1968 United States presidential election in Florida

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1968 United States presidential election in Florida
Flag of Florida (1900-1985).svg
  1964 November 5, 1968 1972  
TurnoutIncrease2.svg79%
  Nixon 30-0316a (cropped).jpg Hubert Humphrey in New York, 1968 (3x4 crop).jpg George Wallace (D-AL) (3x4).jpg
Nominee Richard Nixon Hubert Humphrey George Wallace
Party Republican Democratic George Wallace Party
Alliance American Independent
Home state New York [a] Minnesota Alabama
Running mate Spiro Agnew Edmund Muskie Curtis LeMay
Electoral vote1400
Popular vote886,804676,794624,207
Percentage40.53%30.93%28.53%

Florida Presidential Election Results 1968.svg
1968 US presidential election in Florida by congressional district.svg

President before election

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

The 1968 United States presidential election in Florida was held on November 5, 1968. Florida voters chose fourteen electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Nixon obtained his support in Central Florida, Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey got his support from Southern Florida, and third-party candidate George Wallace got his support from the Florida Panhandle, or Northern Florida. This was one of the better states for George Wallace, due to the Northern part of the state being against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which Lyndon Johnson had signed into law. This led to Democratic party gains in support from black voters. The party simultaneously lost the great majority of white voters. One exception to this abandonment by white voters came in the Jewish sections of Miami. [1]

Among white voters, 45% supported Nixon, 32% supported Wallace, and 23% supported Humphrey. [2] [3] [4] The Republican Party held their convention in Miami Beach that year. [5]

Primary elections

Democratic Primary results by county
Smathers
30-40%
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
McCarthy
40-50%
No Preference
30-40%
40-50% 1968 Florida Democratic Presidential Primary by county.svg
Democratic Primary results by county
  Smathers
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  McCarthy
  •   40–50%
  No Preference
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%

Democratic primary

Florida held its Democratic presidential primary on May 28, 1968. George Smathers won the Florida Democratic primary. [6] Scott Kelly lead the unpledged delegation. [7]

Candidate [6] Number of votes% [7]
George Smathers 236,24246.11%
Eugene McCarthy 147,21628.73%
(no preference)128,89925.16%
Total512,357100%

Republican primary

Florida held its Republican primary on May 28, 1968. The only option on the ballot was "no preference". [8]

Candidate [8] Number of votes%
No preference51,509100%
Total51,509100%

Results

Electoral results
Presidential candidatePartyHome statePopular voteElectoral
vote
Running mate
CountPercentageVice-presidential candidateHome stateElectoral vote
Richard Nixon Republican New York 886,80440.53%14 Spiro Agnew Maryland 14
Hubert Humphrey Democratic Minnesota 676,79430.93%0 Edmund Muskie Maine 0
George Wallace American Independent Alabama 624,20728.53%0 Curtis LeMay California 0
Total2,187,805100%1414
Needed to win270270

Results by county

County [9] Richard Nixon
Republican
Hubert Humphrey
Democratic
George Wallace
American Independent
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%
Alachua 9,67034.02%10,06035.39%8,69630.59%-390-1.37%28,426
Baker 29410.72%48717.75%1,96271.53%-1,475 [b] -53.78%2,743
Bay 5,12121.07%4,02016.54%15,16162.39%-10,040 [c] -41.32%24,302
Bradford 71815.18%1,17324.79%2,84060.03%-1,667 [b] -35.24%4,731
Brevard 37,12448.02%18,28123.65%21,90928.34%15,215 [c] 19.68%77,314
Broward 106,12254.50%56,61329.07%31,99216.43%49,50925.43%194,727
Calhoun 35611.38%39812.72%2,37575.90%-1,977 [b] -63.18%3,129
Charlotte 6,05650.58%3,64730.46%2,27018.96%2,40920.12%11,973
Citrus 2,76738.71%1,77524.83%2,60636.46%161 [c] 2.25%7,148
Clay 3,25135.14%1,95421.12%4,04643.74%-795 [c] -8.60%9,251
Collier 5,36250.85%2,23021.15%2,95228.00%2,410 [c] 22.85%10,544
Columbia 1,55321.13%1,75023.81%4,04655.06%-2,296 [b] -31.25%7,349
Dade 135,22237.02%176,68948.37%53,39114.62%-41,467-11.35%365,302
DeSoto 1,10326.94%93722.89%2,05450.17%-951 [c] -23.23%4,094
Dixie 21710.39%32515.57%1,54674.04%-1,221 [b] -58.47%2,088
Duval 51,58530.89%54,83432.84%60,55936.27%-5,725 [b] -3.43%166,978
Escambia 15,08922.07%16,28123.81%37,00054.12%-20,719 [b] -30.31%68,370
Flagler 36020.25%60133.80%81745.95%-216 [b] -12.15%1,778
Franklin 52916.86%69922.28%1,90960.85%-1,210 [b] -38.57%3,137
Gadsden 1,33714.76%3,27436.15%4,44649.09%-1,172 [b] -12.94%9,057
Gilchrist 18312.12%20813.77%1,11974.11%-911 [b] -60.34%1,510
Glades 26123.92%23021.08%60055.00%-339 [c] -31.08%1,091
Gulf 3649.58%71118.71%2,72571.71%-2,014 [b] -53.00%3,800
Hamilton 33712.34%82030.03%1,57457.63%-754 [b] -27.60%2,731
Hardee 1,27828.34%70315.59%2,52956.08%-1,251 [c] -27.74%4,510
Hendry 90027.04%79123.76%1,63849.20%-738 [c] -22.16%3,329
Hernando 2,05334.42%1,52425.55%2,38740.02%-334 [c] -5.60%5,964
Highlands 4,56042.95%2,58224.32%3,47532.73%1,085 [c] 10.22%10,617
Hillsborough 49,44134.77%45,84832.24%46,91332.99%2,528 [c] 1.78%142,202
Holmes 3777.00%3125.79%4,70087.21%-4,323 [c] -80.21%5,389
Indian River 6,51851.25%3,17924.99%3,02223.76%3,33926.26%12,719
Jackson 1,23610.02%2,47220.05%8,62269.93%-6,150 [b] -49.88%12,330
Jefferson 45914.84%1,06634.48%1,56750.68%-501 [b] -16.20%3,092
Lafayette 1379.28%21514.56%1,12576.17%-910 [b] -61.61%1,477
Lake 11,76347.42%4,59918.54%8,44234.03%3,321 [c] 13.39%24,804
Lee 14,37646.23%7,97825.66%8,74128.11%5,635 [c] 18.12%31,095
Leon 9,28828.49%10,44032.02%12,87839.50%-2,438 [b] -7.48%32,606
Levy 74518.81%76719.36%2,44961.83%-1,682 [b] -42.47%3,961
Liberty 1548.96%24214.09%1,32276.95%-1,080 [b] -62.86%1,718
Madison 65413.81%1,37829.10%2,70357.09%-1,325 [b] -27.99%4,735
Manatee 18,24752.51%8,28623.85%8,21423.64%9,96128.66%34,747
Marion 7,46832.66%5,79825.36%9,60041.98%-2,132 [c] -9.32%22,866
Martin 5,17950.63%2,58025.22%2,47124.15%2,59925.41%10,230
Monroe 5,09434.19%5,53437.14%4,27128.67%-440-2.95%14,899
Nassau 1,30119.91%1,59824.46%3,63455.63%-2,036 [b] -31.17%6,533
Okaloosa 5,52526.54%3,05914.69%12,23758.77%-6,712 [c] -32.23%20,821
Okeechobee 86228.66%54218.02%1,60453.32%-742 [c] -24.66%3,008
Orange 50,87450.54%22,54822.40%27,24727.07%23,627 [c] 23.47%100,669
Osceola 4,17243.90%1,87019.68%3,46236.43%710 [c] 7.47%9,504
Palm Beach 62,19153.19%32,83728.08%21,89418.73%29,35425.11%116,922
Pasco 9,74342.36%6,29227.36%6,96630.29%2,777 [c] 12.07%23,001
Pinellas 109,23551.71%68,20932.29%33,81416.01%41,02619.42%211,258
Polk 27,83936.98%15,89821.12%31,54041.90%-3,701 [c] -4.92%75,277
Putnam 2,95526.80%2,92026.49%5,15046.71%-2,195 [c] -19.91%11,025
St. Johns 3,88034.31%2,74824.30%4,68241.40%-802 [c] -7.09%11,310
St. Lucie 7,28143.02%5,23230.92%4,41026.06%2,04912.10%16,923
Santa Rosa 2,56720.19%1,60012.58%8,54967.23%-5,982 [c] -47.04%12,716
Sarasota 30,16063.73%10,12721.40%7,04114.88%20,03342.33%47,328
Seminole 10,82144.69%6,12025.27%7,27530.04%3,546 [c] 14.65%24,216
Sumter 91017.96%1,27725.21%2,87956.83%-1,602 [b] -31.62%5,066
Suwannee 84514.13%1,18219.76%3,95566.12%-2,773 [b] -46.36%5,982
Taylor 79415.71%94118.62%3,31865.66%-2,377 [b] -47.04%5,053
Union 17910.78%29017.46%1,19271.76%-902 [b] -54.30%1,661
Volusia 28,02439.91%24,98735.58%17,20924.51%3,0374.33%70,220
Wakulla 24710.49%44018.68%1,66870.83%-1,228 [b] -52.15%2,355
Walton 96313.45%1,06414.86%5,13571.70%-4,071 [b] -56.84%7,162
Washington 52810.71%72214.64%3,68274.66%-2,960 [b] -60.02%4,932
Totals886,80440.53%676,79430.93%624,20728.53%210,0109.60%2,187,805

Counties that flipped from Democratic to American Independent

Counties that flipped from Republican to American Independent

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Results by congressional district

Nixon won 8 congressional districts (including five held by Democrats), while Wallace won 3 (all held by Democrats), and Humphrey won a single district. [10]

District [11] NixonHumphreyWallace
1st19.9%18.9%61.2%
2nd23.5%27.6%48.9%
3rd28.2%34.6%37.2%
4th39.7%27.7%32.6%
5th49.5%23.1%27.5%
6th34.7%31.3%34%
7th47.9%23.1%29%
8th50.8%31.8%17.4%
9th53.0%26.2%20.8%
10th45.9%36.7%17.4%
11th28.5%58.4%13.1%
12th44.8%38.6%16.6%

Analysis

Between the imposition of a poll tax in 1889 and the migration of numerous northerners seeking a hotter climate in the 1940s, [12] Florida had been a one-party Democratic state, lacking any traditional white Republicanism due to the absence of mountains or German "Forty-Eighter" settlements. So late as the landmark court case of Smith v. Allwright (1944), half of Florida's registered Republicans were still black, [13] although very few blacks in Florida had ever voted within the previous fifty-five years. New migrants from traditionally Republican northern states took up residence in Central Florida and brought with them their Republican voting habits at the presidential level. [14]

In 1964 there was a complete reversal of the 1950s voting pattern of a largely Republican south and central Florida and continuing Democratic loyalty in the North, with almost zero correlation between 1960 and 1964 county returns. [15] Following his landslide sweep of the northern states, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society at first appeared to be helping him in Florida; [16] however, the relationship soured quickly as the Democratic Party factionalized. In 1966, via a campaign portraying his opponent as a dangerous liberal, Claude R. Kirk defeated Miami mayor Robert King Hugh to become (alongside Winthrop Rockefeller) the first GOP governor of any Confederate state since Alfred A. Taylor in 1922. [17]

As of the 2020 presidential election , this is the last election in which Escambia County, Clay County, Okaloosa County, and Santa Rosa County did not support the Republican candidate. [18]

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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 In this county where Nixon ran third behind Wallace, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Humphrey percentage minus Wallace percentage.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 In this county where Humphrey ran third behind Wallace, margin given is Nixon vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Nixon percentage minus Wallace percentage.

References

  1. Phillips, Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 281-282 ISBN   1400852293
  2. Black & Black 1992, p. 147.
  3. Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  4. Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  5. Mailer, Norman (2012). Miami and the Siege of Chicago. New York Review Books. ISBN   9781590175538.
  6. 1 2 Adams, Tom (1968). Tabulation of official vote. Florida primary elections : Democratic and Republican (1968). Florida Secretary of State. pp. 25–29 via Internet Archive.
  7. 1 2 "FL US President - D Primary". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Adams, Tom (1968). Tabulation of official vote. Florida primary elections : Democratic and Republican (1968). Florida Secretary of State. p. 31 via Internet Archive.
  9. Adams, Tom (1968). TABULATION OF OFFICIAL VOTES CAST IN THE GENERAL ELECTION: November 5, 1968 (Report). Florida Secretary of State via Internet Archive.
  10. "1968 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District". Western Washington University. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  11. "1968 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District". Western Washington University. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  12. Silbey, Joel H. and Bogue, Allan G.; The History of American Electoral Behavior, p. 210 ISBN   140087114X
  13. See Price, Hugh Douglas; "The Negro and Florida Politics, 1944-1954", in The Journal of Politics , Vol. 17, No. 2 (May, 1955), pp. 198-220
  14. Seagull, Louis M.; Southern Republicanism, p. 73 ISBN   0470768762
  15. Lamis, Alexander P.; The Two-Party South, p. 180 ISBN   0195065794
  16. Grantham, Dewey W.; The Life and Death of the Solid South: A Political History, pp. 172-173 ISBN   0813148723
  17. Grantham; The Life and Death of the Solid South, p. 165
  18. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

Works cited