1968 United States presidential election in Indiana explained

See main article: 1968 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1968 United States presidential election in Indiana
Country:Indiana
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1964 United States presidential election in Indiana
Previous Year:1964
Next Election:1972 United States presidential election in Indiana
Next Year:1972
Election Date:November 5, 1968
Image1:Nixon_30-0316a_(cropped).jpg
Nominee1:Richard Nixon
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:New York
Running Mate1:Spiro Agnew
Electoral Vote1:13
Popular Vote1:1,067,885
Percentage1:50.29%
Nominee2:Hubert Humphrey
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:Minnesota
Running Mate2:Edmund Muskie
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:806,659
Percentage2:37.99%
Image3:George Wallace (D-AL) (3x4).jpg
Nominee3:George Wallace
Party3:American Independent Party
Color3:ff7f00
Home State3:Alabama
Running Mate3:Curtis LeMay
Electoral Vote3:0
Popular Vote3:243,108
Percentage3:11.45%
Map Size:300px
President
Before Election:Lyndon B. Johnson
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Richard Nixon
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1968 United States presidential election in Indiana was held on November 5, 1968. State voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Indiana had been a traditionally Republican state that had turned away from Barry Goldwater in 1964 due to powerful hostility to Goldwater's leanings from its Yankee and Appalachia-influenced Northern and Southern regions,[1] despite having been the centre of a Democratic primary challenge from segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace that attracted considerable support in towns that would soon become part of the “Rust Belt”.[2] However, Wallace lost by worse than one-to-two against solitary opponent Matthew E. Welsh in Indiana[3] and unlike in Maryland his Indiana support was mostly among the middle classes.[4]

In the mid-term elections, the Republicans made major gains in Southern Indiana with its Appalachia influence[5] and in the significantly German central section, but did less well in the north of the state. 1968 saw Indiana – for the second consecutive election – as the center of a major primary battle, this time involving Bobby Kennedy (who was to be assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan that June). Like his brother John, Bobby was interested in entering a primary in a highly Protestant and Southern-influenced state to test his strength.[6] as JFK had done in West Virginia. RFK would win the state, but his performance was regarded as disappointing, especially in white urban areas where he was outpolled by Eugene McCarthy.[7]

Nixon was able, as expected,[8] to restore Indiana's Republican dominance, defeating Humphrey by 12.30 percentage points.[9] Wallace, in a state with considerable “Southern” influence,[10] had some late October polls place him even with Humphrey at around 20%,[11] but the former Alabama Governor would lose almost half of this by polling day. Wallace gained his most substantial support in urban ethnic districts where resentment of blacks and recent race riots had become substantial over the previous two years,[12] but did not do so well elsewhere in the state since – like Goldwater – he was viewed as too aligned with the Deep South.

Nixon's victory was the first of ten consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Indiana would not vote Democratic again until Barack Obama narrowly won the state in 2008. However, Indiana has remained a safe Republican state since then.

Results

Results by county

CountyRichard Nixon
Republican
Hubert Humphrey
Democratic
George Wallace
American Independent
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
%%%%%
Adams5,77451.28%4,66741.45%7626.77%560.50%1,1079.83%11,259
Allen59,21154.34%40,41137.09%9,1218.37%2110.19%18,80017.25%108,954
Bartholomew13,62855.80%8,26833.85%2,4389.98%900.37%5,36021.95%24,424
Benton3,32659.54%1,85433.19%4007.16%60.11%1,47226.35%5,586
Blackford3,05246.92%2,89844.56%5348.21%200.31%1542.36%6,504
Boone7,90558.96%4,11830.72%1,34610.04%380.28%3,78728.24%13,407
Brown1,88149.41%1,32734.86%58715.42%120.32%55414.55%3,807
Carroll4,79656.19%2,81632.99%91810.76%50.06%1,98023.20%8,535
Cass9,44151.54%7,14238.99%1,6789.16%570.31%2,29912.55%18,318
Clark10,30538.33%11,49342.75%4,98218.53%1060.39%-1,188-4.42%26,886
Clay5,74350.83%3,95635.02%1,56913.89%300.27%1,78715.81%11,298
Clinton7,92953.91%5,71438.85%1,0337.02%310.21%2,21515.06%14,707
Crawford2,13249.81%1,53635.89%58913.76%230.54%59613.92%4,280
Daviess7,03656.77%4,07132.85%1,27410.28%120.10%2,96523.92%12,393
Dearborn6,20848.65%4,84237.95%1,70413.35%60.05%1,36610.70%12,760
Decatur5,47455.67%3,60236.63%7317.43%260.26%1,87219.04%9,833
DeKalb7,65056.93%4,79035.65%9316.93%670.50%2,86021.28%13,438
Delaware23,55447.56%19,53239.44%6,34912.82%880.18%4,0228.12%49,523
Dubois5,86543.24%6,72549.58%9587.06%150.11%-860-6.34%13,563
Elkhart24,48457.90%14,22233.63%3,4408.13%1430.34%10,26224.27%42,289
Fayette5,28646.92%4,54940.38%1,41312.54%180.16%7376.54%11,266
Floyd9,71440.99%10,67145.02%3,26613.78%500.21%-957-4.03%23,701
Fountain5,11053.02%3,23733.59%1,28013.28%100.10%1,87319.43%9,637
Franklin3,46852.28%2,38635.97%77511.68%50.08%1,08216.31%6,634
Fulton5,14560.72%2,56130.22%7578.93%110.13%2,58430.50%8,474
Gibson7,64547.91%6,77742.47%1,4979.38%380.24%8685.44%15,957
Grant16,17052.46%10,93835.48%3,60211.68%1160.38%5,23216.98%30,826
Greene6,52548.37%5,49340.72%1,41910.52%540.40%1,0327.65%13,491
Hamilton14,25067.63%4,58621.77%2,20210.45%310.15%9,66445.86%21,069
Hancock7,51656.23%3,90229.19%1,89614.19%520.39%3,61427.04%13,366
Harrison4,41045.32%3,72538.28%1,55716.00%390.40%6857.04%9,731
Hendricks12,59759.89%5,15524.51%3,23115.36%490.23%7,44235.38%21,032
Henry11,62652.61%8,04536.41%2,36610.71%600.27%3,58116.20%22,097
Howard15,90550.39%11,02634.93%4,50714.28%1280.41%4,87915.46%31,566
Huntington9,00254.48%6,23837.75%1,2507.57%330.20%2,76416.73%16,523
Jackson7,71052.02%5,14034.68%1,89112.76%800.54%2,57017.34%14,821
Jasper4,99660.54%2,20126.67%1,00312.15%520.63%2,79533.87%8,252
Jay5,46051.00%4,29040.07%9188.58%370.35%1,17010.93%10,705
Jefferson5,73149.31%4,63539.88%1,19610.29%610.52%1,0969.43%11,623
Jennings4,41651.11%2,99634.68%1,21414.05%140.16%1,42016.43%8,640
Johnson12,08957.26%5,94628.17%3,02114.31%550.26%6,14329.09%21,111
Knox8,36946.97%7,29740.95%2,05311.52%990.56%1,0726.02%17,818
Kosciusko12,63363.98%5,34227.06%1,7008.61%690.35%7,29136.92%19,744
LaGrange3,32861.54%1,69131.27%3807.03%90.17%1,63730.27%5,408
Lake77,91136.48%99,89746.77%35,09916.43%6670.31%-21,986-10.29%213,574
LaPorte20,29549.76%15,78038.69%4,58711.25%1210.30%4,51511.07%40,783
Lawrence8,83054.35%5,34932.92%1,99512.28%740.46%3,48121.43%16,248
Madison28,72648.39%23,88640.23%6,61311.14%1430.24%4,8408.16%59,368
Marion162,50352.26%115,71537.22%32,04310.31%6610.21%46,78815.04%310,922
Marshall9,29056.67%5,38532.85%1,68510.28%340.21%3,90523.82%16,394
Martin2,51246.22%2,31542.59%60411.11%40.07%1973.63%5,435
Miami7,29553.42%5,01936.76%1,2949.48%470.34%2,27616.66%13,655
Monroe13,75250.78%10,78939.84%2,3618.72%1780.66%2,96310.94%27,080
Montgomery9,08559.87%4,75231.31%1,3098.63%290.19%4,33328.56%15,175
Morgan8,94455.45%4,04225.06%3,12219.36%220.14%4,90230.39%16,130
Newton3,14561.75%1,45328.53%4839.48%120.24%1,69233.22%5,093
Noble6,69951.35%5,07538.90%1,2539.60%190.15%1,62412.45%13,046
Ohio1,05346.04%99143.33%24310.63%00.00%622.71%2,287
Orange4,66654.82%2,91834.28%91510.75%130.15%1,74820.54%8,512
Owen2,89851.58%1,93234.39%77613.81%120.21%96617.19%5,618
Parke3,73852.47%2,47234.70%90712.73%70.10%1,26617.77%7,124
Perry4,21146.23%4,34347.68%5476.01%70.08%-132-1.45%9,108
Pike3,08745.38%2,95343.41%74510.95%170.25%1341.97%6,802
Porter17,32853.18%8,91427.36%6,12618.80%2140.66%8,41425.82%32,582
Posey5,04549.70%3,88938.32%1,20411.86%120.12%1,15611.38%10,150
Pulaski3,36154.80%2,07133.77%68111.10%200.33%1,29021.03%6,133
Putnam5,87351.47%3,69232.36%1,82616.00%190.17%2,18119.11%11,410
Randolph7,23857.14%3,96231.28%1,43111.30%360.28%3,27625.86%12,667
Ripley5,38951.82%3,78736.42%1,21511.68%80.08%1,60215.40%10,399
Rush5,00459.42%2,63631.30%7619.04%200.24%2,36828.12%8,421
St. Joseph47,11444.09%47,41444.37%11,94811.18%3880.36%-300-0.28%106,864
Scott2,67142.62%2,79644.61%78412.51%160.26%-125-1.99%6,267
Shelby8,57452.84%5,41733.38%2,20513.59%300.18%3,15719.46%16,226
Spencer4,60351.18%3,76741.89%6126.81%110.12%8369.29%8,993
Starke4,01147.95%3,20838.35%1,09713.11%490.59%8039.60%8,365
Steuben4,76262.51%2,26829.77%5777.57%110.14%2,49432.74%7,618
Sullivan4,26643.20%4,45345.10%1,13511.49%200.20%-187-1.90%9,874
Switzerland1,51544.07%1,46642.64%45213.15%50.15%491.43%3,438
Tippecanoe24,35259.44%14,52835.46%2,0004.88%880.21%9,82423.98%40,968
Tipton4,27054.73%2,64633.91%86111.04%250.32%1,62420.82%7,802
Union1,69156.01%92030.47%40413.38%40.13%77125.54%3,019
Vanderburgh38,23149.28%31,32640.38%7,7379.97%2830.36%6,9058.90%77,577
Vermillion3,60741.76%3,84544.52%1,17513.60%100.12%-238-2.76%8,637
Vigo20,81444.60%20,32843.56%5,38611.54%1360.29%4861.04%46,664
Wabash8,61161.07%4,59832.61%8365.93%560.40%4,01328.46%14,101
Warren2,47557.00%1,37531.67%48311.12%90.21%1,10025.33%4,342
Warrick5,74247.53%4,78439.60%1,50312.44%520.43%9587.93%12,081
Washington3,89148.61%2,93636.68%1,14314.28%340.42%95511.93%8,004
Wayne17,33553.66%10,68633.08%4,24013.12%470.15%6,64920.58%32,308
Wells5,36153.07%3,82737.89%8828.73%310.31%1,53415.18%10,101
White5,93257.56%3,39532.95%9659.36%130.13%2,53724.61%10,305
Whitley5,68453.27%3,84836.06%1,12010.50%190.18%1,83617.21%10,671
Totals1,067,88550.29%806,65937.99%243,10811.45%5,9450.28%261,22612.30%2,123,597

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

Notes and References

  1. Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 363–364, 397
  2. Welsh, Matthew E.; ‘Civil Rights and the Primary Election of 1964 in Indiana: The Wallace Challenge’; Indiana Magazine of History, vol. 75, no. 1 (March 1979), pp. 1–27
  3. Lesher, Stephan (1994). George Wallace: American Populist, p. 295
  4. [Mary Margaret Conway|Conway M. Margaret]
  5. Phillips, The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 366
  6. Boomhower, Ray E. Robert F. Kennedy and the 1968 Indiana Primary, pp. 6–7
  7. Cohen, Michael A.; American Maelstrom: The 1968 Election and Politics of Division, p. 130
  8. ‘Electoral Vote: Nixon 359, HHH 46’; Boston Globe, October 7, 1968, p. 24
  9. Web site: 1968 Presidential General Election Results – Indiana. Leip. David. Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2017-04-25.
  10. Phillips, The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 344
  11. Mobley, Willard; ‘Nixon Has Edge In 26 States’; Boston Globe, October 20, 1968, p. 22
  12. Shaffer, William R. and Caputo, David A.; ‘Political Continuity in Indiana Presidential Elections: An Analysis Based on the Key-Munger Paradigm’; Midwest Journal of Political Science, vol. 16, no. 4 (November 1972), pp. 700–711