1960 United States presidential election in Arizona

Last updated

1960 United States presidential election in Arizona
Flag of Arizona.svg
  1956 November 8, 1960 [1] 1964  
  Richard Nixon official portrait as Vice President (cropped).tiff Jfk2 (3x4).jpg
Nominee Richard Nixon John F. Kennedy
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California Massachusetts
Running mate Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Lyndon B. Johnson
Electoral vote40
Popular vote221,241176,781
Percentage55.52%44.36%

Arizona Presidential Election Results 1960.svg
County Results

President before election

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican

Elected President

John F. Kennedy
Democratic

The 1960 United States presidential election in Arizona took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. State voters chose four [2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Arizona was won by incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon (RCalifornia), running with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., with 55.5% of the popular vote, against Senator John F. Kennedy (DMassachusetts), running with Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, with 44.4% of the popular vote. [3] [4]

This was the first time since achieving statehood in 1912 that Arizona backed the losing candidate in a presidential election, a sign that the state was trending Republican. It would vote Republican in every election thereafter except 1996 and 2020. Kennedy became the first ever Democrat to win the White House without carrying Arizona since it became a state, as well as the first to do so without carrying Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, or Yavapai Counties, and the first since Woodrow Wilson in 1916 to do so without carrying Pima County. As well as this, Arizona is the only state in the union that backed the Republican candidate in the 1960, 1964, and 1968 elections.

Primaries

Democratic state convention

While Arizona did not hold a formal primary to select delegates to represent the state at the Democratic National Convention, it did hold a state convention in April where delegates were selected. [5]

Since Arizona traditionally operated under the "unit role" at conventions (under which the entire delegation voted for one candidate as a unified bloc), a candidate who could secure a simple majority of their delegation's support would be able to receive the votes of all 17 delegates. [5]

By early 1959, Kennedy's campaign saw strong potential in the state, and recognized a need to organize their efforts there. [5] Arizona was added to the list of states which they began to prioritize as targets for Kennedy to compete in during the primaries. [5] As the primary season unfolded, Kennedy increasingly recognized the state convention as an opportunity to secure delegates in advance of the convention. [5] This arose as an opportunity for Kennedy due to Lyndon B. Johnson's steadfast refusal to launch an active candidacy during the primaries. [5] Rather than seeking support as a declared candidate, Johnson was relying on a covert, ultimately ineffective, effort to deliver him the support of Arizona's delegation. [5] Johnson was counting on 81 year old senator Carl Hayden and former senator Ernest McFarland to deliver him the state's delegation. [5] Both would ultimately prove to have long since expended their political capital in the state. [5]

Kennedy operative Ted Sorensen found, early on, that the state party chairman, Tucson mayor Don Hummel, was willing to help the Kennedy campaign. [5] Kennedy's campaign's primary base for their Arizona operations was in Pima County, where Hummel lent his grassroots prowess to them. [5]

The primary actor in shoring up Kennedy's support in the state, however, was congressman Stewart Udall. [5] Both Udall and his prover, former county prosecutor Mo Udall, proved themselves to be committed supporters of Kennedy's campaign. [5] A few days prior to the state convention, Sam Rayburn (a Johnson ally) summoned Stewart Udall to the Speaker's Platform in the House Chamber of the United States Capitol. [5] He inquired as to whether Udall was going to be an active figure in the state convention, which Udall confirmed that he would be. [5] Rayburn responded sternly, "Well, I have a candidate for the nomination, my colleague from Texas. I don't want you to hurt him." [5] Udall attempted to placate Rayburn by saying, "Mr. Speaker, I am not trying to hurt anybody. I committed myself several months ago to John Kennedy, and I am going to do everything I can to help him. I am not trying to hurt your man. As a matter of fact, if Kennedy can't get the support, your man is obviously the man who will. If I can't put Kennedy over, I'm not going against him." [5]

After a string of hostile caucuses to select delegates, the state convention ultimately produced a delegation that favored Kennedy (with two-thirds of the delegates being Kennedy supporters). [5]

Results

1960 United States presidential election in Arizona [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Richard Nixon 221,241 55.52%
Democratic John F. Kennedy 176,78144.36%
Socialist Labor Eric Hass 4690.12%
Majority44,46011.16%
Total votes398,491 100.00%

Results by county

County [6] Richard Nixon
Republican
John F. Kennedy
Democratic
Eric Hass
Socialist Labor
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%
Apache 1,56851.75%1,45948.15%30.10%1093.60%3,030
Cochise 7,57250.46%7,41949.44%160.10%1531.02%15,007
Coconino 4,87054.45%4,06545.45%90.10%8059.00%8,944
Gila 3,80641.99%5,25157.93%80.08%-1,445-15.94%9,065
Graham 2,49154.35%2,09145.63%10.02%4008.72%4,583
Greenlee 1,31329.94%3,06969.97%40.09%-1,756-40.03%4,386
Maricopa 127,09059.37%86,83440.57%1350.06%40,25618.80%214,059
Mohave 1,64155.59%1,30344.14%80.27%33811.45%2,952
Navajo 4,09057.19%3,05242.68%90.13%1,03814.51%7,151
Pima 46,73452.43%42,17147.31%2390.26%4,5635.12%89,144
Pinal 6,44147.07%7,23252.85%110.08%-791-5.78%13,684
Santa Cruz 1,26540.35%1,86859.59%20.06%-603-19.24%3,135
Yavapai 6,81361.12%4,32538.80%90.08%2,48822.32%11,147
Yuma 5,54745.45%6,64254.42%150.13%-1,095-8.97%12,204
Totals221,24155.52%176,78144.36%4690.12%44,46011.16%398,491

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Electors

Electors were chosen by their party's voters in primary elections held on September 13, 1960. [7]

John F. Kennedy
& Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic Party
Richard Nixon
& Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
Republican Party
Eric Hass
& Georgia Cozzini
Socialist Labor Party
  • Elizabeth Ann Parkman
  • Barnett E. Marks
  • Margaret A. Rockwell
  • E. I. Whiting
  • George Horvath
  • Wrignol E. Quillen
  • William M. Reynolds
  • Pauline Reynolds

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1932 United States presidential election</span>

The 1932 United States presidential election was the 37th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 1932. The election took place against the backdrop of the Great Depression. The incumbent Republican President Herbert Hoover was defeated in a landslide by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, the governor of New York and the vice presidential nominee of the 1920 presidential election. Roosevelt was the first Democrat in 80 years to simultaneously win an outright majority of the electoral college and popular vote, a feat last accomplished by Franklin Pierce in 1852, as well as the first Democrat in 56 years to win a majority of the popular vote, which was last achieved by Samuel J. Tilden in 1876. Roosevelt was the last sitting governor to be elected president until Bill Clinton in 1992. Hoover became the first incumbent president to lose an election to another term since William Howard Taft in 1912, the last to do so until Gerald Ford lost 44 years later, and the last elected incumbent president to do so until Jimmy Carter lost 48 years later. The election marked the effective end of the Fourth Party System, which had been dominated by Republicans. It was the first time since 1916 that a Democrat was elected president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 United States presidential election</span>

The 1960 United States presidential election was the 44th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 1960. The Democratic ticket of Senator John F. Kennedy and his running mate, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, narrowly defeated the Republican ticket of incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon and his running mate, U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. This was the first election in which 50 states participated, marking the first participation of Alaska and Hawaii, and the last in which the District of Columbia did not. This made it the only presidential election in which the threshold for victory was 269 electoral votes. It was also the first election in which an incumbent president—in this case, Dwight D. Eisenhower—was ineligible to run for a third term because of the term limits established by the 22nd Amendment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 United States presidential election</span>

The 1964 United States presidential election was the 45th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1964. Incumbent Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Republican Senator Barry Goldwater in a landslide victory. Johnson was the fourth and most recent vice president to succeed the presidency following the death of his predecessor and win a full term in his own right. Johnson won the largest share of the popular vote for the Democratic Party in history at 61.1%. As of 2024, this remains the highest popular vote percentage of any candidate since the advent of widespread popular elections in 1824.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 United States presidential election</span>

The 1968 United States presidential election was the 46th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1968. The Republican nominee, former vice president Richard Nixon, defeated both the Democratic nominee, incumbent vice president Hubert Humphrey, and the American Independent Party nominee, former Alabama governor George Wallace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1964 United States Senate elections were held on November 3. The 33 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the election of President Lyndon B. Johnson by an overwhelming majority, to a full term. His Democratic Party picked up a net two seats from the Republicans. As of 2023, this was the last time either party has had a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which allowed the Senate Democrats to override a veto, propose constitutional amendments, or convict and expel certain officials without any votes from Senate Republicans. However, internal divisions would have prevented the Democrats from having done so. The Senate election cycle coincided with Democratic gains in the House in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Democratic National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in Los Angeles, California

The 1960 Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles, California, on July 11–15, 1960. It nominated Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts for president and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas for vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 Democratic National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in Chicago, Illinois

The 1956 Democratic National Convention nominated former Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois for president and Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee for vice president. It was held in the International Amphitheatre on the South Side of Chicago from August 13 to August 17, 1956. Unsuccessful candidates for the presidential nomination included Governor W. Averell Harriman of New York, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, and Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From January 24 to June 20, 1972, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1972 United States presidential election. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections, caucuses, and state party conventions, culminating in the 1972 Democratic National Convention held from July 10 to July 13, 1972, in Miami, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From January 27 to June 8, 1976, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1976 United States presidential election. Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1976 Democratic National Convention held from July 12 to July 15, 1976, in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From March 8 to June 7, 1960, voters and members of the Democratic Party elected delegates to the 1960 Democratic National Convention through a series of caucuses, conventions, and primaries, partly for the purpose of nominating a candidate for President of the United States in the 1960 election. The presidential primaries were inconclusive, as several of the leading contenders did not enter them, but U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts emerged as the strongest candidate and won the nomination over Lyndon B. Johnson at the convention, held from July 11 to 15 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of Democratic US presidential candidate

From March to July 1968, Democratic Party voters elected delegates to the 1968 Democratic National Convention for the purpose of selecting the party's nominee for president in the upcoming election. Delegates, and the nominee they were to support at the convention, were selected through a series of primary elections, caucuses, and state party conventions. This was the last time that state primary elections formed a minority of the selection process, as the McGovern–Fraser Commission, which issued its recommendations in time for the 1972 Democratic Party presidential primaries, would dramatically reform the nomination process to expand the use of popular primaries rather than caucuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Republican Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of Republican US presidential candidate

From March 10 to June 2, 1964, voters of the Republican Party elected 1,308 delegates to the 1964 Republican National Convention through a series of delegate selection primaries and caucuses, for the purpose of determining the party's nominee for president in the 1964 United States presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 United States presidential election in Arizona</span>

The 1964 United States presidential election in Arizona took place on November 3, 1964, as part of the 1964 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose five representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 United States presidential election in California</span>

The 1960 United States presidential election in California took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. State voters chose 32 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 United States presidential election in New Jersey</span> New Jersey presidential election

The 1960 United States presidential election in New Jersey took place on November 8, 1960. All 50 states were part of the 1960 United States presidential election. Voters chose 16 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John F. Kennedy 1960 presidential campaign</span> American political campaign

The 1960 presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy, then junior United States senator from Massachusetts, was formally launched on January 2, 1960, as Senator Kennedy announced his intention to seek the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 1960 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 United States presidential election in Indiana</span>

The 1960 United States presidential election in Indiana took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. State voters chose 13 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 United States presidential election in Iowa</span>

The 1960 United States presidential election in Iowa took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. Voters chose ten representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Arizona Democratic presidential primary</span>

The 2020 Arizona Democratic presidential primary took place on March 17, 2020, the third primary Tuesday of the month, as one of three contests on the same day in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election, while the contest in Ohio had been postponed for roughly a month. The closed primary allocated 80 delegates towards the 2020 Democratic National Convention, of which 67 were pledged delegates allocated according to the results of the primary.

References

  1. "United States Presidential election of 1960 – Encyclopædia Britannica" . Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  2. "1960 Election for the Forty-Fourth Term (1961–65)" . Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  3. "1960 Presidential General Election Results – Arizona" . Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  4. "The American Presidency Project – Election of 1960" . Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Oliphant, Thomas; Wilkie, Curtis (2017). The road to Camelot: Inside JFK's Five-Year Campaign. Simon & Schuster.
  6. 1 2 "Official Canvass General Election - November 8, 1960". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  7. "Official Canvass Primary Election - September 13, 1960". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved July 30, 2024.