	23.46%	25,223[lower-alpha 3]
Henderson	57.45%	9,334	18.79%	3,053	23.76%	3,861	33.68%	5,473
Madison	49.18%	3,130	34.58%	2,201	16.25%	1,034	14.60%	929[lower-alpha 3]
Macon	50.48%	3,295	31.71%	2,070	17.80%	1,162	18.77%	1,225[lower-alpha 3]
Yancey	45.21%	2,448	40.90%	2,215	13.89%	752	4.30%	233[lower-alpha 3]
Surry	51.19%	9,638	27.02%	5,088	21.79%	4,103	24.16%	4,550[lower-alpha 3]
Swain	45.86%	1,494	37.66%	1,227	16.48%	537	8.20%	267[lower-alpha 3]
Cabarrus	52.35%	13,226	21.77%	5,501	25.88%	6,538	26.47%	6,688
Caldwell	51.46%	10,433	23.41%	4,746	25.13%	5,095	26.33%	5,338
Alexander	52.03%	4,379	21.79%	1,834	26.18%	2,203	25.86%	2,176
Stanly	51.43%	9,428	22.90%	4,199	25.67%	4,706	25.76%	4,722
Randolph	52.35%	13,450	20.83%	5,351	26.82%	6,892	25.52%	6,558
Forsyth	46.79%	31,623	30.01%	20,281	23.20%	15,681	16.78%	11,342[lower-alpha 3]
Burke	48.84%	11,068	25.17%	5,704	26.00%	5,892	22.84%	5,176
Guilford	46.23%	38,996	30.35%	25,604	23.42%	19,751	15.88%	13,392[lower-alpha 3]
Lincoln	46.20%	6,188	30.19%	4,044	23.60%	3,161	16.01%	2,144[lower-alpha 3]
Alleghany	45.80%	1,695	29.78%	1,102	24.43%	904	16.02%	593[lower-alpha 3]
Rutherford	46.11%	7,785	27.38%	4,622	26.51%	4,476	18.73%	3,163[lower-alpha 3]
Transylvania	46.85%	4,033	25.67%	2,210	27.47%	2,365	19.38%	1,668
Buncombe	44.23%	21,031	30.76%	14,624	25.01%	11,889	13.48%	6,407[lower-alpha 3]
Polk	45.89%	2,550	27.41%	1,523	26.71%	1,484	18.48%	1,027[lower-alpha 3]
Rowan	46.79%	15,207	24.84%	8,074	28.37%	9,220	18.42%	5,987
Wake	43.08%	28,928	31.24%	20,979	25.69%	17,250	11.84%	7,949[lower-alpha 3]
Davie	49.04%	3,866	19.05%	1,502	31.90%	2,515	17.14%	1,351
Moore	43.74%	5,322	29.45%	3,583	26.82%	3,263	14.29%	1,739[lower-alpha 3]
McDowell	46.01%	4,740	24.69%	2,543	29.30%	3,018	16.72%	1,722
Haywood	39.26%	6,205	36.08%	5,703	24.66%	3,898	3.18%	502[lower-alpha 3]
Davidson	46.57%	16,678	21.20%	7,594	32.23%	11,544	14.33%	5,134
Carteret	40.23%	4,593	32.95%	3,762	26.81%	3,061	7.28%	831[lower-alpha 3]
Sampson	41.44%	6,597	30.13%	4,797	28.43%	4,527	11.31%	1,800[lower-alpha 3]
Stokes	45.25%	4,781	22.47%	2,374	32.28%	3,410	12.98%	1,371
Orange	33.30%	6,097	45.70%	8,366	21.00%	3,845	-12.39%	-2,269[lower-alpha 3]
Gaston	43.77%	18,741	23.59%	10,100	32.64%	13,973	11.14%	4,768
Montgomery	39.67%	3,070	31.14%	2,410	29.19%	2,259	8.53%	660[lower-alpha 3]
Dare	40.13%	1,035	27.14%	700	32.73%	844	7.41%	191
Iredell	43.17%	10,557	19.95%	4,878	36.89%	9,021	6.28%	1,536
Chatham	36.22%	3,845	33.27%	3,532	30.51%	3,239	2.95%	313[lower-alpha 3]
Union	38.67%	5,290	26.53%	3,630	34.80%	4,761	3.87%	529
New Hanover	37.03%	10,020	28.64%	7,750	34.33%	9,291	2.69%	729
Cumberland	31.95%	9,143	34.72%	9,938	33.33%	9,539	1.39%	399[lower-alpha 4]
Durham	29.68%	12,705	38.69%	16,563	31.63%	13,542	7.06%	3,021[lower-alpha 4]
Alamance	36.54%	12,310	24.46%	8,241	39.00%	13,139	-2.46%	-829
Scotland	28.69%	1,717	37.63%	2,252	33.68%	2,016	3.94%	236[lower-alpha 4]
Rockingham	33.46%	8,095	28.00%	6,774	38.54%	9,324	-5.08%	-1,229
Harnett	32.97%	5,184	25.49%	4,007	41.54%	6,531	-8.57%	-1,347
Tyrrell	22.61%	291	45.14%	581	32.25%	415	12.90%	166[lower-alpha 4]
Robeson	23.55%	4,526	42.92%	8,248	33.52%	6,441	9.40%	1,807[lower-alpha 4]
Cleveland	32.28%	7,298	25.04%	5,661	42.68%	9,649	-10.40%	-2,351
Brunswick	27.52%	2,404	34.03%	2,972	38.45%	3,358	-4.42%	-386[lower-alpha 4]
Johnston	33.05%	6,764	21.95%	4,492	45.01%	9,212	-11.96%	-2,448
Lee	29.32%	2,586	28.61%	2,524	42.07%	3,711	-12.75%	-1,125
Pitt	25.41%	5,745	34.04%	7,696	40.55%	9,167	-6.51%	-1,471[lower-alpha 4]
Wayne	28.79%	5,678	27.06%	5,338	44.15%	8,709	-15.37%	-3,031
Hoke	17.88%	812	48.11%	2,185	34.02%	1,545	14.09%	640[lower-alpha 4]
Hertford	17.04%	1,125	49.60%	3,275	33.36%	2,203	16.24%	1,072[lower-alpha 4]
Onslow	28.08%	3,444	26.75%	3,281	45.18%	5,542	-17.10%	-2,098
Washington	21.26%	1,016	39.71%	1,898	39.04%	1,866	0.67%	32[lower-alpha 4]
Edgecombe	22.36%	3,198	36.66%	5,243	40.98%	5,861	-4.32%	-618[lower-alpha 4]
Columbus	26.19%	3,881	28.64%	4,243	45.17%	6,693	-16.54%	-2,450[lower-alpha 4]
Pamlico	21.46%	745	36.87%	1,280	41.68%	1,447	-4.81%	-167[lower-alpha 4]
Richmond	22.78%	2,865	33.84%	4,257	43.38%	5,457	-9.54%	-1,200[lower-alpha 4]
Hyde	20.02%	401	38.39%	769	41.59%	833	-3.20%	-64[lower-alpha 4]
Person	24.17%	2,138	29.89%	2,644	45.95%	4,065	-16.06%	-1,421[lower-alpha 4]
Wilson	25.13%	4,053	25.87%	4,173	49.00%	7,903	-23.13%	-3,730[lower-alpha 4]
Nash	24.08%	4,602	27.64%	5,283	48.29%	9,230	-20.65%	-3,947[lower-alpha 4]
Chowan	21.60%	798	32.50%	1,201	45.90%	1,696	-13.40%	-495[lower-alpha 4]
Craven	21.77%	2,991	30.86%	4,240	47.37%	6,509	-16.51%	-2,269[lower-alpha 4]
Bladen	20.79%	1,746	32.80%	2,754	46.41%	3,897	-13.61%	-1,143[lower-alpha 4]
Beaufort	23.03%	2,669	27.89%	3,232	49.07%	5,686	-21.18%	-2,454[lower-alpha 4]
Halifax	20.72%	3,148	32.43%	4,927	46.84%	7,116	-14.41%	-2,189[lower-alpha 4]
Granville	21.50%	1,837	30.87%	2,638	47.64%	4,071	-16.77%	-1,433[lower-alpha 4]
Anson	18.39%	1,474	37.05%	2,969	44.56%	3,571	-7.51%	-602[lower-alpha 4]
Vance	19.84%	2,252	33.94%	3,852	46.21%	5,244	-12.27%	-1,392[lower-alpha 4]
Lenoir	24.43%	3,844	24.49%	3,853	51.08%	8,036	-26.59%	-4,183[lower-alpha 4]
Northampton	10.86%	860	51.43%	4,072	37.71%	2,986	13.72%	1,086[lower-alpha 4]
Duplin	22.22%	2,724	28.16%	3,451	49.62%	6,082	-21.47%	-2,631[lower-alpha 4]
Warren	14.79%	796	42.60%	2,293	42.62%	2,294	-0.02%	-1[lower-alpha 4]
Pasquotank	18.84%	1,430	33.78%	2,564	47.39%	3,597	-13.61%	-1,033[lower-alpha 4]
Gates	14.58%	406	41.34%	1,151	44.07%	1,227	-2.73%	-76[lower-alpha 4]
Caswell	17.20%	1,036	35.47%	2,137	47.33%	2,851	-11.85%	-714[lower-alpha 4]
Pender	17.76%	1,007	34.26%	1,942	47.98%	2,720	-13.72%	-778[lower-alpha 4]
Martin	14.97%	1,221	38.22%	3,118	46.81%	3,818	-8.58%	-700[lower-alpha 4]
Bertie	11.38%	811	45.00%	3,207	43.61%	3,108	1.39%	99[lower-alpha 4]
Perquimans	15.37%	468	33.60%	1,023	51.03%	1,554	-17.44%	-531[lower-alpha 4]
Jones	10.72%	361	36.39%	1,225	52.88%	1,780	-16.49%	-555[lower-alpha 4]
Franklin	14.10%	1,375	29.27%	2,855	56.64%	5,525	-27.37%	-2,670[lower-alpha 4]
Currituck	14.11%	363	28.69%	738	57.19%	1,471	-28.50%	-733[lower-alpha 4]
Greene	12.71%	650	30.49%	1,560	56.80%	2,906	-26.31%	-1,346[lower-alpha 4]
Camden	9.06%	180	35.58%	707	55.36%	1,100	-19.78%	-393[lower-alpha 4]

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. Because Wallace ran second behind Nixon in North Carolina as a whole, all margins given are Nixon vote minus Wallace vote and Nixon percentage minus Wallace percentage unless noted otherwise for the county in question.
3. In this county where Wallace did run third behind both Nixon and Humphrey, margin given is Nixon vote minus Humphrey vote and percentage margin Nixon percentage minus Humphrey percentage.
4. In this county where Nixon ran third behind both Wallace and Humphrey, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Wallace vote and perentage magin Humphrey percentage minus Wallace percentage.

References

1. Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 219, 303 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
2. See Etsy, Amos; ‘North Carolina Republicans and the Conservative Revolution, 1964-1968’; The North Carolina Historical Review, volume 82, number 1 (January 2005), pp. 1-32
3. Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 226
4. Eamon, Tom; The Making of a Southern Democracy: North Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat McCrory, p. 123 ISBN 9781469606972
5. Lehnen, Robert G.; ‘Stability of Presidential Choice in 1968: The Case of Two Southern States’; Social Science Quarterly, volume 51, no. 1 (June 1970), pp. 138-147
6. Black, Earl; ‘The Militant Segregationist Vote in the Post-Brown South: A Comparative Analysis’; Social Science Quarterly, volume 54, no. 1 (June 1973), pp. 66-84
7. Schönberger, Robert A. and Segal, David R.; ‘The Ecology of Dissent: The Southern Wallace Vote in 1968’; Midwest Journal of Political Science, volume 15, no. 3 (August 1971), pp. 583-586
8. Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 280
9. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
10. Leip, Dave (2005). "1968 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina". US Election Atlas. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
11. Our Campaigns; NC US President Race, November 03, 1968