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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 alongside 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 totalling 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]

Results

1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina[13]
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

1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county[14]
County Richard Nixon
Republican
Hubert Humphrey
Democratic
George C. Wallace
American
Margin[c]
% # % # % # % #
Mitchell 72.65% 3,778 15.75% 819 11.60% 603 56.90%[d] 2,959
Avery 70.76% 3,197 13.97% 631 15.27% 690 55.49% 2,507
Wilkes 60.29% 11,195 24.22% 4,497 15.49% 2,876 36.07%[d] 6,698
Watauga 55.88% 5,081 32.46% 2,952 11.66% 1,060 23.41%[d] 2,129
Ashe 53.15% 4,894 37.21% 3,426 9.64% 888 15.94%[d] 1,468
Clay 54.94% 1,390 33.48% 847 11.58% 293 21.46%[d] 543
Graham 52.44% 1,570 35.44% 1,061 12.12% 363 17.00%[d] 509
Cherokee 53.18% 3,768 33.90% 2,402 12.91% 915 19.28%[d] 1,366
Yadkin 60.51% 5,885 14.84% 1,443 24.65% 2,397 35.87% 3,488
Jackson 48.14% 3,747 37.98% 2,956 13.88% 1,080 10.16%[d] 791
Catawba 56.33% 18,393 21.36% 6,974 22.31% 7,285 34.02% 11,108
Mecklenburg 52.40% 56,325 28.93% 31,102 18.67% 20,070 23.46%[d] 25,223
Henderson 57.45% 9,334 18.79% 3,053 23.76% 3,861 33.68% 5,473
Madison 49.18% 3,130 34.58% 2,201 16.25% 1,034 14.60%[d] 929
Macon 50.48% 3,295 31.71% 2,070 17.80% 1,162 18.77%[d] 1,225
Yancey 45.21% 2,448 40.90% 2,215 13.89% 752 4.30%[d] 233
Surry 51.19% 9,638 27.02% 5,088 21.79% 4,103 24.16%[d] 4,550
Swain 45.86% 1,494 37.66% 1,227 16.48% 537 8.20%[d] 267
Cabarrus 52.35% 13,226 21.77% 5,501 25.88% 6,538 26.47% 6,688
Caldwell 51.46% 10,433 23.41% 4,746 25.13% 5,095 26.33% 5,338
Alexander 52.03% 4,379 21.79% 1,834 26.18% 2,203 25.86% 2,176
Stanly 51.43% 9,428 22.90% 4,199 25.67% 4,706 25.76% 4,722
Randolph 52.35% 13,450 20.83% 5,351 26.82% 6,892 25.52% 6,558
Forsyth 46.79% 31,623 30.01% 20,281 23.20% 15,681 16.78%[d] 11,342
Burke 48.84% 11,068 25.17% 5,704 26.00% 5,892 22.84% 5,176
Guilford 46.23% 38,996 30.35% 25,604 23.42% 19,751 15.88%[d] 13,392
Lincoln 46.20% 6,188 30.19% 4,044 23.60% 3,161 16.01%[d] 2,144
Alleghany 45.80% 1,695 29.78% 1,102 24.43% 904 16.02%[d] 593
Rutherford 46.11% 7,785 27.38% 4,622 26.51% 4,476 18.73%[d] 3,163
Transylvania 46.85% 4,033 25.67% 2,210 27.47% 2,365 19.38% 1,668
Buncombe 44.23% 21,031 30.76% 14,624 25.01% 11,889 13.48%[d] 6,407
Polk 45.89% 2,550 27.41% 1,523 26.71% 1,484 18.48%[d] 1,027
Rowan 46.79% 15,207 24.84% 8,074 28.37% 9,220 18.42% 5,987
Wake 43.08% 28,928 31.24% 20,979 25.69% 17,250 11.84%[d] 7,949
Davie 49.04% 3,866 19.05% 1,502 31.90% 2,515 17.14% 1,351
Moore 43.74% 5,322 29.45% 3,583 26.82% 3,263 14.29%[d] 1,739
McDowell 46.01% 4,740 24.69% 2,543 29.30% 3,018 16.72% 1,722
Haywood 39.26% 6,205 36.08% 5,703 24.66% 3,898 3.18%[d] 502
Davidson 46.57% 16,678 21.20% 7,594 32.23% 11,544 14.33% 5,134
Carteret 40.23% 4,593 32.95% 3,762 26.81% 3,061 7.28%[d] 831
Sampson 41.44% 6,597 30.13% 4,797 28.43% 4,527 11.31%[d] 1,800
Stokes 45.25% 4,781 22.47% 2,374 32.28% 3,410 12.98% 1,371
Orange 33.30% 6,097 45.70% 8,366 21.00% 3,845 -12.39%[d] -2,269
Gaston 43.77% 18,741 23.59% 10,100 32.64% 13,973 11.14% 4,768
Montgomery 39.67% 3,070 31.14% 2,410 29.19% 2,259 8.53%[d] 660
Dare 40.13% 1,035 27.14% 700 32.73% 844 7.41% 191
Iredell 43.17% 10,557 19.95% 4,878 36.89% 9,021 6.28% 1,536
Chatham 36.22% 3,845 33.27% 3,532 30.51% 3,239 2.95%[d] 313
Union 38.67% 5,290 26.53% 3,630 34.80% 4,761 3.87% 529
New Hanover 37.03% 10,020 28.64% 7,750 34.33% 9,291 2.69% 729
Cumberland 31.95% 9,143 34.72% 9,938 33.33% 9,539 1.39%[e] 399
Durham 29.68% 12,705 38.69% 16,563 31.63% 13,542 7.06%[e] 3,021
Alamance 36.54% 12,310 24.46% 8,241 39.00% 13,139 -2.46% -829
Scotland 28.69% 1,717 37.63% 2,252 33.68% 2,016 3.94%[e] 236
Rockingham 33.46% 8,095 28.00% 6,774 38.54% 9,324 -5.08% -1,229
Harnett 32.97% 5,184 25.49% 4,007 41.54% 6,531 -8.57% -1,347
Tyrrell 22.61% 291 45.14% 581 32.25% 415 12.90%[e] 166
Robeson 23.55% 4,526 42.92% 8,248 33.52% 6,441 9.40%[e] 1,807
Cleveland 32.28% 7,298 25.04% 5,661 42.68% 9,649 -10.40% -2,351
Brunswick 27.52% 2,404 34.03% 2,972 38.45% 3,358 -4.42%[e] -386
Johnston 33.05% 6,764 21.95% 4,492 45.01% 9,212 -11.96% -2,448
Lee 29.32% 2,586 28.61% 2,524 42.07% 3,711 -12.75% -1,125
Pitt 25.41% 5,745 34.04% 7,696 40.55% 9,167 -6.51%[e] -1,471
Wayne 28.79% 5,678 27.06% 5,338 44.15% 8,709 -15.37% -3,031
Hoke 17.88% 812 48.11% 2,185 34.02% 1,545 14.09%[e] 640
Hertford 17.04% 1,125 49.60% 3,275 33.36% 2,203 16.24%[e] 1,072
Onslow 28.08% 3,444 26.75% 3,281 45.18% 5,542 -17.10% -2,098
Washington 21.26% 1,016 39.71% 1,898 39.04% 1,866 0.67%[e] 32
Edgecombe 22.36% 3,198 36.66% 5,243 40.98% 5,861 -4.32%[e] -618
Columbus 26.19% 3,881 28.64% 4,243 45.17% 6,693 -16.54%[e] -2,450
Pamlico 21.46% 745 36.87% 1,280 41.68% 1,447 -4.81%[e] -167
Richmond 22.78% 2,865 33.84% 4,257 43.38% 5,457 -9.54%[e] -1,200
Hyde 20.02% 401 38.39% 769 41.59% 833 -3.20%[e] -64
Person 24.17% 2,138 29.89% 2,644 45.95% 4,065 -16.06%[e] -1,421
Wilson 25.13% 4,053 25.87% 4,173 49.00% 7,903 -23.13%[e] -3,730
Nash 24.08% 4,602 27.64% 5,283 48.29% 9,230 -20.65%[e] -3,947
Chowan 21.60% 798 32.50% 1,201 45.90% 1,696 -13.40%[e] -495
Craven 21.77% 2,991 30.86% 4,240 47.37% 6,509 -16.51%[e] -2,269
Bladen 20.79% 1,746 32.80% 2,754 46.41% 3,897 -13.61%[e] -1,143
Beaufort 23.03% 2,669 27.89% 3,232 49.07% 5,686 -21.18%[e] -2,454
Halifax 20.72% 3,148 32.43% 4,927 46.84% 7,116 -14.41%[e] -2,189
Granville 21.50% 1,837 30.87% 2,638 47.64% 4,071 -16.77%[e] -1,433
Anson 18.39% 1,474 37.05% 2,969 44.56% 3,571 -7.51%[e] -602
Vance 19.84% 2,252 33.94% 3,852 46.21% 5,244 -12.27%[e] -1,392
Lenoir 24.43% 3,844 24.49% 3,853 51.08% 8,036 -26.59%[e] -4,183
Northampton 10.86% 860 51.43% 4,072 37.71% 2,986 13.72%[e] 1,086
Duplin 22.22% 2,724 28.16% 3,451 49.62% 6,082 -21.47%[e] -2,631
Warren 14.79% 796 42.60% 2,293 42.62% 2,294 -0.02%[e] -1
Pasquotank 18.84% 1,430 33.78% 2,564 47.39% 3,597 -13.61%[e] -1,033
Gates 14.58% 406 41.34% 1,151 44.07% 1,227 -2.73%[e] -76
Caswell 17.20% 1,036 35.47% 2,137 47.33% 2,851 -11.85%[e] -714
Pender 17.76% 1,007 34.26% 1,942 47.98% 2,720 -13.72%[e] -778
Martin 14.97% 1,221 38.22% 3,118 46.81% 3,818 -8.58%[e] -700
Bertie 11.38% 811 45.00% 3,207 43.61% 3,108 1.39%[e] 99
Perquimans 15.37% 468 33.60% 1,023 51.03% 1,554 -17.44%[e] -531
Jones 10.72% 361 36.39% 1,225 52.88% 1,780 -16.49%[e] -555
Franklin 14.10% 1,375 29.27% 2,855 56.64% 5,525 -27.37%[e] -2,670
Currituck 14.11% 363 28.69% 738 57.19% 1,471 -28.50%[e] -733
Greene 12.71% 650 30.49% 1,560 56.80% 2,906 -26.31%[e] -1,346
Camden 9.06% 180 35.58% 707 55.36% 1,100 -19.78%[e] -393

Analysis

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.[15]

Notes

  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. ^ Because Wallace ran second behind Nixon in North Carolina as a whole, all margins given are Nixon vote minus Wallace vote and Nixon percentage minus Wallace percentage unless noted otherwise for the county in question.
  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 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.
  5. ^ 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

  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. ^ Leip, Dave (2005). "1968 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina". US Election Atlas. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  14. ^ "NC US President Race, November 03, 1968". Our Campaigns.
  15. ^ Sullivan, Robert David (June 29, 2016). "How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century". The National Catholic Review (America Magazine ed.).

Works cited