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1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina

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Main article: 1968 United States presidential election
1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina
← 1964 November 5, 1968 1972 →
 
Nominee Richard M. Nixon George Wallace Hubert Humphrey
Party Republican American Independent Democratic
Home state New York[a] Alabama Minnesota
Running mate Spiro T. Agnew Curtis LeMay Edmund Muskie
Electoral vote 12 1 0
Popular vote 627,192 496,188 464,113
Percentage 39.51% 31.26% 29.24%
President before election

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elections in North Carolina
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The 1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 5, 1968, and was part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. Whereas in the Deep South, Black Belt whites had deserted the national Democratic Party in 1948, in North Carolina, where they had historically been an economically liberalizing influence on the state Democratic Party,[1] the white landowners of the Black Belt had stayed exceedingly loyal to the party until after the Voting Rights Act. This allowed North Carolina to be, along with Arkansas, the only state to vote for Democrats in all four presidential elections between 1952 and 1964. Indeed, the state had not voted Republican since anti-Catholic fervor lead it to support Herbert Hoover over Al Smith in 1928; and other than that the state had not voted Republican once in the century since the Reconstruction era election of 1872. Nonetheless, in 1964 Republican Barry Goldwater may have won a small majority of white voters,[b][3] although he was beaten by virtually universal support for incumbent President Lyndon Johnson by a black vote estimated at 175 thousand.

However, with the Voting Rights Act's passage, a reaction set in amongst these, and indeed amongst almost all Southern poor whites outside the unionized coalfields of Appalachia.[4] Former Alabama Governor George Wallace, running in North Carolina under the moniker of the “American Party”, appealed very strongly to most white voters in the eastern half of the state who had become extremely critical of black protesters, student radicals, and rising crime rates.[5]

In early polls it was thought that Wallace would carry the state,[6] but a major swing against him and toward Republican nominee Richard Nixon during October and November saw Nixon win the state, with 39.5 percent of the vote, whilst Wallace's 31.3 percent still pushed Democratic nominee and incumbent Vice-President Hubert Humphrey into third on 29.2 percent. The Alabama segregationist carried almost all of the Piedmont and Outer Banks, and some Black Belt areas where black voter registration was still limited – the very areas that had allowed John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson II to carry North Carolina when other Outer South states went Republican. In these previously loyal regions whites felt President Johnson had moved much too far on civil rights issues, and consequent support for highly segregationist candidates in Democratic primary elections[7] led them naturally to Wallace.[8] Humphrey had very limited support outside of black voters, who were estimated to comprise well over half his total vote in the state,[9] with his share of the white vote totaling less than 20 percent[2] and coming mainly from some traditionally Democratic mountain counties and the university communities of Orange and Durham counties. 48% of white voters supported Nixon, 41% supported Wallace, and 12% supported Humphrey.[10][11][12]

Nixon won twelve of the state's electoral votes, while one faithless elector that had been pledged to Nixon voted instead for Wallace. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Wayne County and Lenoir County did not vote for the Republican presidential candidate.[13]

Results

[edit]
1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina[14]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon 627,192 39.51% 12
American George Wallace 496,188 31.26% 1
Democratic Hubert Humphrey 464,113 29.24% 0
Totals 1,587,493 100.0% 13
Voter turnout —

Results by county

[edit]
County[15] Richard Nixon
Republican 		George Wallace
American Independent 		Hubert Humphrey
Democratic 		Margin Total
# % # % # % # %
Alamance 12,310 36.54% 13,139 39.00% 8,241 24.46% -829 -2.46% 33,690
Alexander 4,379 52.03% 2,203 26.18% 1,834 21.79% 2,176 25.85% 8,416
Alleghany 1,695 45.80% 904 24.43% 1,102 29.78% 593[c] 16.02% 3,701
Anson 1,474 18.39% 3,571 44.56% 2,969 37.05% -602[d] -7.51% 8,014
Ashe 4,894 53.15% 888 9.64% 3,426 37.21% 1,468[c] 15.94% 9,208
Avery 3,197 70.76% 690 15.27% 631 13.97% 2,507 55.49% 4,518
Beaufort 2,669 23.03% 5,686 49.07% 3,232 27.89% -2,454[d] -21.18% 11,587
Bertie 811 11.38% 3,108 43.61% 3,207 45.00% 99[d] 1.39% 7,126
Bladen 1,746 20.79% 3,897 46.41% 2,754 32.80% -1,143[d] -13.61% 8,397
Brunswick 2,404 27.52% 3,358 38.45% 2,972 34.03% -386[d] -4.42% 8,734
Buncombe 21,031 44.23% 11,889 25.01% 14,624 30.76% 6,407[c] 13.47% 47,544
Burke 11,068 48.84% 5,892 26.00% 5,704 25.17% 5,176 22.84% 22,664
Cabarrus 13,226 52.35% 6,538 25.88% 5,501 21.77% 6,688 26.47% 25,265
Caldwell 10,433 51.46% 5,095 25.13% 4,746 23.41% 5,338 26.33% 20,274
Camden 180 9.06% 1,100 55.36% 707 35.58% -393[d] -19.78% 1,987
Carteret 4,593 40.23% 3,061 26.81% 3,762 32.95% 831[c] 7.28% 11,416
Caswell 1,036 17.20% 2,851 47.33% 2,137 35.47% -714[d] -11.86% 6,024
Catawba 18,393 56.33% 7,285 22.31% 6,974 21.36% 11,108 34.02% 32,652
Chatham 3,845 36.22% 3,239 30.51% 3,532 33.27% 313[c] 2.95% 10,616
Cherokee 3,768 53.18% 915 12.91% 2,402 33.90% 1,366[c] 19.28% 7,085
Chowan 798 21.60% 1,696 45.90% 1,201 32.50% -495[d] -13.40% 3,695
Clay 1,390 54.94% 293 11.58% 847 33.48% 543[c] 21.46% 2,530
Cleveland 7,298 32.28% 9,649 42.68% 5,661 25.04% -2,351 -10.40% 22,608
Columbus 3,881 26.19% 6,693 45.17% 4,243 28.64% -2,450[d] -16.53% 14,817
Craven 2,991 21.77% 6,509 47.37% 4,240 30.86% -2,269[d] -16.51% 13,740
Cumberland 9,143 31.95% 9,539 33.33% 9,938 34.72% 399[d] 1.39% 28,620
Currituck 363 14.11% 1,471 57.19% 738 28.69% -733[d] -28.50% 2,572
Dare 1,035 40.13% 844 32.73% 700 27.14% 191 7.40% 2,579
Davidson 16,678 46.57% 11,544 32.23% 7,594 21.20% 5,134 14.34% 35,816
Davie 3,866 49.04% 2,515 31.90% 1,502 19.05% 1,351 17.14% 7,883
Duplin 2,724 22.22% 6,082 49.62% 3,451 28.16% -2,631[d] -21.46% 12,257
Durham 12,705 29.68% 13,542 31.63% 16,563 38.69% 3,021[d] 7.06% 42,810
Edgecombe 3,198 22.36% 5,861 40.98% 5,243 36.66% -618[d] -4.32% 14,302
Forsyth 31,623 46.79% 15,681 23.20% 20,281 30.01% 11,342[c] 16.79% 67,585
Franklin 1,375 14.10% 5,525 56.64% 2,855 29.27% -2,670[d] -27.37% 9,755
Gaston 18,741 43.77% 13,973 32.64% 10,100 23.59% 4,768 11.13% 42,814
Gates 406 14.58% 1,227 44.07% 1,151 41.34% -76[d] -2.73% 2,784
Graham 1,570 52.44% 363 12.12% 1,061 35.44% 509[c] 17.00% 2,994
Granville 1,837 21.50% 4,071 47.64% 2,638 30.87% -1,433[d] -16.77% 8,546
Greene 650 12.71% 2,906 56.80% 1,560 30.49% -1,346[d] -26.31% 5,116
Guilford 38,996 46.23% 19,751 23.42% 25,604 30.35% 13,392[c] 15.88% 84,351
Halifax 3,148 20.72% 7,116 46.84% 4,927 32.43% -2,189[d] -14.41% 15,191
Harnett 5,184 32.97% 6,531 41.54% 4,007 25.49% -1,347 -8.57% 15,722
Haywood 6,205 39.26% 3,898 24.66% 5,703 36.08% 502[c] 3.18% 15,806
Henderson 9,334 57.45% 3,861 23.76% 3,053 18.79% 5,473 33.69% 16,248
Hertford 1,125 17.04% 2,203 33.36% 3,275 49.60% 1,072[d] 16.24% 6,603
Hoke 812 17.88% 1,545 34.02% 2,185 48.11% 640[d] 14.09% 4,542
Hyde 401 20.02% 833 41.59% 769 38.39% -64[d] -3.20% 2,003
Iredell 10,557 43.17% 9,021 36.89% 4,878 19.95% 1,536 6.28% 24,456
Jackson 3,747 48.14% 1,080 13.88% 2,956 37.98% 791[c] 10.16% 7,783
Johnston 6,764 33.05% 9,212 45.01% 4,492 21.95% -2,448 -11.96% 20,468
Jones 361 10.72% 1,780 52.88% 1,225 36.39% -555[d] -16.49% 3,366
Lee 2,586 29.32% 3,711 42.07% 2,524 28.61% -1,125 -12.75% 8,821
Lenoir 3,844 24.43% 8,036 51.08% 3,853 24.49% -4,183[d] -26.59% 15,733
Lincoln 6,188 46.20% 3,161 23.60% 4,044 30.19% 2,144[c] 16.01% 13,393
Macon 3,295 50.48% 1,162 17.80% 2,070 31.71% 1,225[c] 18.77% 6,527
Madison 3,130 49.18% 1,034 16.25% 2,201 34.58% 929[c] 14.60% 6,365
Martin 1,221 14.97% 3,818 46.81% 3,118 38.22% -700[d] -8.59% 8,157
McDowell 4,740 46.01% 3,018 29.30% 2,543 24.69% 1,722 16.71% 10,301
Mecklenburg 56,325 52.40% 20,070 18.67% 31,102 28.93% 25,223[c] 23.47% 107,497
Mitchell 3,778 72.65% 603 11.60% 819 15.75% 2,959[c] 56.90% 5,200
Montgomery 3,070 39.67% 2,259 29.19% 2,410 31.14% 660[c] 8.53% 7,739
Moore 5,322 43.74% 3,263 26.82% 3,583 29.45% 1,739[c] 14.29% 12,168
Nash 4,602 24.08% 9,230 48.29% 5,283 27.64% -3,947[d] -20.65% 19,115
New Hanover 10,020 37.03% 9,291 34.33% 7,750 28.64% 729 2.70% 27,061
Northampton 860 10.86% 2,986 37.71% 4,072 51.43% 1,086[d] 13.72% 7,918
Onslow 3,444 28.08% 5,542 45.18% 3,281 26.75% -2,098 -17.10% 12,267
Orange 6,097 33.30% 3,845 21.00% 8,366 45.70% -2,269[c] -12.40% 18,308
Pamlico 745 21.46% 1,447 41.68% 1,280 36.87% -167[d] -4.81% 3,472
Pasquotank 1,430 18.84% 3,597 47.39% 2,564 33.78% -1,033[d] -13.61% 7,591
Pender 1,007 17.76% 2,720 47.98% 1,942 34.26% -778[d] -13.72% 5,669
Perquimans 468 15.37% 1,554 51.03% 1,023 33.60% -531[d] -17.43% 3,045
Person 2,138 24.17% 4,065 45.95% 2,644 29.89% -1,421[d] -16.06% 8,847
Pitt 5,745 25.41% 9,167 40.55% 7,696 34.04% -1,471[d] -6.51% 22,608
Polk 2,550 45.89% 1,484 26.71% 1,523 27.41% 1,027[c] 18.48% 5,557
Randolph 13,450 52.35% 6,892 26.82% 5,351 20.83% 6,558 25.53% 25,693
Richmond 2,865 22.78% 5,457 43.38% 4,257 33.84% -1,200[d] -9.54% 12,579
Robeson 4,526 23.55% 6,441 33.52% 8,248 42.92% 1,807[d] 9.40% 19,215
Rockingham 8,095 33.46% 9,324 38.54% 6,774 28.00% -1,229 -5.08% 24,193
Rowan 15,207 46.79% 9,220 28.37% 8,074 24.84% 5,987 18.42% 32,501
Rutherford 7,785 46.11% 4,476 26.51% 4,622 27.38% 3,163[c] 18.73% 16,883
Sampson 6,597 41.44% 4,527 28.43% 4,797 30.13% 1,800[c] 11.31% 15,921
Scotland 1,717 28.69% 2,016 33.68% 2,252 37.63% 236[d] 3.95% 5,985
Stanly 9,428 51.43% 4,706 25.67% 4,199 22.90% 4,722 25.76% 18,333
Stokes 4,781 45.25% 3,410 32.28% 2,374 22.47% 1,371 12.97% 10,565
Surry 9,638 51.19% 4,103 21.79% 5,088 27.02% 4,550[c] 24.17% 18,829
Swain 1,494 45.86% 537 16.48% 1,227 37.66% 267[c] 8.20% 3,258
Transylvania 4,033 46.85% 2,365 27.47% 2,210 25.67% 1,668 19.38% 8,608
Tyrrell 291 22.61% 415 32.25% 581 45.14% 166[d] 12.89% 1,287
Union 5,290 38.67% 4,761 34.80% 3,630 26.53% 529 3.87% 13,681
Vance 2,252 19.84% 5,244 46.21% 3,852 33.94% -1,392[d] -12.27% 11,348
Wake 28,928 43.08% 17,250 25.69% 20,979 31.24% 7,949[c] 11.84% 67,157
Warren 796 14.79% 2,294 42.62% 2,293 42.60% -1[d] -0.02% 5,383
Washington 1,016 21.26% 1,866 39.04% 1,898 39.71% 32[d] 0.67% 4,780
Watauga 5,081 55.88% 1,060 11.66% 2,952 32.46% 2,129[c] 23.42% 9,093
Wayne 5,678 28.79% 8,709 44.15% 5,338 27.06% -3,031 -15.36% 19,725
Wilkes 11,195 60.29% 2,876 15.49% 4,497 24.22% 6,698[c] 36.07% 18,568
Wilson 4,053 25.13% 7,903 49.00% 4,173 25.87% -3,730[d] -23.13% 16,129
Yadkin 5,885 60.51% 2,397 24.65% 1,443 14.84% 3,488 35.86% 9,725
Yancey 2,448 45.21% 752 13.89% 2,215 40.90% 233[c] 4.31% 5,415
Totals 627,192 39.51% 496,188 31.26% 464,113 29.24% 131,004 8.25% 1,587,493

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

[edit]

Counties that flipped from Democratic to American Independent

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  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. ^ Other election scholars have doubted Goldwater won the white vote in the state, which undoubtedly was extremely close.[2]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac 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.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap 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.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Phillips, Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority. pp. 219, 303. ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6.
  2. ^ a b Black, Earl (2021). "Competing Responses to the New Southern Politics: Republican and Democratic Southern Strategies, 1964-76". In Reed, John Shelton; Black, Merle (eds.). Perspectives on the American South: An Annual Review of Society, Politics, and Culture. ISBN 9781136764882.
  3. ^ See Etsy, Amos (January 2005). "North Carolina Republicans and the Conservative Revolution, 1964-1968". The North Carolina Historical Review. 82 (1): 1–32.
  4. ^ Phillips. The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 226
  5. ^ Eamon, Tom. The Making of a Southern Democracy: North Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat McCrory. p. 123. ISBN 9781469606972.
  6. ^ Lehnen, Robert G. (June 1970). "Stability of Presidential Choice in 1968: The Case of Two Southern States". Social Science Quarterly. 51 (1): 138–147.
  7. ^ Black, Earl (June 1973). "The Militant Segregationist Vote in the Post-Brown South: A Comparative Analysis". Social Science Quarterly. 54 (1): 66–84.
  8. ^ Schönberger, Robert A.; Segal, David R. (August 1971). "The Ecology of Dissent: The Southern Wallace Vote in 1968". Midwest Journal of Political Science. 15 (3): 583–586.
  9. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 280
  10. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 147.
  11. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  12. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  13. ^ Sullivan, Robert David (June 29, 2016). "How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century". The National Catholic Review (America Magazine ed.).
  14. ^ Leip, Dave (2005). "1968 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina". US Election Atlas. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  15. ^ "NC US President Race, November 03, 1968". Our Campaigns.

Works cited

[edit]
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