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1968 United States presidential election in South Carolina

Main article: 1968 United States presidential election
1968 United States presidential election in South Carolina
← 1964 November 5, 1968 1972 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George Wallace Hubert Humphrey
Party Republican American Independent Democratic
Home state New York[a] Alabama Minnesota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Curtis LeMay Edmund Muskie
Electoral vote 8 0 0
Popular vote 254,062 215,430 197,486
Percentage 38.09% 32.30% 29.61%
County Results
President before election

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elections in South Carolina
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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.

For six decades up to 1950 South Carolina was a one-party state dominated by the Democratic Party. The Republican Party had been moribund due to the disfranchisement of blacks and the complete absence of other support bases as South Carolina completely lacked upland or German refugee whites opposed to secession.[1] Between 1900 and 1948, no Republican presidential candidate ever obtained more than seven percent of the total presidential vote[2] – a vote which in 1924 reached as low as 6.6 percent of the total voting-age population[3] or approximately 15 percent of the voting-age white population.

48% of white voters supported Nixon, 41% supported Wallace, and 12% supported Humphrey.[4][5][6] South Carolina was the only Deep South state not to support Wallace in this election.

Campaign

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Although Nixon ignored the other Deep South states because he knew that he had no chance of competing with George Wallace, in South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, believing Wallace could not win the election and that northeastern urban liberalism would continue to dominate if he endorsed Wallace, took the stump for Nixon in South Carolina.[7] The result was that Wallace's support in South Carolina plummeted rapidly, although in early September the Alabama governor predicted he would carry the state,[8] an opinion backed up by early polling in mid-September.[9] Other polls, however, had the race very close between the three candidates.[10]

Nixon himself campaigned in the state, aided by Thurmond, at the end of September.[11]

Predictions

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The following newspapers gave these predictions about how South Carolina would vote in the 1968 presidential election:

Source Ranking As of
Special to The New York Times[12] Tilt I (flip) September 8, 1968
Lebanon Daily News[13] Lean I (flip) September 17, 1968
Daily Press[14] Lean I (flip) October 11, 1968
The Charlotte News[15] Lean I (flip) October 12, 1968
The Record[16] Tilt I (flip) October 21, 1968
Shreveport Times[17] Lean I (flip) November 3, 1968
The Selma Times-Journal[18] Lean I (flip) November 3, 1968
The New York Times[19] Tossup November 4, 1968

Results

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1968 United States presidential election in South Carolina[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon 254,062 38.09% 8
Independent George Wallace 215,430 32.30% 0
Democratic Hubert Humphrey 197,486 29.61% 0
Write-ins Various candidates 4 0.00% 0
Totals 666,978 100.00% 8
Voter turnout –

Results by county

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County Richard Nixon
Republican 		George Wallace
American Independent 		Hubert Humphrey
Democratic 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Abbeville 1,213 20.77% 3,201 54.82% 1,425 24.40% -1,776[b] -30.42% 5,839
Aiken 12,264 44.76% 8,815 32.17% 6,319 23.06% 3,449 12.59% 27,398
Allendale 997 29.72% 820 24.44% 1,538 45.84% -541[c] -16.12% 3,355
Anderson 5,661 24.33% 12,384 53.23% 5,218 22.43% -6,723 -28.90% 23,263
Bamberg 1,327 27.70% 1,618 33.78% 1,845 38.52% 227[b] 4.74% 4,790
Barnwell 1,849 31.25% 2,351 39.74% 1,716 29.01% -502 -8.49% 5,916
Beaufort 2,983 36.29% 1,498 18.22% 3,740 45.49% -757[c] -9.20% 8,221
Berkeley 4,021 28.89% 4,808 34.55% 5,089 36.56% 281[b] 2.01% 13,918
Calhoun 885 28.74% 978 31.76% 1,216 39.49% 238[b] 7.73% 3,079
Charleston 24,282 43.45% 13,255 23.72% 18,343 32.83% 5,939[c] 10.62% 55,880
Cherokee 2,853 27.19% 5,642 53.77% 1,998 19.04% -2,789 -26.58% 10,493
Chester 2,862 33.71% 2,762 32.54% 2,865 33.75% -3[c] -0.04% 8,489
Chesterfield 2,564 25.47% 4,324 42.95% 3,180 31.59% -1,144[b] -11.36% 10,068
Clarendon 2,201 27.85% 2,097 26.53% 3,606 45.62% -1,405[c] -17.77% 7,904
Colleton 2,824 34.67% 2,670 32.78% 2,651 32.55% 154 1.89% 8,145
Darlington 4,947 35.38% 5,231 37.42% 3,803 27.20% -284 -2.04% 13,981
Dillon 2,396 35.73% 2,132 31.79% 2,178 32.48% 218[c] 3.25% 6,706
Dorchester 3,354 31.21% 3,539 32.93% 3,855 35.87% 316[b] 2.94% 10,748
Edgefield 1,688 43.07% 1,006 25.67% 1,225 31.26% 463[c] 11.81% 3,919
Fairfield 1,619 27.14% 1,336 22.39% 3,011 50.47% -1,392[c] -23.33% 5,966
Florence 8,917 36.19% 7,642 31.02% 8,079 32.79% 838[c] 3.40% 24,638
Georgetown 3,269 32.62% 2,642 26.36% 4,110 41.01% -841[c] -8.39% 10,021
Greenville 31,652 52.91% 15,241 25.48% 12,928 21.61% 16,411 27.43% 59,821
Greenwood 4,891 33.37% 6,024 41.10% 3,741 25.52% -1,133 -7.73% 14,658[d]
Hampton 1,671 31.95% 1,452 27.76% 2,107 40.29% -436[c] -8.34% 5,230
Horry 3,924 26.97% 6,701 46.06% 3,924 26.97% -2,777 -19.09% 14,549
Jasper 633 20.31% 1,081 34.69% 1,402 44.99% 321[b] 10.30% 3,116
Kershaw 4,079 38.56% 3,960 37.44% 2,539 24.00% 119 1.12% 10,578
Lancaster 4,874 37.75% 4,886 37.84% 3,151 24.41% -12 -0.09% 12,911
Laurens 4,813 39.75% 4,279 35.34% 3,016 24.91% 534 4.41% 12,108
Lee 1,219 22.23% 2,113 38.54% 2,151 39.23% 38[b] 0.69% 5,483
Lexington 12,204 48.49% 8,907 35.39% 4,058 16.12% 3,297 13.10% 25,169
Marion 2,512 36.85% 1,484 21.77% 2,821 41.38% -309[c] -4.53% 6,817
Marlboro 2,024 31.34% 2,140 33.14% 2,294 35.52% 154[b] 2.38% 6,458
McCormick 466 21.08% 757 34.24% 988 44.69% 231[b] 10.45% 2,211
Newberry 4,538 42.35% 3,734 34.85% 2,444 22.81% 804 7.50% 10,716
Oconee 2,618 27.94% 4,742 50.61% 2,009 21.44% -2,124 -22.67% 9,369
Orangeburg 5,144 24.20% 7,144 33.60% 8,971 42.20% 1,827[b] 8.60% 21,259
Pickens 6,873 51.63% 4,424 33.23% 2,016 15.14% 2,449 18.40% 13,313
Richland 26,215 50.96% 7,030 13.67% 18,198 35.37% 8,017[c] 15.59% 51,445[d]
Saluda 1,466 30.53% 2,136 44.48% 1,200 24.99% -670 -13.95% 4,802
Spartanburg 18,183 38.69% 17,346 36.91% 11,467 24.40% 837 1.78% 46,996
Sumter 5,451 33.43% 4,754 29.15% 6,103 37.42% -652[c] -3.99% 16,308
Union 3,011 30.50% 4,590 46.50% 2,271 23.00% -1,579 -16.00% 9,872
Williamsburg 3,029 28.08% 2,652 24.59% 5,106 47.33% -2,077[c] -19.25% 10,787
York 7,596 37.48% 7,102 35.04% 5,571 27.49% 494 2.44% 20,269
Totals 254,062 38.09% 215,430 32.30% 197,486 29.61% 38,632 5.79% 666,982

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Counties that flipped from Democratic to American Independent

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Counties that flipped from Republican to American Independent

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Results by congressional district

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Nixon won three out of six congressional districts while Wallace won two congressional districts and Humphrey won a single congressional district, 6th. Candidates are ranked in which order they performed at nationally.[22]

District[22] Nixon Humphrey Wallace
1st 36.9% 36.3% 26.8%
2nd 42.7% 32.2% 25.1%
3rd 26.1% 23% 40.9%
4th 46% 31% 23%
5th 33.3% 29.2% 37.5%
6th 32.4% 34.7% 32.9%

Notes

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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.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k In this county where Nixon ran third behind both Humphrey and Wallace, margin given is Wallace vote minus Humphrey vote and percentage margin Wallace percentage minus Humphrey percentage.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o In this county where Wallace ran third behind both Nixon and Humphrey, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Nixon vote and percentage margin Humphrey percentage minus Nixon percentage.
  4. ^ a b Two write-in votes were recorded from this county.

References

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  1. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 208, 210 ISBN 9780691163246
  2. ^ Mickey, Robert; Paths Out of Dixie: The Democratization of Authoritarian Enclaves in America's Deep South, 1944–1972, p. 440 ISBN 0691149631
  3. ^ Mickey; Paths Out of Dixie, p. 27
  4. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 147.
  5. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  6. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  7. ^ Perlstein, Rick; Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America, pp. 344–345 ISBN 9780743243025
  8. ^ Rouse, Mike; ‘Wallace IS Appealing for Vote of the “Doves” as Well as Others’; Danville Register, September 3, 1968, p. 12
  9. ^ ‘Four Polls Place Nixon in Lead’; Marshfield News-Herald, September 16, 1968, p. 3
  10. ^ ‘Face-to-Face: Humphrey Desires Debate with Nixon’; Cumberland Evening-Times, September 16, 1968, p. 3
  11. ^ ‘Nixon Proposes Anti-Crime Council’; The Waco News-Tribune, September 30, 1968, p. 5
  12. ^ Rugaber, Walter (September 8, 1968). "Wallace and Nixon Vie in South; Conservatives Shun Humphrey: Ex-Alabama Governor Thought to Lead in 9 of 11 States of Old Confederacy, With Total of 91 Electoral Votes". The New York Times (Special to the New York Times ed.). p. 78.
  13. ^ "Politics…in County, State and Nation". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. September 17, 1968. p. 4.
  14. ^ Murray, David. "Wallace Might Take 6 Southern States". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. p. 51.
  15. ^ "In South It's Nixon vs. Wallace". The Charlotte News. Charlotte, North Carolina. October 12, 1968. pp. 1, 3.
  16. ^ "Nixon Leads in 26 States: Wallace Will Run Strong: AP". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. Associated Press. October 21, 1968. p. 3.
  17. ^ Broder, David S. (November 3, 1968). "After Hoopla Finished, Nixon Still Winning, Survey Shows". Shreveport Times. p. 4-B.
  18. ^ "Summary of 50 States on Coming Election". The Selma Times-Journal. Selma, Alabama. November 3, 1968. p. 5.
  19. ^ Weaver jr., Warren (November 4, 1968). "Nixon Holds Lead Over Humphrey in Late Survey: Contest Tightens — G. O. P. Nominee Put Ahead in 30 States and His Rival in 8". The New York Times. pp. 1, 36.
  20. ^ "1968 Presidential General Election Results – South Carolina". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  21. ^ Woolley, John; Peters, Gehard. "1968 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  22. ^ a b "1968 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District". Western Washington University. Retrieved November 25, 2024.

Works cited

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