1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee

Last updated October 19, 2023

The 1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Tennessee voted more or less equally for the candidates, resulting in Republican candidate Richard Nixon of New York and his running mate Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland receiving a plurality of the votes as opposed to a majority. Tennessee had the smallest percentage of the Nixon vote that delivered him the state.

Nixon carried Tennessee with 37.85% of the vote to American Independence Party candidate George Wallace’s 34.02% and Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey's 28.13%, a victory margin of 3.87%. Nixon's victory was due to his large margins in traditionally Republican East Tennessee, while Wallace and Humphrey split Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee.^[1]^[2]As of the 2020 presidential election ^[update], this is the last election in which Hamilton County did not support the Republican presidential candidate.^[3]

43% of white voters supported Nixon, 39% supported Wallace, and 19% supported Humphrey.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Results

1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee^[1]^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon	472,592	37.85%	11
	American	George Wallace	424,792	34.02%	0
	Democratic	Hubert Humphrey	351,233	28.13%	0
	Write-ins	Write-ins	10	0.00%	0
Totals			1,248,617	100.00%	11
Voter turnout					-

Results by county

1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee by county
County	Richard Milhous Nixon Republican		Hubert Horatio Humphrey Democratic		George Corley Wallace American		Margin^{[lower-alpha 2]}		Total votes cast
County	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	Total votes cast
Anderson	10,233	47.04%	7,198	33.09%	4,323	19.87%	3,035^{[lower-alpha 3]}	13.95%	21,754
Bedford	1,870	22.30%	2,416	28.81%	4,099	48.88%	-1,683^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-20.07%	8,385
Benton	1,468	30.70%	1,059	22.15%	2,255	47.16%	-787	-16.46%	4,782
Bledsoe	1,477	46.65%	957	30.23%	732	23.12%	520^{[lower-alpha 3]}	16.42%	3,166
Blount	12,753	57.10%	5,176	23.17%	4,407	19.73%	7,577^{[lower-alpha 3]}	33.92%	22,336
Bradley	6,924	50.01%	2,762	19.95%	4,159	30.04%	2,765	19.97%	13,845
Campbell	4,024	52.54%	2,268	29.61%	1,367	17.85%	1,756^{[lower-alpha 3]}	22.93%	7,659
Cannon	780	25.55%	809	26.50%	1,464	47.95%	-655^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-21.45%	3,053
Carroll	3,757	41.80%	1,932	21.50%	3,298	36.70%	459	5.11%	8,987
Carter	9,467	64.68%	2,160	14.76%	3,009	20.56%	6,458	44.12%	14,636
Cheatham	669	16.96%	778	19.73%	2,497	63.31%	-1,719^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-43.59%	3,944
Chester	1,408	32.79%	849	19.77%	2,037	47.44%	-629	-14.65%	4,294
Claiborne	3,101	59.75%	1,314	25.32%	775	14.93%	1,787^{[lower-alpha 3]}	34.43%	5,190
Clay	814	42.13%	667	34.52%	451	23.34%	147^{[lower-alpha 3]}	7.61%	1,932
Cocke	5,645	72.80%	950	12.25%	1,159	14.95%	4,486	57.85%	7,754
Coffee	3,337	29.87%	3,040	27.21%	4,794	42.91%	-1,457	-13.04%	11,171
Crockett	932	20.71%	703	15.62%	2,865	63.67%	-1,933	-42.96%	4,500
Cumberland	3,115	51.81%	1,428	23.75%	1,469	24.43%	1,646	27.38%	6,012
Davidson	44,175	32.34%	44,543	32.61%	47,889	35.06%	-3,346^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-2.45%	136,607
Decatur	1,409	36.79%	877	22.90%	1,544	40.31%	-135	-3.52%	3,830
DeKalb	1,532	39.33%	847	21.75%	1,516	38.92%	16	0.41%	3,895
Dickson	1,291	18.99%	2,034	29.91%	3,475	51.10%	-1,441^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-21.19%	6,800
Dyer	2,826	26.41%	2,033	19.00%	5,842	54.59%	-3,016	-28.18%	10,701
Fayette	740	13.34%	2,236	40.32%	2,570	46.34%	-334^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-6.02%	5,546
Fentress	2,026	57.80%	671	19.14%	808	23.05%	1,218	34.75%	3,505
Franklin	1,700	18.62%	2,489	27.27%	4,939	54.11%	-2,450^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-26.84%	9,128
Gibson	4,093	26.77%	3,962	25.92%	7,233	47.31%	-3,140	-20.54%	15,288
Giles	1,264	17.01%	2,203	29.64%	3,966	53.36%	-1,763^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-23.72%	7,433
Grainger	2,788	67.26%	761	18.36%	596	14.38%	2,027^{[lower-alpha 3]}	48.90%	4,145
Greene	7,957	58.26%	2,947	21.58%	2,753	20.16%	5,010^{[lower-alpha 3]}	36.68%	13,657
Grundy	618	17.33%	1,307	36.64%	1,642	46.03%	-335^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-9.39%	3,567
Hamblen	6,382	57.86%	2,390	21.67%	2,259	20.48%	3,992^{[lower-alpha 3]}	36.19%	11,031
Hamilton	29,302	34.54%	23,441	27.64%	32,080	37.82%	-2,778	-3.28%	84,823
Hancock	1,489	72.88%	318	15.57%	236	11.55%	1,171^{[lower-alpha 3]}	57.32%	2,043
Hardeman	1,171	20.18%	1,709	29.45%	2,924	50.38%	-1,215^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-20.93%	5,804
Hardin	2,910	45.55%	1,153	18.05%	2,325	36.40%	585	9.16%	6,388
Hawkins	6,217	60.78%	2,213	21.64%	1,798	17.58%	4,004^{[lower-alpha 3]}	39.15%	10,228
Haywood	1,152	20.51%	1,709	30.42%	2,757	49.07%	-1,048^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-18.65%	5,618
Henderson	3,591	51.99%	1,230	17.81%	2,086	30.20%	1,505	21.79%	6,907
Henry	2,068	23.89%	3,149	36.38%	3,439	39.73%	-290^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-3.35%	8,656
Hickman	760	17.33%	1,152	26.27%	2,473	56.40%	-1,321^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-30.13%	4,385
Houston	232	12.82%	636	35.16%	941	52.02%	-305^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-16.86%	1,809
Humphreys	866	19.90%	1,391	31.96%	2,095	48.14%	-704^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-16.18%	4,352
Jackson	673	24.90%	1,122	41.51%	908	33.59%	214^{[lower-alpha 4]}	7.92%	2,703
Jefferson	5,494	67.11%	1,494	18.25%	1,199	14.65%	4,000^{[lower-alpha 3]}	48.86%	8,187
Johnson	3,107	79.02%	450	11.44%	375	9.54%	2,657^{[lower-alpha 3]}	67.57%	3,932
Knox	47,202	52.44%	24,528	27.25%	18,277	20.31%	22,674^{[lower-alpha 3]}	25.19%	90,007
Lake	409	16.99%	737	30.61%	1,262	52.41%	-525^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-21.80%	2,408
Lauderdale	1,080	15.99%	2,108	31.21%	3,566	52.80%	-1,458^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-21.59%	6,754
Lawrence	4,343	41.26%	2,191	20.81%	3,993	37.93%	350	3.32%	10,527
Lewis	455	17.91%	1,088	42.83%	997	39.25%	91^{[lower-alpha 4]}	3.58%	2,540
Lincoln	1,167	16.14%	1,848	25.56%	4,214	58.29%	-2,366^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-32.73%	7,229
Loudon	4,299	54.58%	1,581	20.07%	1,996	25.34%	2,303	29.24%	7,876
Macon	2,173	58.04%	530	14.16%	1,041	27.80%	1,132	30.24%	3,744
Madison	6,143	29.14%	5,517	26.17%	9,420	44.69%	-3,277	-15.55%	21,080
Marion	1,959	30.59%	1,661	25.94%	2,784	43.47%	-825	-12.88%	6,404
Marshall	1,202	19.68%	1,527	25.00%	3,379	55.32%	-1,852^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-30.32%	6,108
Maury	3,048	20.88%	3,401	23.30%	8,148	55.82%	-4,747^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-32.52%	14,597
McMinn	6,098	52.92%	2,889	25.07%	2,535	22.00%	3,209^{[lower-alpha 3]}	27.85%	11,522
McNairy	2,979	41.21%	1,377	19.05%	2,872	39.73%	107	1.48%	7,228
Meigs	729	43.81%	493	29.63%	442	26.56%	236^{[lower-alpha 3]}	14.18%	1,664
Monroe	4,749	53.38%	2,926	32.89%	1,222	13.73%	1,823^{[lower-alpha 3]}	20.49%	8,897
Montgomery	3,248	22.52%	5,538	38.39%	5,638	39.09%	-100^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-0.69%	14,424
Moore	224	15.71%	346	24.26%	856	60.03%	-510^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-35.76%	1,426
Morgan	1,803	47.46%	968	25.48%	1,028	27.06%	775	20.40%	3,799
Obion	2,420	25.92%	2,235	23.94%	4,680	50.13%	-2,260	-24.21%	9,335
Overton	1,258	31.25%	1,592	39.54%	1,176	29.21%	-334^{[lower-alpha 3]}	-8.30%	4,026
Perry	519	25.58%	726	35.78%	784	38.64%	-58^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-2.86%	2,029
Pickett	884	59.41%	405	27.22%	199	13.37%	479^{[lower-alpha 3]}	32.19%	1,488
Polk	1,808	45.02%	1,454	36.21%	754	18.77%	354^{[lower-alpha 3]}	8.81%	4,016
Putnam	3,693	35.83%	3,541	34.36%	3,073	29.81%	152^{[lower-alpha 3]}	1.47%	10,307
Rhea	2,428	40.70%	1,301	21.81%	2,237	37.50%	191	3.20%	5,966
Roane	6,033	45.74%	3,258	24.70%	3,898	29.55%	2,135	16.19%	13,189
Robertson	1,802	22.47%	2,315	28.86%	3,904	48.67%	-1,589^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-19.81%	8,021
Rutherford	4,168	24.72%	4,921	29.18%	7,773	46.10%	-2,852^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-16.91%	16,862
Scott	2,406	58.24%	991	23.99%	734	17.77%	1,415^{[lower-alpha 3]}	34.25%	4,131
Sequatchie	663	29.82%	549	24.70%	1,011	45.48%	-348	-15.65%	2,223
Sevier	7,629	74.67%	1,112	10.88%	1,476	14.45%	6,153	60.22%	10,217
Shelby	73,416	31.66%	81,486	35.14%	76,996	33.20%	4,490^{[lower-alpha 4]}	1.94%	231,898
Smith	1,089	24.96%	1,443	33.07%	1,831	41.97%	-388^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-8.89%	4,363
Stewart	443	17.43%	1,041	40.97%	1,057	41.60%	-16^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-0.63%	2,541
Sullivan	20,251	50.60%	9,783	24.44%	9,991	24.96%	10,260	25.63%	40,025
Sumner	4,519	27.41%	4,376	26.54%	7,592	46.05%	-3,073	-18.64%	16,487
Tipton	1,422	16.86%	2,071	24.55%	4,943	58.59%	-2,872^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-34.04%	8,436
Trousdale	252	15.80%	694	43.51%	649	40.69%	45^{[lower-alpha 4]}	2.82%	1,595
Unicoi	3,327	65.49%	910	17.91%	843	16.59%	2,417^{[lower-alpha 3]}	47.58%	5,080
Union	1,956	66.71%	527	17.97%	449	15.31%	1,429^{[lower-alpha 3]}	48.74%	2,932
Van Buren	327	29.30%	282	25.27%	507	45.43%	-180	-16.13%	1,116
Warren	1,858	24.07%	2,046	26.51%	3,814	49.42%	-1,768^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-22.91%	7,718
Washington	12,882	56.66%	4,930	21.68%	4,925	21.66%	7,952^{[lower-alpha 3]}	34.97%	22,737
Wayne	2,417	58.51%	506	12.25%	1,208	29.24%	1,209	29.27%	4,131
Weakley	2,858	30.50%	1,988	21.21%	4,525	48.29%	-1,667	-17.79%	9,371
White	1,423	29.91%	1,584	33.30%	1,750	36.79%	-166^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-3.49%	4,757
Williamson	2,788	28.69%	2,063	21.23%	4,867	50.08%	-2,079	-21.39%	9,718
Wilson	2,736	24.21%	2,916	25.81%	5,648	49.98%	-2,732^{[lower-alpha 4]}	-24.18%	11,300
Totals	472,592	37.85%	351,233	28.13%	424,792	34.02%	47,800	3.83%	1,248,617^{[lower-alpha 5]}

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.
↑ Because Nixon finished first and Wallace second in Tennessee as a whole, all margins given are Nixon vote minus Wallace vote and Nixon percentage minus Wallace percentage unless stated otherwise for the county in question.
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 In this county where Wallace did run third behind both Nixon and Humphrey, margin given is Nixon vote minus Humphrey vote and percentage margin Nixon percentage minus Humphrey percentage.
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 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 In this county where Nixon ran third behind both Wallace and Humphrey, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Humphrey percentage minus Wallace percentage.
↑ This total includes 10 write-in votes not separated by county.

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The 1968 United States presidential election in New Hampshire took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Voters chose four representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Virginia voters chose twelve electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Maine took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all fifty states and D.C. Voters chose four representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Texas was held on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. The state chose 25 electors to represent them in the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The 1968 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. South Carolina voters chose 8 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Mississippi was held on November 5, 1968. Mississippi voters chose seven electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice-President.

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.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Michigan was held on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and The District of Columbia, were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Votes chose 21 electors to represent them in the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Louisiana was held on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Along with four other contiguous southern states, former and future Alabama Governor George Wallace won the state for the American Party by a large margin against Democrat Hubert Humphrey and Republican Richard Nixon. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Jefferson Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Lafayette Parish, Ouachita Parish, Bossier Parish, Union Parish, and LaSalle Parish did not vote for the Republican presidential candidate.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Maryland was held on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Maryland was won by Hubert Humphrey by a margin of 20,315 votes against Richard Nixon and by 359,576 votes against George Wallace.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Arkansas was held on November 5, 1968 as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. American Independent candidate George Wallace won the state of Arkansas with 235,627 votes, with Republican Richard Nixon winning 189,062 and Democrat Hubert Humphrey winning 184,901.

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References

1 2 "1968 Presidential General Election Results - Tennessee". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
1 2 Woolley, John; Peters, Gehard. "1968 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
↑ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
↑ Black & Black 1992, p. 147.
↑ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
↑ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

Works cited

Black, Earl; Black, Merle (1992). The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674941306.

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[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.

[8] Because Nixon finished first and Wallace second in Tennessee as a whole, all margins given are Nixon vote minus Wallace vote and Nixon percentage minus Wallace percentage unless stated otherwise for the county in question.

[HumphreydWallace-9] 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 In this county where Wallace did run third behind both Nixon and Humphrey, margin given is Nixon vote minus Humphrey vote and percentage margin Nixon percentage minus Humphrey percentage.

[HumphreydNixon-10] 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 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 In this county where Nixon ran third behind both Wallace and Humphrey, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Humphrey percentage minus Wallace percentage.

[11] This total includes 10 write-in votes not separated by county.

[results-2] 1 2 "1968 Presidential General Election Results - Tennessee". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 25, 2016.

[results2-3] 1 2 Woolley, John; Peters, Gehard. "1968 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 26, 2016.

[How-4] Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992147-5] Black & Black 1992, p. 147.

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992295-6] Black & Black 1992, p. 295.

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992335-7] Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

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