1960 United States presidential election in North Carolina

Main article: 1960 United States presidential election

1960 United States presidential election in North Carolina

←  1956 November 8, 1960 [1] 1964  →
All 14 North Carolina votes to the Electoral College
Nominee John F. Kennedy Richard Nixon Party Democratic Republican Home state Massachusetts California Running mate Lyndon B. Johnson Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Electoral vote 14 0 Popular vote 713,136 655,420 Percentage 52.11% 47.89%
County results Congressional district results Kennedy   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90% Nixon   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90%
President before election Dwight D. Eisenhower Republican Elected President John F. Kennedy Democratic

The 1960 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. North Carolina voters chose 14 ^[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

As a former Confederate state, North Carolina had a history of Jim Crow laws, disfranchisement of its African-American population and dominance of the Democratic Party in state politics. However, unlike the Deep South, the Republican Party always had sufficient historic Unionist white support from the mountains and northwestern Piedmont to gain minimally one-quarter and usually one-third of the statewide vote in general elections, ^[3] where turnout was higher than elsewhere in the former Confederacy due substantially to the state's early abolition of the poll tax in 1920. ^[4] Like Virginia, Tennessee and Oklahoma, the relative strength of Republican opposition meant that North Carolina never had statewide white primaries, although certain counties did use a white primary until it was banned by Smith v. Allwright . ^[5]

Following the banning of white primaries by the Supreme Court, North Carolina in 1948 offered less support to the Dixiecrat bolt than any other former Confederate state, due to the economic liberalism of its Black Belt and solid Democratic party discipline due to consistent Republican opposition. ^[6] Although there was little satisfaction with Harry S. Truman during his second term, ^[7] the loyalty of the white voters of the state’s Black Belt and the previously anti-Al Smith Outer Banks meant that unlike Texas, Florida and Virginia, urban middle-class Republican voting was inadequate to carry North Carolina for Dwight D. Eisenhower in either 1952 ^[8] or 1956. Aiding this failure was that the growing urban black electorate, which had increased from under ten percent of voting-age blacks in 1940 to about a quarter in 1956, ^[9] was much more favourable to Adlai Stevenson II than in other former Confederate states. ^{[lower-alpha 1]} In the 1958 midterm elections, Republicans in the state legislature were reduced to their lowest ever representation of five seats, although Charles R. Jonas did hold the Tenth District.

North Carolina would largely escape the overt “Massive Resistance” seen in neighbouring Virginia, ^[11] and four of its congressmen did not sign the Southern Manifesto. ^[12] Nonetheless, although the Greensboro school board voted 6–1 to desegregate within a day of Brown, ^[13] no serious desegregation would occur until well into the 1960s, while two non-signers would be challenged and defeated in 1956 primaries. ^{[lower-alpha 2]} With the likely nomination of Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy to counter Eisenhower’s Catholic appeal in the Northeast, ^[14] speculation emerged that the anti-Catholicism that turned North Carolina Republican in 1928 would again become a powerful force, ^[15] and many Baptist pastors in the state did raise the religious issue. ^[16]

During 1960, the state would be affected by the Greensboro sit-ins. Dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party on civil rights, as well as support for him amongst certain anti-Catholic groups, meant that incumbent vice-president and Republican nominee Richard Nixon gained an enthusiastic reception when touring the state early in his fall campaign. ^[17] Polls in mid-October however favoured Kennedy, ^[18] and they continued to do so in the fourth week of the month. ^[19]

Results

1960 United States presidential election in North Carolina

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John F. Kennedy	713,136	52.11%
	Republican	Richard Nixon	655,420	47.89%
Total votes			1,368,556	100%

Results by county

1960 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county ^[20]

County	John F. Kennedy Democratic		Richard Nixon Republican		Margin
	%	#	%	#	%	#
Martin	88.77%	5,826	11.23%	737	77.54%	5,089
Northampton	87.52%	4,756	12.48%	678	75.05%	4,078
Greene	87.27%	3,092	12.73%	451	74.54%	2,641
Bertie	86.45%	3,682	13.55%	577	72.90%	3,105
Franklin	82.10%	5,081	17.90%	1,108	64.19%	3,973
Warren	80.69%	2,997	19.31%	717	61.39%	2,280
Gates	80.09%	1,549	19.91%	385	60.19%	1,164
Hertford	79.90%	3,105	20.10%	781	59.80%	2,324
Halifax	79.11%	8,872	20.89%	2,343	58.22%	6,529
Pitt	78.37%	12,526	21.63%	3,458	56.73%	9,068
Chowan	78.27%	1,920	21.73%	533	56.54%	1,387
Currituck	78.06%	1,651	21.94%	464	56.12%	1,187
Hoke	77.94%	2,106	22.06%	596	55.88%	1,510
Edgecombe	77.93%	8,046	22.07%	2,279	55.85%	5,767
Jones	76.65%	1,920	23.35%	585	53.29%	1,335
Robeson	76.45%	11,623	23.55%	3,580	52.90%	8,043
Camden	75.00%	1,014	25.00%	338	50.00%	676
Columbus	74.10%	10,455	25.90%	3,655	48.19%	6,800
Scotland	74.01%	3,643	25.99%	1,279	48.03%	2,364
Vance	73.89%	5,694	26.11%	2,012	47.78%	3,682
Granville	73.34%	4,945	26.66%	1,798	46.67%	3,147
Tyrrell	72.63%	926	27.37%	349	45.25%	577
Nash	72.14%	10,086	27.86%	3,896	44.27%	6,190
Anson	72.07%	4,120	27.93%	1,597	44.13%	2,523
Wilson	72.03%	8,021	27.97%	3,114	44.07%	4,907
Richmond	71.63%	8,293	28.37%	3,285	43.25%	5,008
Pasquotank	71.26%	4,530	28.74%	1,827	42.52%	2,703
Duplin	71.11%	7,269	28.89%	2,953	42.22%	4,316
Hyde	70.45%	1,147	29.55%	481	40.91%	666
Washington	70.16%	2,415	29.84%	1,027	40.33%	1,388
Bladen	70.13%	4,353	29.87%	1,854	40.26%	2,499
Perquimans	69.62%	1,460	30.38%	637	39.25%	823
Beaufort	69.15%	6,039	30.85%	2,694	38.30%	3,345
Person	69.09%	4,305	30.91%	1,926	38.18%	2,379
Caswell	69.01%	2,832	30.99%	1,272	38.01%	1,560
Lenoir	68.96%	8,126	31.04%	3,658	37.92%	4,468
Pender	68.29%	2,744	31.71%	1,274	36.59%	1,470
Onslow	66.43%	5,564	33.57%	2,812	32.86%	2,752
Craven	66.05%	7,158	33.95%	3,680	32.09%	3,478
Union	64.72%	7,393	35.28%	4,030	29.44%	3,363
Lee	64.58%	4,673	35.42%	2,563	29.16%	2,110
Pamlico	61.53%	1,697	38.47%	1,061	23.06%	636
Harnett	59.82%	7,892	40.18%	5,301	19.64%	2,591
Johnston	59.82%	9,914	40.18%	6,660	19.63%	3,254
Brunswick	59.63%	4,305	40.37%	2,915	19.25%	1,390
Cumberland	58.97%	11,601	41.03%	8,072	17.94%	3,529
Wayne	58.93%	7,856	41.07%	5,474	17.87%	2,382
Wake	58.56%	26,050	41.44%	18,436	17.12%	7,614
Orange	57.85%	7,180	42.15%	5,231	15.70%	1,949
New Hanover	57.42%	13,182	42.58%	9,775	14.84%	3,407
Durham	57.40%	19,298	42.60%	14,322	14.80%	4,976
Cleveland	56.08%	10,545	43.92%	8,257	12.17%	2,288
Rockingham	54.24%	11,207	45.76%	9,456	8.47%	1,751
Dare	54.10%	1,247	45.90%	1,058	8.20%	189
Carteret	53.95%	5,264	46.05%	4,493	7.90%	771
Chatham	52.09%	4,683	47.91%	4,308	4.17%	375
Alleghany	51.74%	2,121	48.26%	1,978	3.49%	143
Sampson	50.98%	7,632	49.02%	7,338	1.96%	294
Madison	50.69%	4,546	49.31%	4,422	1.38%	124
Swain	50.69%	2,171	49.31%	2,112	1.38%	59
Yancey	50.20%	3,310	49.80%	3,284	0.39%	26
Lincoln	49.68%	6,728	50.32%	6,816	-0.65%	-88
Jackson	49.26%	3,900	50.74%	4,017	-1.48%	-117
Polk	49.16%	2,762	50.84%	2,856	-1.67%	-94
Moore	48.83%	5,548	51.17%	5,815	-2.35%	-267
Rutherford	48.75%	8,554	51.25%	8,993	-2.50%	-439
Alexander	48.65%	3,956	51.35%	4,175	-2.69%	-219
Gaston	48.61%	20,104	51.39%	21,250	-2.77%	-1,146
Haywood	48.38%	8,044	51.62%	8,583	-3.24%	-539
Ashe	48.14%	4,477	51.86%	4,823	-3.72%	-346
Stokes	47.94%	4,487	52.06%	4,872	-4.11%	-385
Alamance	47.86%	13,599	52.14%	14,818	-4.29%	-1,219
Montgomery	47.47%	3,297	52.53%	3,649	-5.07%	-352
Buncombe	45.39%	23,303	54.61%	28,040	-9.23%	-4,737
Macon	45.34%	3,098	54.66%	3,735	-9.32%	-637
Mecklenburg	44.93%	39,362	55.07%	48,250	-10.14%	-8,888
Surry	44.92%	8,185	55.08%	10,035	-10.15%	-1,850
Transylvania	44.53%	3,388	55.47%	4,221	-10.95%	-833
McDowell	44.30%	4,889	55.70%	6,148	-11.41%	-1,259
Graham	43.68%	1,335	56.32%	1,721	-12.63%	-386
Burke	43.66%	10,015	56.34%	12,925	-12.69%	-2,910
Clay	43.27%	1,264	56.73%	1,657	-13.45%	-393
Caldwell	43.02%	8,722	56.98%	11,553	-13.96%	-2,831
Stanly	42.71%	8,259	57.29%	11,080	-14.59%	-2,821
Cherokee	42.68%	3,197	57.32%	4,294	-14.64%	-1,097
Iredell	42.61%	8,973	57.39%	12,085	-14.78%	-3,112
Guilford	42.43%	30,486	57.57%	41,357	-15.13%	-10,871
Rowan	42.16%	12,919	57.84%	17,726	-15.69%	-4,807
Forsyth	41.87%	24,035	58.13%	33,374	-16.27%	-9,339
Catawba	41.35%	13,491	58.65%	19,135	-17.30%	-5,644
Davidson	41.10%	13,118	58.90%	18,797	-17.79%	-5,679
Watauga	40.66%	3,440	59.34%	5,020	-18.68%	-1,580
Randolph	38.30%	9,789	61.70%	15,772	-23.41%	-5,983
Wilkes	38.02%	7,986	61.98%	13,016	-23.95%	-5,030
Cabarrus	35.64%	8,680	64.36%	15,678	-28.73%	-6,998
Davie	34.04%	2,471	65.96%	4,788	-31.92%	-2,317
Henderson	29.85%	4,611	70.15%	10,835	-40.30%	-6,224
Yadkin	27.70%	2,785	72.30%	7,268	-44.59%	-4,483
Avery	20.05%	1,047	79.95%	4,176	-59.91%	-3,129
Mitchell	19.55%	1,174	80.45%	4,831	-60.90%	-3,657

Analysis

North Carolina was won by Kennedy (D–Massachusetts), running with Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, with 52.11 percent of the popular vote against Nixon’s 47.89 percent. ^{[21] [22]}

Despite suspected hostility the state towards Kennedy’s Catholicism, only in the traditionally Democratic parts of Appalachia and the previously extremely solid eastern part of the state did Kennedy decline upon Adlai Stevenson II’s 1956 performance, ^[20] whilst Kennedy even gained in the Outer Banks where 1928 anti-Catholicism had been strongest. At the same time, the collapse of a long-standing political machine during the 1950s meant that Madison County, previously one of the strongest Republican bastions in the state, voted Democratic for the first time since 1876, ^[23] whilst nearby Haywood County and Jackson County were the only counties to flip from Stevenson to Nixon.

Kennedy was helped crucially by the increasing black voter registration that was totalling almost a third of the voting-age black population at the time of the election: it is estimated he received about seven-eighths of black voters in the urban precincts where they were concentrated, ^[10] producing a substantial part of his sixty thousand vote statewide majority.

Notes

1. It is estimated that in 1956 Eisenhower gained under forty percent of black voters in major North Carolina cities, whereas he gained over seventy percent in Atlanta and Richmond and over half in Memphis. ^[10]
2. These were Charles B. Deane and Richard Thurmond Chatham. ^[12]

References

1. "United States Presidential election of 1960 — Encyclopædia Britannica" . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
2. "1960 Election for the Forty-Fourth Term (1961-65)" . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
3. Phillips, Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority. pp. 210, 242. ISBN   978-0-691-16324-6.
4. Key, Valdimer Orlando (1949). Southern Politics in State and Nation. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 502.
5. Klarman, Michael J. (2001). "The White Primary Rulings: A Case Study in the Consequences of Supreme Court Decision-Making". Florida State University Law Review. 29: 55–107.
6. Guthrie, Paul Daniel (August 1955). The Dixiecrat Movement of 1948 (Thesis). Bowling Green State University. p. 183. Docket 144207.
7. Grayson, A.G. (December 1975). "North Carolina and Harry Truman, 1944-1948". Journal of American Studies. 9 (3): 283–300.
8. Strong, Donald S. (August 1955). "The Presidential Election in the South, 1952". The Journal of Politics. 17 (3): 343–389.
9. Christensen, Rob (2008). The paradox of Tar Heel politics: the personalities, elections, and events that shaped modern North Carolina. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 264–265. ISBN   9780807831892.
10. Phillips. The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 299
11. Christensen. The paradox of Tar Heel politics, pp. 155-156
12. Badger, Tony (1999). "Southerners Who Refused To Sign the Southern Manifesto". The Historical Journal. 42 (2). Cambridge University Press: 528–532.
13. Telgen, Diane (2005). Brown v. Board of Education. Detroit, Michigan: Omnigraphics. p. 78. ISBN   9780780807754.
14. Phillips. The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 169-174
15. Phillips. The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 221
16. Menendez, Albert J. (2011). The religious factor in the 1960 Presidential election: an analysis of the Kennedy victory over anti-Catholic prejudice. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 32. ISBN   9780786460373.
17. White, Theodore Harold (1961). The making of the President, 1960. New York City: Atheneum Publishers. pp. 250, 268, 271.
18. Alsop, Joseph (October 16, 1960). "Dixie Democrats Feel Better and Thank You". The Nashville Tennessean . p. 5-B.
19. Poindexter, Jesse (October 22, 1960). "Senator Jackson Says Kennedy Has Won". Winston-Salem Journal . Winston-Salem, North Carolina. pp. 1, 3.
20. "NC US President Race, November 08, 1960". Our Campaigns.
21. "1960 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina" . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
22. "The American Presidency Project — Election of 1960" . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
23. Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 88. ISBN   0786422173.