1960 United States presidential election in Tennessee

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1960 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Flag of Tennessee.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 vote110
Popular vote556,577481,453
Percentage52.92%45.77%

Tennessee Presidential Election Results 1960.svg
TN-1960-pres-districts.svg

President before election

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican

Elected President

John F. Kennedy
Democratic

The 1960 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11 [2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Ever since the Civil War, Tennessee’s white citizenry had been divided according to political loyalties established in that war. Unionist regions covering almost all of East Tennessee, Kentucky Pennyroyal-allied Macon County, and the Western Highland Rim counties of Carroll, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin and Wayne [3] voted Republican — generally by landslide margins — as they saw the Democratic Party as the "war party" who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight. [4] Contrariwise, the rest of Middle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state's secession were equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans with Reconstruction. [5] The Democratic Party was certain of winning statewide elections if united, [6] although unlike the Deep South Republicans would almost always gain thirty to forty percent of the statewide vote from mountain and Highland Rim support even after most blacks were disenfranchised around 1890 by a poll tax [7] and intimidation.

Between 1896 and 1948, the Republicans would win statewide contests three times but only in the second amidst the national anti-Wilson tide of 1920 [8] did they receive down-ballot coattails (in that election, winning three congressional seats in addition to the rock-ribbed GOP 1st and 2nd districts). [9] After the beginning of the Great Depression, however, for the next third of a century the Republicans would rarely serioulsy contest statewide offices, despite ongoing dominance of East Tennessee and half a dozen Unionist counties in the middle and west of the state. [10] State GOP leader B. Carroll Reece is widely believed to have had agreements with Democratic leaders E. H. Crump and later Frank G. Clement and Buford Ellington that Republicans would not contest offices statewide or outside their traditional pro-Union areas. [11] Despite this, the capture of a substantial part of the West Tennessee Dixiecrat vote of 1948 allowed Dwight D. Eisenhower to narrowly carry the state for the GOP in both 1952 [12] and 1956.

For 1960, the nomination of Irish Catholic John F. Kennedy by the Democratic Party — who had made major gains in the 1958 midterm elections — led to severe questioning of how Tennessee’s heavily fundamentalist electorate would react to Kennedy’s Catholicism. [13]

Campaign

During the campaign, both Kennedy and Republican nominee incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon visited Tennessee in the second week of October. [14] Kennedy focused on Nixon’s supposed opposition to the Tennessee Valley Authority, whilst Nixon focused on how his platform was closer to that of the Founding Fathers and Andrew Jackson than Kennedy’s. Kennedy, for his part, noted that the Democratic Party was founded by Tennessean Jackson. [14]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Philadelphia Inquirer [15] TossupOctober 3, 1960
Knoxville News Sentinel [16] Lean ROctober 23, 1960
Daily News [17] Lean D (flip)October 28, 1960
The Daily Item [18] Tilt RNovember 4, 1960
Los Angeles Times [19] TossupNovember 6, 1960

Results

1960 United States presidential election in Tennessee
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Richard Nixon 556,577 52.92%
Democratic John F. Kennedy 481,45345.77%
National States' Rights Party Orval Faubus 11,3041.07%
Prohibition Rutherford Decker 2,4580.23%
Total votes1,051,792 100%

Results by county

County [20] Richard Nixon
Republican
John F. Kennedy
Democratic
Orval Faubus
National States’ Rights
Rutherford Decker
Prohibition
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %
Anderson 11,15352.56%9,87846.55%1520.72%380.18%1,2756.01%21,221
Bedford 2,63336.81%4,45762.32%620.87%00.00%-1,824-25.51%7,152
Benton 1,77345.20%2,03051.75%1203.06%00.00%-257-6.55%3,923
Bledsoe 1,43958.69%98140.01%240.98%80.33%45818.68%2,452
Blount 13,55268.20%6,21331.27%670.34%400.20%7,33936.93%19,872
Bradley 7,86569.69%3,30729.30%910.81%220.19%4,55840.39%11,285
Campbell 5,07961.21%3,13437.77%630.76%210.25%1,94523.44%8,297
Cannon 1,19548.05%1,27551.27%140.56%30.12%-80-3.22%2,487
Carroll 4,51759.36%2,96138.91%1171.54%140.18%1,55620.45%7,609
Carter 12,21477.31%3,41221.60%940.60%780.49%8,80255.71%15,798
Cheatham 68326.20%1,88372.23%341.30%70.27%-1,200-46.03%2,607
Chester 1,80759.05%1,19238.95%541.76%70.23%61520.10%3,060
Claiborne 3,88864.20%2,14235.37%180.30%80.13%1,74628.83%6,056
Clay 1,09852.14%97646.34%321.52%00.00%1225.80%2,106
Cocke 6,58181.30%1,44217.81%340.42%380.47%5,13963.49%8,095
Coffee 3,05839.79%4,55559.26%660.86%70.09%-1,497-19.47%7,686
Crockett 1,46748.69%1,43847.73%953.15%130.43%290.96%3,013
Cumberland 3,52360.70%2,18937.72%621.07%300.52%1,33422.98%5,804
Davidson 52,07746.25%59,64952.98%6660.59%2050.18%-7,572-6.73%112,597
Decatur 1,68454.76%1,32142.96%511.66%190.62%36311.80%3,075
DeKalb 1,44047.59%1,54751.12%290.96%100.33%-107-3.53%3,026
Dickson 1,92832.71%3,93066.68%330.56%30.05%-2,002-33.97%5,894
Dyer 4,09749.95%3,86847.15%2212.69%170.21%2292.80%8,203
Fayette 1,37048.95%89231.87%51718.47%200.71%47817.08%2,799
Fentress 2,72671.89%1,01426.74%370.98%150.40%1,71245.15%3,792
Franklin 2,04128.59%5,04170.61%450.63%120.17%-3,000-42.02%7,139
Gibson 5,17345.66%5,79651.16%3302.91%300.26%-623-5.50%11,329
Giles 1,59824.54%4,87974.91%240.37%120.18%-3,281-50.37%6,513
Grainger 3,01775.86%93923.61%120.30%90.23%2,07852.25%3,977
Greene 8,83566.55%4,40633.19%200.15%150.11%4,42933.36%13,276
Grundy 78626.55%2,14372.40%190.64%120.41%-1,357-45.85%2,960
Hamblen 7,09369.23%3,12230.47%300.29%00.00%3,97138.76%10,245
Hamilton 39,70355.70%30,48242.77%9591.35%1330.19%9,22112.93%71,277
Hancock 2,10782.56%43817.16%70.27%00.00%1,66965.40%2,552
Hardeman 1,60144.42%1,71147.48%2887.99%40.11%-110-3.06%3,604
Hardin 3,32365.18%1,69033.15%731.43%120.24%1,63332.03%5,098
Hawkins 7,01072.48%2,58626.74%650.67%110.11%4,42445.74%9,672
Haywood 1,18835.63%1,86756.00%2587.74%210.63%-679-20.37%3,334
Henderson 3,59770.14%1,49029.06%310.60%100.20%2,10741.08%5,128
Henry 3,03336.93%5,04961.48%1311.60%00.00%-2,016-24.55%8,213
Hickman 1,22433.20%2,40165.12%381.03%240.65%-1,177-31.92%3,687
Houston 36623.87%1,15075.02%130.85%40.26%-784-51.15%1,533
Humphreys 1,12629.90%2,59268.83%270.72%210.56%-1,466-38.93%3,766
Jackson 1,04939.80%1,53958.38%100.38%381.44%-490-18.58%2,636
Jefferson 6,14178.79%1,62020.79%280.36%50.06%4,52158.00%7,794
Johnson 3,85486.74%57112.85%130.29%50.11%3,28373.89%4,443
Knox 50,81161.00%31,99038.40%4130.50%860.10%18,82122.60%83,300
Lake 73234.03%1,34662.58%622.88%110.51%-614-28.55%2,151
Lauderdale 1,32227.36%3,46271.65%480.99%00.00%-2,140-44.29%4,832
Lawrence 5,70953.66%4,86245.70%470.44%210.20%8477.96%10,639
Lewis 58025.09%1,72374.52%40.17%50.22%-1,143-49.43%2,312
Lincoln 1,42822.53%4,86276.71%300.47%180.28%-3,434-54.18%6,338
Loudon 5,35665.47%2,72233.27%610.75%420.51%2,63432.20%8,181
Macon 2,82974.80%91524.19%381.00%00.00%1,91450.61%3,782
Madison 8,86350.09%8,08345.68%7174.05%300.17%7804.41%17,693
Marion 2,65745.30%3,12453.27%761.30%80.14%-467-7.97%5,865
Marshall 1,71731.87%3,62567.29%380.71%70.13%-1,908-35.42%5,387
Maury 4,13337.99%6,61560.81%1131.04%180.17%-2,482-22.82%10,879
McMinn 6,58661.17%4,11138.18%700.65%00.00%2,47522.99%10,767
McNairy 3,31059.15%2,17338.83%931.66%200.36%1,13720.32%5,596
Meigs 90156.14%69143.05%70.44%60.37%21013.09%1,605
Monroe 4,99159.05%3,37539.93%360.43%500.59%1,61619.12%8,452
Montgomery 2,55024.83%7,63574.34%610.59%240.23%-5,085-49.51%10,270
Moore 31326.37%86372.70%90.76%20.17%-550-46.33%1,187
Morgan 2,24158.13%1,57640.88%380.99%00.00%66517.25%3,855
Obion 3,80046.36%4,24451.78%1221.49%300.37%-444-5.42%8,196
Overton 1,83143.06%2,38956.19%230.54%90.21%-558-13.13%4,252
Perry 64537.13%1,07661.95%80.46%80.46%-431-24.82%1,737
Pickett 1,15467.05%56732.95%00.00%00.00%58734.10%1,721
Polk 2,18758.30%1,53240.84%230.61%90.24%65517.46%3,751
Putnam 4,24048.65%4,44350.98%320.37%00.00%-203-2.33%8,715
Rhea 2,72159.78%1,76138.69%521.14%180.40%96021.09%4,552
Roane 6,54056.25%4,95342.60%1080.93%250.22%1,58713.65%11,626
Robertson 1,77630.15%4,05368.80%460.78%160.27%-2,277-38.65%5,891
Rutherford 4,52640.95%6,41058.00%910.82%250.23%-1,884-17.05%11,052
Scott 3,30174.84%1,09824.89%30.07%90.20%2,20349.95%4,411
Sequatchie 70342.48%93056.19%181.09%40.24%-227-13.71%1,655
Sevier 7,81885.05%1,34114.59%270.29%60.07%6,47770.46%9,192
Shelby 87,19149.37%86,27048.85%2,9561.67%1900.11%9210.52%176,607
Smith 1,60139.43%2,41159.38%360.89%120.30%-810-19.95%4,060
Stewart 53922.59%1,81075.86%311.30%60.25%-1,271-53.27%2,386
Sullivan 22,35459.46%14,73139.18%1390.37%3740.99%7,62320.28%37,598
Sumner 3,49134.02%6,68765.17%580.57%250.24%-3,196-31.15%10,261
Tipton 1,82930.91%3,85365.12%2113.57%240.41%-2,024-34.21%5,917
Trousdale 30822.71%1,03676.40%90.66%30.22%-728-53.69%1,356
Unicoi 4,00475.04%1,32224.78%70.13%30.06%2,68250.26%5,336
Union 2,08275.63%65223.68%110.40%80.29%1,43051.95%2,753
Van Buren 40140.30%57757.99%70.70%101.01%-176-17.69%995
Warren 2,68245.92%3,11953.40%320.55%80.14%-437-7.48%5,841
Washington 14,85169.93%6,28329.59%630.30%390.18%8,56840.34%21,236
Wayne 2,91275.21%93124.04%170.44%120.31%1,98151.17%3,872
Weakley 3,54343.69%4,48855.35%780.96%00.00%-945-11.66%8,109
White 1,72543.15%2,20755.20%350.88%310.78%-482-12.05%3,998
Williamson 2,69937.34%4,47161.86%490.68%90.12%-1,772-24.52%7,228
Wilson 3,38340.77%4,85758.54%490.59%80.10%-1,474-17.77%8,297
Totals556,57752.92%481,45345.77%11,3041.07%2,4580.23%75,1247.15%1,051,792

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped Republican to Democratic

Analysis

Tennessee was, despite unclear predictions before the election, comfortably won by Nixon and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., with 52.92 percent of the popular vote. Kennedy and running mate Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson won 45.77 percent of the popular vote. [21] [22]

Nixon was the first losing Republican to win Tennessee, and the only one until John McCain in 2008. Kennedy was the first Democrat to win without the state since 1852. Nixon’s win was due to general gains due to the strong anti-Catholicism of this “Bible Belt” state. [23] Unlike Herbert Hoover’s 1928 victory against previous Catholic nominee Al Smith, Nixon also made strong gains amongst white voters of the Black Belt who had deserted the Democrats since Harry S. Truman’s first civil rights proclamations. [24]

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References

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  18. "Poll of Editors Predicts Victory for Nixon—Lodge: Republican Ticket Seen Winning in 28 States and Democrats in 19". The Daily Evening Item . November 4, 1960. p. 3.
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