1968 United States presidential election in Oregon

1968 United States presidential election in Oregon
Nixon 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%	Humphrey 40–50% 50–60%
President before election; Lyndon B. Johnson ; Democratic	Elected President; Richard Nixon ; Republican

Last updated August 29, 2025

The 1968 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose six^[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Oregon was won by former Vice President Richard Nixon (R–New York), with 49.83% of the popular vote, against Vice President Hubert Humphrey (D–Minnesota), with 43.78% of the popular vote. Independent candidate George Wallace finished with 6.06% of Oregon's popular vote, with Oregon showing Wallace’s worst performance in the continental Western states.^[3]^[4] As of 2020, this is the fifth and final time Oregon and neighboring Washington did not vote for the same presidential candidate.

Wallace did best in Eastern Oregon, along with Douglas and Josephine counties, primarily settled by people from the Ohio Valley/Border States. Wallace had little appeal in the primarily Yankee and German-settled Willamette Valley.^[5]

Nixon's victory was the first of five consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Oregon would not vote for a Democratic candidate again until Michael Dukakis in 1988. Since then it has become a safe Democratic state.

Results

1968 United States presidential election in Oregon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard Nixon	408,433	49.83%
	Democratic	Hubert Humphrey	358,866	43.78%
	Independent	George Wallace	49,683	6.06%
	Write-in		2,640	0.32%
Total votes			819,622	100%

Results by county

County	Richard Nixon Republican		Hubert Humphrey Democratic		George Wallace Independent		Various candidates Write-ins		Margin		Total votes cast
County	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	Total votes cast
Baker	3,311	52.93%	2,464	39.39%	480	7.67%			847	13.54%	6,255
Benton	11,654	61.29%	6,538	34.38%	749	3.94%	75	0.39%	5,116	26.91%	19,016
Clackamas	32,363	50.60%	27,939	43.68%	3,659	5.72%			4,424	6.92%	63,961
Clatsop	5,810	45.61%	6,243	49.01%	651	5.11%	34	0.27%	-433	-3.40%	12,738
Columbia	4,208	38.09%	6,064	54.89%	728	6.59%	47	0.43%	-1,856	-16.80%	11,047
Coos	8,230	39.40%	10,884	52.10%	1,767	8.46%	9	0.04%	-2,654	-12.70%	20,890
Crook	1,727	47.88%	1,611	44.66%	256	7.10%	13	0.36%	116	3.22%	3,607
Curry	2,323	49.12%	1,934	40.90%	436	9.22%	36	0.76%	389	8.22%	4,729
Deschutes	5,599	49.86%	4,859	43.27%	738	6.57%	34	0.30%	740	6.59%	11,230
Douglas	13,410	51.40%	9,186	35.21%	3,433	13.16%	63	0.24%	4,224	16.19%	26,092
Gilliam	619	55.27%	436	38.93%	65	5.80%			183	16.34%	1,120
Grant	1,632	58.00%	934	33.19%	239	8.49%	9	0.32%	698	24.81%	2,814
Harney	1,617	56.58%	1,036	36.25%	197	6.89%	8	0.28%	581	20.33%	2,858
Hood River	2,597	48.84%	2,385	44.86%	323	6.07%	12	0.23%	212	3.98%	5,317
Jackson	19,577	56.19%	12,714	36.49%	2,446	7.02%	105	0.30%	6,863	19.70%	34,842
Jefferson	1,669	55.26%	1,160	38.41%	180	5.96%	11	0.36%	509	16.85%	3,020
Josephine	8,456	57.64%	4,351	29.66%	1,800	12.27%	64	0.44%	4,105	27.98%	14,671
Klamath	9,604	56.44%	5,629	33.08%	1,735	10.20%	49	0.29%	3,975	23.36%	17,017
Lake	1,538	61.40%	730	29.14%	229	9.14%	8	0.32%	808	32.26%	2,505
Lane	39,563	49.12%	34,521	42.86%	5,830	7.24%	635	0.79%	5,042	6.26%	80,549
Lincoln	5,031	47.02%	5,009	46.82%	659	6.16%			22	0.20%	10,699
Linn	12,604	51.90%	10,032	41.31%	1,648	6.79%			2,572	10.59%	24,284
Malheur	5,447	65.16%	2,021	24.17%	892	10.67%			3,426	40.99%	8,360
Marion	30,417	54.80%	22,327	40.23%	2,756	4.97%	2	0.00%	8,090	14.57%	55,502
Morrow	1,068	54.30%	797	40.52%	102	5.19%			271	13.78%	1,967
Multnomah	106,831	43.87%	124,651	51.19%	11,054	4.54%	982	0.40%	-17,820	-7.32%	243,518
Polk	6,997	55.66%	4,961	39.46%	581	4.62%	32	0.25%	2,036	16.20%	12,571
Sherman	646	59.32%	384	35.26%	59	5.42%			262	24.06%	1,089
Tillamook	3,261	44.73%	3,609	49.50%	394	5.40%	27	0.37%	-348	-4.77%	7,291
Umatilla	8,975	54.80%	6,402	39.09%	956	5.84%	46	0.28%	2,573	15.71%	16,379
Union	3,796	49.00%	3,409	44.00%	521	6.73%	21	0.27%	387	5.00%	7,747
Wallowa	1,527	55.69%	1,006	36.69%	194	7.08%	15	0.55%	521	19.00%	2,742
Wasco	3,842	46.26%	3,918	47.17%	514	6.19%	32	0.39%	-76	-0.91%	8,306
Washington	34,105	56.99%	22,943	38.34%	2,566	4.29%	228	0.38%	11,162	18.65%	59,842
Wheeler	443	58.14%	292	38.32%	27	3.54%			151	19.82%	762
Yamhill	7,936	55.55%	5,487	38.41%	819	5.73%	43	0.30%	2,449	17.14%	14,285
Totals	408,433	49.83%	358,866	43.78%	49,683	6.06%	2,640	0.32%	49,567	6.05%	819,622

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

↑ 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.

References

↑ "United States Presidential election of 1968 – Encyclopædia Britannica" . Retrieved May 26, 2017.
↑ "1968 Election for the Forty-Sixth Term (1969-73)" . Retrieved May 26, 2017.
↑ "1968 Presidential General Election Results – Oregon". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
↑ "The American Presidency Project – Election of 1968" . Retrieved May 26, 2017.
↑ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 511 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6

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[2] 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.

[1] "United States Presidential election of 1968 – Encyclopædia Britannica" . Retrieved May 26, 2017.

[3] "1968 Election for the Forty-Sixth Term (1969-73)" . Retrieved May 26, 2017.

[4] "1968 Presidential General Election Results – Oregon". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved May 26, 2017.

[5] "The American Presidency Project – Election of 1968" . Retrieved May 26, 2017.

[6] Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 511 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6

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