1968 United States presidential election in Nevada
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Main|1968 United States presidential election}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1968 United States presidential election in Nevada
| country = Nevada
| flag_year = 1929
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1964 United States presidential election in Nevada
| previous_year = 1964
| next_election = 1972 United States presidential election in Nevada
| next_year = 1972
| election_date = November 5, 1968{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1968|title=United States Presidential election of 1968 – Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=May 25, 2017}}
| image_size = 160x160px
| image1 = Nixon_30-0316a_(cropped).jpg
| nominee1 = Richard Nixon
| party1 = Republican Party (United States)
| home_state1 = New York{{efn|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.}}
| running_mate1 = Spiro Agnew
| electoral_vote1 = 3
| popular_vote1 = 73,188
| percentage1 = 47.46%
| image2 = Hubert Humphrey in New York, 1968 (3x4 crop).jpg
| nominee2 = Hubert Humphrey
| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
| home_state2 = Minnesota
| running_mate2 = Edmund Muskie
| electoral_vote2 = 0
| popular_vote2 = 60,598
| percentage2 = 39.29%
| map_image = Nevada Presidential Election Results 1968.svg
| map_size = 275px
| map_caption = County Results
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
Nixon
{{legend|#ffccd0|30-40%}}
{{legend|#f2b3be|40-50%}}
{{legend|#e27f90|50-60%}}
{{legend|#cc2f4a|60-70%}}
{{col-2}}
Humphrey
{{legend|#b9d7ff|40-50%}}
{{legend|#86b6f2|50-60%}}
{{col-end}}
| image3 = George Wallace (D-AL) (3x4).jpg
| nominee3 = George Wallace
| party3 = American Independent Party
| color3 = ff7f00
| home_state3 = Alabama
| running_mate3 = S. Marvin Griffin
| electoral_vote3 = 0
| popular_vote3 = 20,432
| percentage3 = 13.25%
| title = President
| before_election = Lyndon B. Johnson
| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
| after_election = Richard Nixon
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{ElectionsNV}}
The 1968 United States presidential election in Nevada took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. State voters chose three{{cite web|url=https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/votes/1965_1969.html#1968|title=1968 Election for the Forty-Sixth Term (1969-73)|access-date=May 25, 2017}} representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Since William Jennings Bryan's three elections, Nevada had been a bellwether state voting for every winner since 1912. However, relative to the nation, Nevada had trended Republican since the end of World War II when Populist radicalism gave way to small-town and rural conservatism due to demographic and technological change.Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 458, 463 {{ISBN|9780691163246}} Although Democrats had a large advantage in registration, the 1966 midterm elections saw Republican Lieutenant Governor Paul Laxalt take most of the Mormon and Catholic vote in traditionally Democratic Clark County,Bushnell; Eleanore; 'The 1966 Election in Nevada', The Western Political Quarterly, volume 20, no. 2, Part 2 (June 1967), pp. 581-585 which was becoming the center of the state's rapid demographic growth. This Republican trend was aided by a fall in demand for construction work in Las Vegas and several major strikes across the state.
In the early stages of the campaign, the Democratic Party viewed Nixon – despite losing strongly Catholic Nevada to Kennedy in 1960 – as much more dangerous in Nevada than Ronald Reagan or George Romney.Turner, Wallace; 'Democrats Chart Strategy in West: Delegates From Six States Discuss Campaign Plans'; The New York Times, January 15, 1968, p. 24 As a part of his national third party segregationist campaign, former Alabama Governor George Wallace became the first third-party candidate to obtain the necessary eight thousand signatures to get on the ballot in Nevada since the "Progressive Party" in 1948.'Wallace Wins Spot on Nevada Ballot'; The Washington Post, May 2, 1968, p. A2
In the earliest polls Nevada's past Republican trend was confirmed, with it being given clearly to Nixon in the second week of September,Broder, David S.; 'Early Analysis Gives Nixon Commanding Lead in Race' The Washington Post, September 10, 1968, p. A15 and confirmed by further polls'Gallup Gives Nixon Big Lead in Midwest and West'; The New York Times (Special); October 25, 1968, p. 17 until the last few days before the election. During this period Humphrey made a brief visit to NevadaBushnell, Eleanore and Driggs, Don W.; The Western Political Quarterly, volume 22, no. 3 (September 1969), pp. 504-509 and came back substantially nationwide, whilst a strong poll for Wallace made the state doubtful.'A Final State-by-State Political Survey...: ...A Last Reading on the Campaign of 1968'; The Washington Post, November 3, 1968, p. B4
Ultimately former Vice President Richard Nixon, with 47.46% of the popular vote,{{cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showelection.php?year=1968|title=The American Presidency Project – Election of 1968|access-date=May 25, 2017}} won Nevada more substantially than predicted by the last polls, though by less than thought likely in September and early October. "Independent American" candidate George Wallace finished with 13.25% of the popular vote, close to his national average but his best performance outside the Confederacy and Border States. Wallace's success was largely due to his endorsement by state congressman Walter S. Baring Jr., a conservative "States' Rights Democrat" who consistently managed huge majorities in Nevada's rural 'Cow Counties' (the 14 counties apart from Clark, Washoe, and Carson City).{{Cite web|date=2007-08-06|title=Presidential candidates thinking big think Elko|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/presidential-candidates-thinking-big-think-elko/|access-date=2021-01-12|website=Las Vegas Review-Journal|language=en-US}}
Results
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 1968 United States presidential election in Nevada{{cite book |title=Official Returns of the General Election of 1968 |publisher=State Printing Office |location=Carson City, Nevada |pages=8|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015067324379&seq=8 |access-date=6 March 2025}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Richard Nixon
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 73,188
| percentage = 47.46%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Hubert Humphrey
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 60,598
| percentage = 39.29%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = George Wallace
| party = American Independent Party
| votes = 20,432
| percentage = 13.25%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 154,218
| percentage= 100%
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Results by county=
| width="60%" class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |County
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Richard Nixon ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Hubert Humphrey ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| George Wallace ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Margin ! colspan="1" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Total votes cast |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| # ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| # ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| # ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Churchill | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,954 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 52.25% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 1,211 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 32.38% | {{party shading/American}}| 575 | {{party shading/American}}| 15.37% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 743 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 19.87% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 3,740 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Democratic}}| Clark | {{party shading/Republican}}| 31,522 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 41.99% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 33,225 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 44.26% | {{party shading/American}}| 10,318 | {{party shading/American}}| 13.75% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| -1,703 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| -2.27% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 75,065 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Douglas | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,801 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 64.37% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 670 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 23.95% | {{party shading/American}}| 327 | {{party shading/American}}| 11.69% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,131 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 40.42% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 2,798 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Elko | {{party shading/Republican}}| 2,687 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 54.48% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 1,686 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 34.18% | {{party shading/American}}| 559 | {{party shading/American}}| 11.33% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,001 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 20.30% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 4,932 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Esmeralda | {{party shading/Republican}}| 138 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 39.09% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 118 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 33.43% | {{party shading/American}}| 97 | {{party shading/American}}| 27.48% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 20 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 5.66% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 353 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Eureka | {{party shading/Republican}}| 277 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 56.53% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 149 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 30.41% | {{party shading/American}}| 64 | {{party shading/American}}| 13.06% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 128 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 26.12% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 490 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Humboldt | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,287 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 50.97% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 885 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 35.05% | {{party shading/American}}| 353 | {{party shading/American}}| 13.98% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 402 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 15.92% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 2,525 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Lander | {{party shading/Republican}}| 461 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 50.72% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 301 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 33.11% | {{party shading/American}}| 147 | {{party shading/American}}| 16.17% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 160 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 17.61% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 909 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Lincoln | {{party shading/Republican}}| 555 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 49.87% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 414 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 37.20% | {{party shading/American}}| 144 | {{party shading/American}}| 12.94% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 141 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 12.67% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,113 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Lyon | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,616 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 53.88% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 939 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 31.31% | {{party shading/American}}| 444 | {{party shading/American}}| 14.80% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 677 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 22.57% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 2,999 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Democratic}}| Mineral | {{party shading/Republican}}| 927 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 32.31% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 1,242 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 43.29% | {{party shading/American}}| 700 | {{party shading/American}}| 24.40% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| -315 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| -10.98% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 2,869 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Nye | {{party shading/Republican}}| 843 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 40.70% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 728 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 35.15% | {{party shading/American}}| 500 | {{party shading/American}}| 24.14% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 115 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 5.55% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 2,071 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Ormsby | {{party shading/Republican}}| 3,169 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 56.58% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 1,770 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 31.60% | {{party shading/American}}| 662 | {{party shading/American}}| 11.82% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,399 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 24.98% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 5,601 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Pershing | {{party shading/Republican}}| 567 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 46.74% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 466 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 38.42% | {{party shading/American}}| 180 | {{party shading/American}}| 14.84% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 101 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 8.32% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,213 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Storey | {{party shading/Republican}}| 222 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 50.00% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 172 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 38.74% | {{party shading/American}}| 50 | {{party shading/American}}| 11.26% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 50 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 11.26% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 444 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Republican}}| Washoe | {{party shading/Republican}}| 23,492 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 54.65% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 14,560 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 33.87% | {{party shading/American}}| 4,936 | {{party shading/American}}| 11.48% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 8,932 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 20.78% | {{party shading/Republican}}| 42,988 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| {{party shading/Democratic}}| White Pine | {{party shading/Republican}}| 1,670 | {{party shading/Republican}}| 40.65% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 2,062 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 50.19% | {{party shading/American}}| 376 | {{party shading/American}}| 9.15% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| -392 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| -9.54% | {{party shading/Democratic}}| 4,108 |
| style="text-align:center;"
!Totals!!73,188!!47.46%!!60,598!!39.29%!!20,432!!13.25%!!12,590!!8.17%!!154,218 |
== Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican ==
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{State results of the 1968 U.S. presidential election}}