1968 United States presidential election in Michigan explained

See main article: 1968 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1968 United States presidential election in Michigan
Country:	Michigan
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1964 United States presidential election in Michigan
Previous Year:	1964
Next Election:	1972 United States presidential election in Michigan
Next Year:	1972
Votes For Election:	All 21 Michigan votes to the Electoral College
Turnout:	66.8% ^[1]
Election Date:	November 5, 1968
Image1:	Hubert Humphrey in New York, 1968 (3x4 crop).jpg
Nominee1:	Hubert Humphrey
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State1:	Minnesota
Running Mate1:	Edmund Muskie
Electoral Vote1:	21
Popular Vote1:	1,593,082
Percentage1:	48.18%
Nominee2:	Richard Nixon
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:	New York
Running Mate2:	Spiro Agnew
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	1,370,665
Percentage2:	41.46%
Image3:	George Wallace (D-AL) (3x4).jpg
Nominee3:	George Wallace
Party3:	American Independent Party
Home State3:	Alabama
Running Mate3:	S. Marvin Griffin
Electoral Vote3:	0
Popular Vote3:	331,968
Percentage3:	10.04%
President
Before Election:	Lyndon B. Johnson
Before Party:	Democratic
After Election:	Richard Nixon
After Party:	Republican
Map Size:	375px
Colour3:	ff7f00

The 1968 United States presidential election in Michigan was held on November5, 1968. All 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose 21 electors to represent them in the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Michigan was won by the Democratic Party candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, defeating the Republican Party candidate, former vice president Richard Nixon, by a margin of 6.72%, making the state 6.79% more Democratic than the national average.^[2] American Independent Party candidate George Wallace, former and future governor of Alabama, received 10% of the vote.

Humphrey's margin of victory was significantly narrower than President Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide 33.60-point triumph in 1964. American involvement in the Vietnam War and rioting throughout the country (including in Detroit) brought about unpopularity for the incumbent president and disenchantment towards his political agenda. Vice President Humphrey vowed to continue the policies of Johnson's Great Society and support civil rights for African Americans, while former vice president Nixon ran on a law and order platform focused on fighting crime and opposing the Johnson administration's handling of the war in Vietnam. Governor Wallace ran a right-wing populist campaign railing against rioting, desegregation, and the counterculture.

Although Wallace did not poll as well in the Midwest as he did in the South, he was able to appeal to blue-collar working-class voters who traditionally voted Democratic but had become disillusioned with crime and the civil-rights movement. As a result, he siphoned off enough votes to allow Nixon to win every state in the region except for Humphrey's home state of Minnesota and Michigan. Even with Michigan being Wallace's second-best Midwestern state behind Ohio, Humphrey was able to hold on to the Wolverine State's electoral votes for the Democrats once more, mainly by running up margins in heavily populated Wayne County (Detroit), neighboring Macomb and Monroe Counties, Genesee County (Flint), and the Upper Peninsula. Nixon would become the first Republican to win the White House without Michigan, a feat that only George W. Bush has repeated. Humphrey was the first losing Democrat to carry Michigan since Lewis Cass in 1848. Michigan would not vote Democratic again until 1992.

, this is the last time that Wayne County cast more than a million votes.

Campaign

The Peace and Freedom Party who appealed to the counterculture along with student radicals and black voters^[3] held their party convention at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with Eldridge Cleaver of the Black Panther Party being nominated for president despite being under the minimum age requirement to be president as Cleaver was 33^[4] and the minimum age requirement to be president is that one be at least 35 years old when taking office.^[5] Despite being underage he would still appear on the ballot in Michigan.

Marvin Griffin appeared on the ballot as George Wallace's running mate in Michigan because Griffin was intended to be a filler candidate and by the time Wallace had selected Curtis LeMay as his running mate it was too late in the state for changes regarding 3rd party candidates on the ballot in the state^{[6] [7]} as Curtis LeMay was selected as his running mate in October^[8] and the deadline for 3rd party candidates was in September.

Predictions

Results

Results by county

County^[10]	Hubert Humphrey Democratic		Richard Nixon Republican		George Wallace American Independent		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast^[11]
		%		%		%		%		%
	Alcona		958		30.39%		1,852		58.76%		338		10.72%		4		0.13%		-894		-28.37%		3,152
	Alger		1,927		54.87%		1,406		40.03%		173		4.93%		6		0.17%		521		14.84%		3,512
	Allegan		7,276		29.72%		14,769		60.32%		2,389		9.76%		49		0.20%		-7,493		-30.60%		24,483
	Alpena		4,788		42.52%		5,717		50.77%		747		6.63%		9		0.08%		-929		-8.25%		11,261
	Antrim		1,690		33.35%		3,002		59.23%		374		7.38%		2		0.04%		-1,312		-25.88%		5,068
	Arenac		1,573		39.43%		2,089		52.37%		324		8.12%		3		0.08%		-516		-12.94%		3,989
	Baraga		1,680		50.63%		1,508		45.45%		116		3.50%		14		0.42%		172		5.18%		3,318
	Barry		5,206		33.81%		8,492		55.14%		1,674		10.87%		28		0.18%		-3,286		-21.33%		15,400
	Bay		21,410		50.30%		18,779		44.12%		2,291		5.38%		87		0.20%		2,631		6.18%		42,567
	Benzie		1,147		32.68%		2,138		60.91%		219		6.24%		6		0.17%		-991		-28.23%		3,510
	Berrien		21,266		33.80%		32,136		51.08%		9,333		14.83%		181		0.29%		-10,870		-17.28%		62,916
	Branch		4,518		35.70%		7,071		55.88%		1,037		8.20%		28		0.22%		-2,553		-20.18%		12,654
	Calhoun		22,633		41.18%		26,181		47.64%		5,944		10.82%		202		0.37%		-3,548		-6.46%		54,960
	Cass		5,616		37.68%		6,996		46.93%		2,257		15.14%		37		0.25%		-1,380		-9.25%		14,906
	Charlevoix		2,446		36.49%		3,696		55.14%		556		8.29%		5		0.07%		-1,250		-18.65%		6,703
	Cheboygan		2,840		41.17%		3,422		49.60%		634		9.19%		3		0.04%		-582		-8.43%		6,899
	Chippewa		4,132		40.13%		5,359		52.04%		793		7.70%		13		0.13%		-1,227		-11.91%		10,297
	Clare		1,909		32.74%		3,315		56.85%		602		10.32%		5		0.09%		-1,406		-24.11%		5,831
	Clinton		5,548		33.45%		9,416		56.77%		1,591		9.59%		30		0.18%		-3,868		-23.32%		16,585
	Crawford		845		36.74%		1,266		55.04%		187		8.13%		2		0.09%		-421		-18.30%		2,300
	Delta		7,821		54.45%		5,829		40.58%		700		4.87%		14		0.10%		1,992		13.87%		14,364
	Dickinson		5,726		51.15%		4,920		43.95%		533		4.76%		15		0.13%		806		7.20%		11,194
	Eaton		8,347		33.62%		14,184		57.13%		2,252		9.07%		43		0.17%		-5,837		-23.51%		24,826
	Emmet		2,624		35.04%		4,405		58.83%		446		5.96%		13		0.17%		-1,781		-23.79%		7,488
	Genesee		75,174		45.83%		63,948		38.99%		24,539		14.96%		352		0.21%		11,226		6.84%		164,013
	Gladwin		1,668		33.21%		2,840		56.55%		511		10.18%		3		0.06%		-1,172		-23.34%		5,022
	Gogebic		5,839		56.00%		4,140		39.71%		434		4.16%		13		0.12%		1,699		16.29%		10,426
	Grand Traverse		4,741		32.55%		8,960		61.51%		843		5.79%		23		0.16%		-4,219		-28.96%		14,567
	Gratiot		4,040		30.13%		8,404		62.68%		949		7.08%		15		0.11%		-4,364		-32.55%		13,408
	Hillsdale		3,803		28.29%		8,506		63.27%		1,107		8.23%		28		0.21%		-4,703		-34.98%		13,444
	Houghton		6,988		49.41%		6,639		46.94%		473		3.34%		43		0.30%		349		2.47%		14,143
	Huron		3,607		26.62%		8,743		64.51%		1,178		8.69%		24		0.18%		-5,136		-37.89%		13,552
	Ingham		37,362		41.08%		46,805		51.46%		6,432		7.07%		354		0.39%		-9,443		-10.38%		90,953
	Ionia		6,055		37.92%		8,625		54.01%		1,261		7.90%		27		0.17%		-2,570		-16.09%		15,968
	Iosco		2,533		34.51%		4,068		55.42%		736		10.03%		3		0.04%		-1,535		-20.91%		7,340
	Iron		4,130		53.14%		3,292		42.36%		340		4.37%		10		0.13%		838		10.78%		7,772
	Isabella		4,450		35.90%		7,111		57.37%		808		6.52%		27		0.22%		-2,661		-21.47%		12,396
	Jackson		18,205		35.11%		27,828		53.66%		5,689		10.97%		135		0.26%		-9,623		-18.55%		51,857
	Kalamazoo		26,437		35.81%		39,796		53.90%		7,398		10.02%		201		0.27%		-13,359		-18.09%		73,832
	Kalkaska		753		33.72%		1,190		53.29%		288		12.90%		2		0.09%		-437		-19.57%		2,233
	Kent		61,891		38.72%		85,810		53.68%		11,584		7.25%		565		0.35%		-23,919		-14.96%		159,850
	Keweenaw		602		50.42%		525		43.97%		65		5.44%		2		0.17%		77		6.45%		1,194
	Lake		1,482		52.97%		1,094		39.10%		220		7.86%		2		0.07%		388		13.87%		2,798
	Lapeer		5,199		32.17%		8,866		54.85%		2,081		12.88%		17		0.11%		-3,667		-22.68%		16,163
	Leelanau		1,562		33.53%		2,798		60.06%		292		6.27%		7		0.15%		-1,236		-26.53%		4,659
	Lenawee		10,552		36.20%		16,280		55.85%		2,197		7.54%		118		0.40%		-5,728		-19.65%		29,147
	Livingston		7,052		35.85%		10,034		51.01%		2,543		12.93%		41		0.21%		-2,982		-15.16%		19,670
	Luce		855		36.92%		1,351		58.33%		109		4.71%		1		0.04%		-496		-21.41%		2,316
	Mackinac		1,751		38.26%		2,507		54.77%		317		6.93%		2		0.04%		-756		-16.51%		4,577
	Macomb		114,552		55.19%		63,139		30.42%		29,239		14.09%		647		0.31%		51,413		24.77%		207,577
	Manistee		3,671		44.20%		4,007		48.24%		614		7.39%		14		0.17%		-336		-4.04%		8,306
	Marquette		11,199		53.34%		8,960		42.68%		802		3.82%		34		0.16%		2,239		10.66%		20,995
	Mason		3,660		37.23%		5,311		54.02%		854		8.69%		6		0.06%		-1,651		-16.79%		9,831
	Mecosta		2,738		32.49%		5,053		59.97%		625		7.42%		10		0.12%		-2,315		-27.48%		8,426
	Menominee		4,877		48.25%		4,599		45.50%		620		6.13%		12		0.12%		278		2.75%		10,108
	Midland		7,428		31.40%		14,329		60.57%		1,849		7.82%		52		0.22%		-6,901		-29.17%		23,658
	Missaukee		736		23.06%		2,161		67.72%		292		9.15%		2		0.06%		-1,425		-44.66%		3,191
	Monroe		18,921		47.81%		15,685		39.64%		4,873		12.31%		93		0.24%		3,236		8.17%		39,572
	Montcalm		5,303		35.59%		8,329		55.89%		1,244		8.35%		26		0.17%		-3,026		-20.30%		14,902
	Montmorency		810		34.45%		1,279		54.40%		260		11.06%		2		0.09%		-469		-19.95%		2,351
	Muskegon		24,492		41.74%		28,233		48.11%		5,808		9.90%		150		0.26%		-3,741		-6.37%		58,683
	Newaygo		3,369		30.49%		6,626		59.97%		1,042		9.43%		11		0.10%		-3,257		-29.48%		11,048
	Oakland		154,630		44.76%		156,538		45.31%		33,024		9.56%		1,266		0.37%		-1,908		-0.55%		345,458
	Oceana		2,152		30.93%		3,911		56.22%		876		12.59%		18		0.26%		-1,759		-25.29%		6,957
	Ogemaw		1,647		35.57%		2,526		54.56%		454		9.81%		3		0.06%		-879		-18.99%		4,630
	Ontonagon		2,462		49.15%		2,290		45.72%		252		5.03%		5		0.10%		172		3.43%		5,009
	Osceola		1,509		25.97%		3,705		63.77%		583		10.03%		13		0.22%		-2,196		-37.80%		5,810
	Oscoda		563		30.53%		1,124		60.95%		157		8.51%		0		0.00%		-561		-30.42%		1,844
	Otsego		1,661		43.79%		1,871		49.33%		259		6.83%		2		0.05%		-210		-5.54%		3,793
	Ottawa		12,431		25.19%		33,356		67.60%		3,460		7.01%		95		0.19%		-20,925		-42.41%		49,342
	Presque Isle		2,300		43.80%		2,565		48.85%		385		7.33%		1		0.02%		-265		-5.05%		5,251
	Roscommon		1,639		34.78%		2,635		55.91%		431		9.14%		8		0.17%		-996		-21.13%		4,713
	Saginaw		32,266		41.67%		38,070		49.17%		6,906		8.92%		181		0.23%		-5,804		-7.50%		77,423
	Sanilac		3,193		22.54%		9,273		65.45%		1,692		11.94%		10		0.07%		-6,080		-42.91%		14,168
	Schoolcraft		1,869		48.62%		1,745		45.40%		227		5.91%		3		0.08%		124		3.22%		3,844
	Shiawassee		8,619		38.25%		11,465		50.88%		2,377		10.55%		71		0.32%		-2,846		-12.63%		22,532
	St. Clair		16,251		38.09%		21,084		49.41%		5,261		12.33%		73		0.17%		-4,833		-11.32%		42,669
	St. Joseph		5,413		30.68%		10,445		59.20%		1,759		9.97%		28		0.16%		-5,032		-28.52%		17,645
	Tuscola		4,698		28.28%		10,205		61.44%		1,682		10.13%		25		0.15%		-5,507		-33.16%		16,610
	Van Buren		7,304		35.44%		10,676		51.81%		2,560		12.42%		67		0.33%		-3,372		-16.37%		20,607
	Washtenaw		33,073		42.50%		36,432		46.82%		7,456		9.58%		853		1.10%		-3,359		-4.32%		77,814
	Wayne		654,157		63.25%		270,566		26.16%		105,606		10.21%		3,931		0.38%		383,591		37.09%		1,034,260
	Wexford		2,832		36.59%		4,364		56.38%		535		6.91%		9		0.12%		-1,532		-19.79%		7,740
Totals	1,593,082	48.18%	1,370,665	41.46%	331,968	10.04%	10,535	0.32%	222,417	6.72%	3,306,250

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Alcona
• Allegan
• Alpena
• Antrim
• Arenac
• Barry
• Benzie
• Berrien
• Branch
• Calhoun
• Cass
• Charlevoix
• Cheboygan
• Chippewa
• Clare
• Clinton
• Crawford
• Eaton
• Emmet
• Gladwin
• Grand Traverse
• Hillsdale
• Huron
• Ingham
• Ionia
• Iosco
• Isabella
• Jackson
• Kalamazoo
• Kalkaska
• Kent
• Lapeer
• Leelanau
• Lenawee
• Livingston
• Luce
• Mackinac
• Manistee
• Mason
• Mecosta
• Midland
• Montcalm
• Montmorency
• Muskegon
• Newaygo
• Oakland
• Ogemaw
• Osceola
• Oscoda
• Otsego
• Presque Isle
• Roscommon
• Saginaw
• Shiawassee
• St. Clair
• St. Joseph
• Tuscola
• Van Buren
• Washtenaw
• Wexford

Results by congressional district

District^[12]	Nixon	Humphrey	Wallace
	1st		28.2%		55.6%		16.2%
	2nd		48.1%		41.7%		10.2%
	3rd		53.1%		36.7%		10.1%
	4th		54.5%		33.2%		12.3%
	5th		53.9%		38.8%		7.3%
	6th		52.1%		39%		8.9%
	7th		40.5%		47.7%		14.8%
	8th		53.2%		36.6%		10.2%
	9th		56.9%		34.7%		8.3%
	10th		55.1%		37.2%		7.7%
	11th		46.8%		47.6%		5.5%
	12th		30.5%		55.4%		14.2%
	13th		10.7%		84.2%		5%
	14th		33.8%		54.5%		11.7%
	15th		28.2%		55.6%		16.2%
	16th		27.3%		60%		12.7%
	17th		30.7%		59.5%		9.8%
	18th		45.5%		46.7%		7.8%
	19th		44.3%		43.8%		12%

See also

• United States presidential elections in Michigan

Notes and References

1. Web site: SOS - General Election Voter Registration/Turnout Statistics.
2. Web site: Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Leip. David. uselectionatlas.org. 2017-04-22.
3. News: O'Driscoll . Sean . December 8, 2023 . Donald Trump Could Be Disqualified Due to 55-Year-Old Ruling . October 31, 2024 . Newsweek.
4. News: August 19, 1968 . Cleaver of Black Panthers Is Nominee of Leftists . The New York Times . 32.
5. Web site: ArtII.S1.C5.1 Qualifications for the Presidency . October 31, 2024 . Constitution Annotated.
6. News: September 26, 1968 . Griffin Will Be On State Ballot . December 2, 2024 . The Owosso Argus-Press . Google News Archive . Associated Press.
7. News: October 14, 1968 . LeMay Won't Be On Ballot . December 2, 2024 . The Owosso Argus-Press . Google News Archive . Associated Press.
8. Book: Rasberry, Robert W. . THE "PUBLIC IMAGE" OF GEORGE WALLACE IN THE 1968 PRESIDENTIAL, ELECTION . North Texas State University . 1969 . 118d . Thesis.
9. News: Broder . David S. . State By State, Nixon's Ahead . November 27, 2024 . . 14-A . Google News Archive . 85 . 49.
10. Book: Michigan Manual . Michigan Secretary of State . 481-483 . OFFICIAL CANVAS OF VOTES, GENERAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 5, 1968 - PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES . October 4, 2024 . HaithiTrust.
11. Our Campaigns; MI US President 1968
12. Web site: 1968 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District . December 3, 2024 . Western Washington University.