1960 United States presidential election in Tennessee explained

See main article: 1960 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1960 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Country:	Tennessee
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1956 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Previous Year:	1956
Next Election:	1964 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Next Year:	1964
Election Date:	November 8, 1960^[1]
Image1:	Richard Nixon official portrait as Vice President (cropped).tiff
Nominee1:	Richard Nixon
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	California
Running Mate1:	Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
Electoral Vote1:	11
Popular Vote1:	556,577
Percentage1:	52.92%
Nominee2:	John F. Kennedy
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:	Massachusetts
Running Mate2:	Lyndon B. Johnson
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	481,453
Percentage2:	45.77%
Map Size:	350px
President
Before Election:	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	John F. Kennedy
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1960 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11^[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Ever since the Civil War, Tennessee’s white citizenry had been divided according to political loyalties established in that war. Unionist regions covering almost all of East Tennessee, Kentucky Pennyroyal-allied Macon County, and the Western Highland Rim counties of Carroll, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin and Wayne^[3] voted Republican — generally by landslide margins — as they saw the Democratic Party as the "war party" who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight.^[4] Contrariwise, the rest of Middle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state's secession were equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans with Reconstruction.^[5] The Democratic Party was certain of winning statewide elections if united,^[6] although unlike the Deep South Republicans would almost always gain thirty to forty percent of the statewide vote from mountain and Highland Rim support even after most blacks were disenfranchised around 1890 by a poll tax^[7] and intimidation.

Between 1896 and 1948, the Republicans would win statewide contests three times but only in the second amidst the national anti-Wilson tide of 1920^[8] did they receive down-ballot coattails (in that election, winning three congressional seats in addition to the rock-ribbed GOP 1st and 2nd districts).^[9] After the beginning of the Great Depression, however, for the next third of a century the Republicans would rarely serioulsy contest statewide offices, despite ongoing dominance of East Tennessee and half a dozen Unionist counties in the middle and west of the state.^[10] State GOP leader B. Carroll Reece is widely believed to have had agreements with Democratic leaders E. H. Crump and later Frank G. Clement and Buford Ellington that Republicans would not contest offices statewide or outside their traditional pro-Union areas.^[11] Despite this, the capture of a substantial part of the West Tennessee Dixiecrat vote of 1948 allowed Dwight D. Eisenhower to narrowly carry the state for the GOP in both 1952^[12] and 1956.

For 1960, the nomination of Irish Catholic John F. Kennedy by the Democratic Party — who had made major gains in the 1958 midterm elections — led to severe questioning of how Tennessee’s heavily fundamentalist electorate would react to Kennedy’s Catholicism.^[13]

Campaign

During the campaign, both Kennedy and Republican nominee incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon visited Tennessee in the second week of October.^[14] Kennedy focused on Nixon’s supposed opposition to the Tennessee Valley Authority, whilst Nixon focused on how his platform was closer to that of the Founding Fathers and Andrew Jackson than Kennedy’s. Kennedy, for his part, noted that the Democratic Party was founded by Tennessean Jackson.^[14]

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Philadelphia Inquirer^[15]		October 3, 1960
Knoxville News Sentinel^[16]		October 23, 1960
Daily News^[17]		October 28, 1960
The Daily Item^[18]		November 4, 1960
Los Angeles Times^[19]		November 6, 1960

Results

Results by county

County^[20]	Richard Nixon Republican		John F. Kennedy Democratic		Orval Faubus National States’ Rights		Rutherford Decker Prohibition		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%
	Anderson		11,153		52.56%		9,878		46.55%		152		0.72%		38		0.18%		1,275		6.01%		21,221
	Bedford		2,633		36.81%		4,457		62.32%		62		0.87%		0		0.00%		-1,824		-25.51%		7,152
	Benton		1,773		45.20%		2,030		51.75%		120		3.06%		0		0.00%		-257		-6.55%		3,923
	Bledsoe		1,439		58.69%		981		40.01%		24		0.98%		8		0.33%		458		18.68%		2,452
	Blount		13,552		68.20%		6,213		31.27%		67		0.34%		40		0.20%		7,339		36.93%		19,872
	Bradley		7,865		69.69%		3,307		29.30%		91		0.81%		22		0.19%		4,558		40.39%		11,285
	Campbell		5,079		61.21%		3,134		37.77%		63		0.76%		21		0.25%		1,945		23.44%		8,297
	Cannon		1,195		48.05%		1,275		51.27%		14		0.56%		3		0.12%		-80		-3.22%		2,487
	Carroll		4,517		59.36%		2,961		38.91%		117		1.54%		14		0.18%		1,556		20.45%		7,609
	Carter		12,214		77.31%		3,412		21.60%		94		0.60%		78		0.49%		8,802		55.71%		15,798
	Cheatham		683		26.20%		1,883		72.23%		34		1.30%		7		0.27%		-1,200		-46.03%		2,607
	Chester		1,807		59.05%		1,192		38.95%		54		1.76%		7		0.23%		615		20.10%		3,060
	Claiborne		3,888		64.20%		2,142		35.37%		18		0.30%		8		0.13%		1,746		28.83%		6,056
	Clay		1,098		52.14%		976		46.34%		32		1.52%		0		0.00%		122		5.80%		2,106
	Cocke		6,581		81.30%		1,442		17.81%		34		0.42%		38		0.47%		5,139		63.49%		8,095
	Coffee		3,058		39.79%		4,555		59.26%		66		0.86%		7		0.09%		-1,497		-19.47%		7,686
	Crockett		1,467		48.69%		1,438		47.73%		95		3.15%		13		0.43%		29		0.96%		3,013
	Cumberland		3,523		60.70%		2,189		37.72%		62		1.07%		30		0.52%		1,334		22.98%		5,804
	Davidson		52,077		46.25%		59,649		52.98%		666		0.59%		205		0.18%		-7,572		-6.73%		112,597
	Decatur		1,684		54.76%		1,321		42.96%		51		1.66%		19		0.62%		363		11.80%		3,075
	DeKalb		1,440		47.59%		1,547		51.12%		29		0.96%		10		0.33%		-107		-3.53%		3,026
	Dickson		1,928		32.71%		3,930		66.68%		33		0.56%		3		0.05%		-2,002		-33.97%		5,894
	Dyer		4,097		49.95%		3,868		47.15%		221		2.69%		17		0.21%		229		2.80%		8,203
	Fayette		1,370		48.95%		892		31.87%		517		18.47%		20		0.71%		478		17.08%		2,799
	Fentress		2,726		71.89%		1,014		26.74%		37		0.98%		15		0.40%		1,712		45.15%		3,792
	Franklin		2,041		28.59%		5,041		70.61%		45		0.63%		12		0.17%		-3,000		-42.02%		7,139
	Gibson		5,173		45.66%		5,796		51.16%		330		2.91%		30		0.26%		-623		-5.50%		11,329
	Giles		1,598		24.54%		4,879		74.91%		24		0.37%		12		0.18%		-3,281		-50.37%		6,513
	Grainger		3,017		75.86%		939		23.61%		12		0.30%		9		0.23%		2,078		52.25%		3,977
	Greene		8,835		66.55%		4,406		33.19%		20		0.15%		15		0.11%		4,429		33.36%		13,276
	Grundy		786		26.55%		2,143		72.40%		19		0.64%		12		0.41%		-1,357		-45.85%		2,960
	Hamblen		7,093		69.23%		3,122		30.47%		30		0.29%		0		0.00%		3,971		38.76%		10,245
	Hamilton		39,703		55.70%		30,482		42.77%		959		1.35%		133		0.19%		9,221		12.93%		71,277
	Hancock		2,107		82.56%		438		17.16%		7		0.27%		0		0.00%		1,669		65.40%		2,552
	Hardeman		1,601		44.42%		1,711		47.48%		288		7.99%		4		0.11%		-110		-3.06%		3,604
	Hardin		3,323		65.18%		1,690		33.15%		73		1.43%		12		0.24%		1,633		32.03%		5,098
	Hawkins		7,010		72.48%		2,586		26.74%		65		0.67%		11		0.11%		4,424		45.74%		9,672
	Haywood		1,188		35.63%		1,867		56.00%		258		7.74%		21		0.63%		-679		-20.37%		3,334
	Henderson		3,597		70.14%		1,490		29.06%		31		0.60%		10		0.20%		2,107		41.08%		5,128
	Henry		3,033		36.93%		5,049		61.48%		131		1.60%		0		0.00%		-2,016		-24.55%		8,213
	Hickman		1,224		33.20%		2,401		65.12%		38		1.03%		24		0.65%		-1,177		-31.92%		3,687
	Houston		366		23.87%		1,150		75.02%		13		0.85%		4		0.26%		-784		-51.15%		1,533
	Humphreys		1,126		29.90%		2,592		68.83%		27		0.72%		21		0.56%		-1,466		-38.93%		3,766
	Jackson		1,049		39.80%		1,539		58.38%		10		0.38%		38		1.44%		-490		-18.58%		2,636
	Jefferson		6,141		78.79%		1,620		20.79%		28		0.36%		5		0.06%		4,521		58.00%		7,794
	Johnson		3,854		86.74%		571		12.85%		13		0.29%		5		0.11%		3,283		73.89%		4,443
	Knox		50,811		61.00%		31,990		38.40%		413		0.50%		86		0.10%		18,821		22.60%		83,300
	Lake		732		34.03%		1,346		62.58%		62		2.88%		11		0.51%		-614		-28.55%		2,151
	Lauderdale		1,322		27.36%		3,462		71.65%		48		0.99%		0		0.00%		-2,140		-44.29%		4,832
	Lawrence		5,709		53.66%		4,862		45.70%		47		0.44%		21		0.20%		847		7.96%		10,639
	Lewis		580		25.09%		1,723		74.52%		4		0.17%		5		0.22%		-1,143		-49.43%		2,312
	Lincoln		1,428		22.53%		4,862		76.71%		30		0.47%		18		0.28%		-3,434		-54.18%		6,338
	Loudon		5,356		65.47%		2,722		33.27%		61		0.75%		42		0.51%		2,634		32.20%		8,181
	Macon		2,829		74.80%		915		24.19%		38		1.00%		0		0.00%		1,914		50.61%		3,782
	Madison		8,863		50.09%		8,083		45.68%		717		4.05%		30		0.17%		780		4.41%		17,693
	Marion		2,657		45.30%		3,124		53.27%		76		1.30%		8		0.14%		-467		-7.97%		5,865
	Marshall		1,717		31.87%		3,625		67.29%		38		0.71%		7		0.13%		-1,908		-35.42%		5,387
	Maury		4,133		37.99%		6,615		60.81%		113		1.04%		18		0.17%		-2,482		-22.82%		10,879
	McMinn		6,586		61.17%		4,111		38.18%		70		0.65%		0		0.00%		2,475		22.99%		10,767
	McNairy		3,310		59.15%		2,173		38.83%		93		1.66%		20		0.36%		1,137		20.32%		5,596
	Meigs		901		56.14%		691		43.05%		7		0.44%		6		0.37%		210		13.09%		1,605
	Monroe		4,991		59.05%		3,375		39.93%		36		0.43%		50		0.59%		1,616		19.12%		8,452
	Montgomery		2,550		24.83%		7,635		74.34%		61		0.59%		24		0.23%		-5,085		-49.51%		10,270
	Moore		313		26.37%		863		72.70%		9		0.76%		2		0.17%		-550		-46.33%		1,187
	Morgan		2,241		58.13%		1,576		40.88%		38		0.99%		0		0.00%		665		17.25%		3,855
	Obion		3,800		46.36%		4,244		51.78%		122		1.49%		30		0.37%		-444		-5.42%		8,196
	Overton		1,831		43.06%		2,389		56.19%		23		0.54%		9		0.21%		-558		-13.13%		4,252
	Perry		645		37.13%		1,076		61.95%		8		0.46%		8		0.46%		-431		-24.82%		1,737
	Pickett		1,154		67.05%		567		32.95%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		587		34.10%		1,721
	Polk		2,187		58.30%		1,532		40.84%		23		0.61%		9		0.24%		655		17.46%		3,751
	Putnam		4,240		48.65%		4,443		50.98%		32		0.37%		0		0.00%		-203		-2.33%		8,715
	Rhea		2,721		59.78%		1,761		38.69%		52		1.14%		18		0.40%		960		21.09%		4,552
	Roane		6,540		56.25%		4,953		42.60%		108		0.93%		25		0.22%		1,587		13.65%		11,626
	Robertson		1,776		30.15%		4,053		68.80%		46		0.78%		16		0.27%		-2,277		-38.65%		5,891
	Rutherford		4,526		40.95%		6,410		58.00%		91		0.82%		25		0.23%		-1,884		-17.05%		11,052
	Scott		3,301		74.84%		1,098		24.89%		3		0.07%		9		0.20%		2,203		49.95%		4,411
	Sequatchie		703		42.48%		930		56.19%		18		1.09%		4		0.24%		-227		-13.71%		1,655
	Sevier		7,818		85.05%		1,341		14.59%		27		0.29%		6		0.07%		6,477		70.46%		9,192
	Shelby		87,191		49.37%		86,270		48.85%		2,956		1.67%		190		0.11%		921		0.52%		176,607
	Smith		1,601		39.43%		2,411		59.38%		36		0.89%		12		0.30%		-810		-19.95%		4,060
	Stewart		539		22.59%		1,810		75.86%		31		1.30%		6		0.25%		-1,271		-53.27%		2,386
	Sullivan		22,354		59.46%		14,731		39.18%		139		0.37%		374		0.99%		7,623		20.28%		37,598
	Sumner		3,491		34.02%		6,687		65.17%		58		0.57%		25		0.24%		-3,196		-31.15%		10,261
	Tipton		1,829		30.91%		3,853		65.12%		211		3.57%		24		0.41%		-2,024		-34.21%		5,917
	Trousdale		308		22.71%		1,036		76.40%		9		0.66%		3		0.22%		-728		-53.69%		1,356
	Unicoi		4,004		75.04%		1,322		24.78%		7		0.13%		3		0.06%		2,682		50.26%		5,336
	Union		2,082		75.63%		652		23.68%		11		0.40%		8		0.29%		1,430		51.95%		2,753
	Van Buren		401		40.30%		577		57.99%		7		0.70%		10		1.01%		-176		-17.69%		995
	Warren		2,682		45.92%		3,119		53.40%		32		0.55%		8		0.14%		-437		-7.48%		5,841
	Washington		14,851		69.93%		6,283		29.59%		63		0.30%		39		0.18%		8,568		40.34%		21,236
	Wayne		2,912		75.21%		931		24.04%		17		0.44%		12		0.31%		1,981		51.17%		3,872
	Weakley		3,543		43.69%		4,488		55.35%		78		0.96%		0		0.00%		-945		-11.66%		8,109
	White		1,725		43.15%		2,207		55.20%		35		0.88%		31		0.78%		-482		-12.05%		3,998
	Williamson		2,699		37.34%		4,471		61.86%		49		0.68%		9		0.12%		-1,772		-24.52%		7,228
	Wilson		3,383		40.77%		4,857		58.54%		49		0.59%		8		0.10%		-1,474		-17.77%		8,297
Totals	556,577	52.92%	481,453	45.77%	11,304	1.07%	2,458	0.23%	75,124	7.15%	1,051,792

Analysis

Tennessee was, despite unclear predictions before the election, comfortably won by Nixon and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., with 52.92 percent of the popular vote. Kennedy and running mate Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson won 45.77 percent of the popular vote.^{[21] [22]}

Nixon was the first losing Republican to win Tennessee, and the only one until John McCain in 2008. Kennedy was the first Democrat to win without the state since 1852. Nixon’s win was due to general gains due to the strong anti-Catholicism of this “Bible Belt” state.^[23] Unlike Herbert Hoover’s 1928 victory against previous Catholic nominee Al Smith, Nixon also made strong gains amongst white voters of the Black Belt who had deserted the Democrats since Harry S. Truman’s first civil rights proclamations.^[24]

Notes and References

1. Web site: United States Presidential election of 1960 – Encyclopædia Britannica. June 7, 2017.
2. Web site: 1960 Election for the Forty-Fourth Term (1961-65). June 7, 2017.
3. Wright. John K.. Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps. Geographical Review. 22. 4. October 1932. 666–672. 10.2307/208821 . 208821 .
4. [Valdimer Orlando Key|Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando]
5. Book: Lyons. William. Scheb (II). John M.. Stair. Billy. Government and Politics in Tennessee. 2001 . 183–184. 1572331410.
6. Grantham. Dewey W.. Tennessee and Twentieth-Century American Politics. Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 54. 3. Fall 1995. 210–229.
7. [Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Phillips, Kevin P.]
8. Reichard. Gary W.. The Aberration of 1920: An Analysis of Harding's Victory in Tennessee. The Journal of Southern History. 36. 1. February 1970. 33–49. 10.2307/2206601 . 2206601 .
9. Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 287
10. Book: Majors, William R.. Change and continuity: Tennessee politics since the Civil War. 72. 9780865542099. 1986.
11. Book: Vile. John R.. Byrnes. Mark Eaton. Tennessee government and politics: democracy in the volunteer state. 1998. 2–3. 0826513093.
12. Strong. Donald S.. August 1955. The Presidential Election in the South, 1952. The Journal of Politics. The University of Chicago Press. 17. 3. 343–389. 10.1017/S0022381600091064 . 154634842 .
13. Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 221
14. News: Scott. Gavin. Both received Warm Welcomes: Many Sized Up Kennedy, Nixon on Tennessee Visits. The Knoxville News-Sentinel. October 9, 1960. A-6.
15. News: Hoffman. Fred S.. How Election Looks Today. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. October 3, 1960. 1, 3.
16. News: Populous States Are Key: Both Parties Claim Enough Votes To Win. A-4. October 23, 1960. Knoxville News Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee.
17. News: Lewis. Ted. Campaign Circus. Daily News. Jersey City, New Jersey. October 28, 1960. 4C.
18. News: Poll of Editors Predicts Victory for Nixon—Lodge: Republican Ticket Seen Winning in 28 States and Democrats in 19. The Daily Evening Item. November 4, 1960. 3.
19. News: "Poll of Polls" Sums Up Major Opinion Surveys. Los Angeles Times. November 6, 1960. 27. Los Angeles, California.
20. Web site: Our Campaigns. TN US President, November 08, 1960.
21. Web site: 1960 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee. June 7, 2017.
22. Web site: The American Presidency Project – Election of 1960. June 7, 2017.
23. Book: Larson, Edward J.. Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion. 3 October 2006 . 9780465075102.
24. Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 357-361