1960 United States presidential election in Ohio
← 1956 November 8, 1960 1964 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon John F. Kennedy
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California Massachusetts
Running mate Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Lyndon B. Johnson
Electoral vote 25 0
Popular vote 2,217,611 1,944,248
Percentage 53.28% 46.72%
Map of election results by county
County Results
President before election

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican

Elected President

John F. Kennedy
Democratic

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The 1960 United States presidential election in Ohio on November 8, was part of the 1960 United States presidential election. Voters chose 25 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.

Ohio was won by Republican Party candidate, incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon of California, with a 53.28% popular vote majority, defeating Democratic Party candidate and Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy, who received 46.72% of the vote.

This was the second of two elections in the 20th century in which Ohio, a historical bellwether state, voted for the losing candidate, the first being 1944 when Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey carried the state over President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It would not do so again until it backed Donald Trump over Joe Biden in 2020.[1]

This anomaly was due to strong anti-Catholic voting (amidst an overall nationwide pro-Democratic swing) in the Appalachia-influenced, heavily Baptist southern and western parts of the state.[2] This was also the last time until 2020 that Ottawa County voted for the losing candidate. Had Kennedy won the state along with Roosevelt in 1944, Ohio would have had the longest streak of any state voting for the winning candidate up until 2020.

Primaries

Democratic primary

See also: 1960 Democratic Party presidential primaries

Governor Michael DiSalle won the state's primary as a favorite son pledged to support Kennedy.[3][4]

Ohio was one of the largest states to hold a primary, with 64 delegates to the DNC.[4] Its primary, held on May 3, coincided with that of neighboring Indiana.[4]

Kennedy had campaigned in Ohio numerous times in the two years prior to announcing his official candidacy.[4] While his internal polling was positive, it also showed that he could still lose if a strong candidate launched a favorite son campaign against him.[4] His campaign team was particularly worried about Frank Lausche launching such a challenge.[4] In November 1959 their polling showed a race between him and Kennedy resulting in a statistical tie.[4] Those polls showed that Kennedy would win the race a race between him and DiSalle 62 to 38%.[4]

In 1959, during his many visits to the state, Kennedy won the backing of Cuyahoga County Democratic Party leader, Ray T. Miller and Cleveland Mayor, Anthony J. Celebrezze.[4]

Kennedy felt that he could not compete in both Ohio and Wisconsin due to time limitations preventing him from being able to spend adequate time in both states.[4] Kennedy saw Wisconsin as providing him an opportunity to potentially deliver an early and fatal blow to Hubert Humphrey's campaign.[4] Thus, he chose to compete there instead of in Ohio.[4]

Kennedy felt that he needed to secure DiSalle's endorsement ahead of declaring his candidacy in order to demonstrate appeal outside of New England.[4] Thus, in December 1959, Kennedy and DiSalle brokered an agreement in which DiSalle would run as a favorite son committed to Kennedy, and would endorse Kennedy and announce his intention to run as a favorite son to assist his candidacy in a January 6 press announcement, four days after Kennedy's formal announcement of his candidacy.[4]

DiSalle won with a wide margin against Albert S. Porter.[5]

Republican primary

See also: 1960 Republican Party presidential primaries

Nixon carried the state's Republican primary.[3]

Results

1960 United States presidential election in Ohio[6]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. 2,217,611 53.28% 25
Democratic John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson 1,944,248 46.72% 0
Totals 4,161,859 100.00% 25
Voter turnout (registered voters) %

Results by county

County Richard Milhous Nixon
Republican 		John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Democratic 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # %
Adams 5,996 60.59% 3,900 39.41% 2,096 21.18% 9,896
Allen 28,007 65.54% 14,725 34.46% 13,282 31.08% 42,732
Ashland 13,112 69.70% 5,700 30.30% 7,412 39.40% 18,812
Ashtabula 22,406 53.91% 19,155 46.09% 3,251 7.82% 41,561
Athens 10,747 58.76% 7,542 41.24% 3,205 17.52% 18,289
Auglaize 11,183 64.03% 6,282 35.97% 4,901 28.06% 17,465
Belmont 18,146 43.26% 23,805 56.74% -5,659 -13.49% 41,951
Brown 6,461 55.73% 5,133 44.27% 1,328 11.45% 11,594
Butler 46,518 58.66% 32,778 41.34% 13,740 17.33% 79,296
Carroll 6,095 63.60% 3,488 36.40% 2,607 27.20% 9,583
Champaign 9,141 66.72% 4,560 33.28% 4,581 33.44% 13,701
Clark 30,588 57.67% 22,456 42.33% 8,132 15.33% 53,044
Clermont 18,802 61.60% 11,723 38.40% 7,079 23.19% 30,525
Clinton 8,464 65.30% 4,498 34.70% 3,966 30.60% 12,962
Columbiana 28,414 58.64% 20,037 41.36% 8,377 17.29% 48,451
Coshocton 9,913 64.75% 5,396 35.25% 4,517 29.51% 15,309
Crawford 14,558 67.59% 6,981 32.41% 7,577 35.18% 21,539
Cuyahoga 288,056 40.17% 429,030 59.83% -140,974 -19.66% 717,086
Darke 14,048 64.55% 7,715 35.45% 6,333 29.10% 21,763
Defiance 8,912 63.12% 5,207 36.88% 3,705 26.24% 14,119
Delaware 11,391 68.11% 5,334 31.89% 6,057 36.22% 16,725
Erie 15,092 57.94% 10,954 42.06% 4,138 15.89% 26,046
Fairfield 17,743 66.03% 9,128 33.97% 8,615 32.06% 26,871
Fayette 7,085 64.11% 3,966 35.89% 3,119 28.22% 11,051
Franklin 161,178 59.37% 110,283 40.63% 50,895 18.75% 271,461
Fulton 9,695 74.76% 3,274 25.24% 6,421 49.51% 12,969
Gallia 7,602 68.49% 3,498 31.51% 4,104 36.97% 11,100
Geauga 12,491 59.44% 8,522 40.56% 3,969 18.89% 21,013
Greene 19,642 58.12% 14,155 41.88% 5,487 16.24% 33,797
Guernsey 10,396 61.41% 6,532 38.59% 3,864 22.83% 16,928
Hamilton 211,068 54.50% 176,215 45.50% 34,853 9.00% 387,283
Hancock 17,059 71.76% 6,712 28.24% 10,347 43.53% 23,771
Hardin 9,042 64.41% 4,996 35.59% 4,046 28.82% 14,038
Harrison 5,191 58.77% 3,641 41.23% 1,550 17.55% 8,832
Henry 8,251 70.73% 3,415 29.27% 4,836 41.45% 11,666
Highland 8,948 62.26% 5,423 37.74% 3,525 24.53% 14,371
Hocking 5,262 56.47% 4,057 43.53% 1,205 12.93% 9,319
Holmes 4,432 69.41% 1,953 30.59% 2,479 38.83% 6,385
Huron 12,261 61.94% 7,534 38.06% 4,727 23.88% 19,795
Jackson 7,973 58.96% 5,549 41.04% 2,424 17.93% 13,522
Jefferson 21,186 44.01% 26,955 55.99% -5,769 -11.98% 48,141
Knox 12,711 65.94% 6,565 34.06% 6,146 31.88% 19,276
Lake 32,038 48.94% 33,425 51.06% -1,387 -2.12% 65,463
Lawrence 13,159 60.32% 8,656 39.68% 4,503 20.64% 21,815
Licking 23,653 63.95% 13,335 36.05% 10,318 27.90% 36,988
Logan 11,311 68.18% 5,279 31.82% 6,032 36.36% 16,590
Lorain 39,361 47.51% 43,487 52.49% -4,126 -4.98% 82,848
Lucas 94,679 47.94% 102,825 52.06% -8,146 -4.12% 197,504
Madison 7,256 66.37% 3,677 33.63% 3,579 32.74% 10,933
Mahoning 51,927 38.73% 82,143 61.27% -30,216 -22.54% 134,070
Marion 15,210 61.31% 9,598 38.69% 5,612 22.62% 24,808
Medina 16,123 62.21% 9,796 37.79% 6,327 24.41% 25,919
Meigs 6,976 66.77% 3,472 33.23% 3,504 33.54% 10,448
Mercer 7,735 50.02% 7,730 49.98% 5 0.03% 15,465
Miami 22,151 65.30% 11,770 34.70% 10,381 30.60% 33,921
Monroe 4,106 56.63% 3,144 43.37% 962 13.27% 7,250
Montgomery 109,602 52.71% 98,325 47.29% 11,277 5.42% 207,927
Morgan 4,424 70.82% 1,823 29.18% 2,601 41.64% 6,247
Morrow 6,357 69.91% 2,736 30.09% 3,621 39.82% 9,093
Muskingum 21,518 61.88% 13,254 38.12% 8,264 23.77% 34,772
Noble 3,951 65.99% 2,036 34.01% 1,915 31.99% 5,987
Ottawa 9,260 58.34% 6,612 41.66% 2,648 16.68% 15,872
Paulding 4,961 63.72% 2,825 36.28% 2,136 27.43% 7,786
Perry 7,658 59.60% 5,191 40.40% 2,467 19.20% 12,849
Pickaway 7,821 61.63% 4,870 38.37% 2,951 23.25% 12,691
Pike 3,684 45.92% 4,339 54.08% -655 -8.16% 8,023
Portage 19,634 51.45% 18,528 48.55% 1,106 2.90% 38,162
Preble 8,802 61.69% 5,467 38.31% 3,335 23.37% 14,269
Putnam 6,834 53.09% 6,039 46.91% 795 6.18% 12,873
Richland 27,317 58.17% 19,645 41.83% 7,672 16.34% 46,962
Ross 14,075 60.90% 9,036 39.10% 5,039 21.80% 23,111
Sandusky 14,566 64.06% 8,171 35.94% 6,395 28.13% 22,737
Scioto 21,771 56.67% 16,647 43.33% 5,124 13.34% 38,418
Seneca 15,772 61.20% 10,001 38.80% 5,771 22.39% 25,773
Shelby 8,766 56.08% 6,866 43.92% 1,900 12.15% 15,632
Stark 82,881 55.22% 67,205 44.78% 15,676 10.44% 150,086
Summit 109,066 49.59% 110,852 50.41% -1,786 -0.81% 219,918
Trumbull 40,724 46.46% 46,928 53.54% -6,204 -7.08% 87,652
Tuscarawas 20,637 56.20% 16,083 43.80% 4,554 12.40% 36,720
Union 7,838 71.55% 3,116 28.45% 4,722 43.11% 10,954
Van Wert 9,666 65.68% 5,050 34.32% 4,616 31.37% 14,716
Vinton 3,043 59.97% 2,031 40.03% 1,012 19.94% 5,074
Warren 14,505 64.61% 7,945 35.39% 6,560 29.22% 22,450
Washington 14,197 64.38% 7,856 35.62% 6,341 28.75% 22,053
Wayne 21,273 69.10% 9,511 30.90% 11,762 38.21% 30,784
Williams 10,319 71.84% 4,044 28.16% 6,275 43.69% 14,363
Wood 18,952 64.17% 10,581 35.83% 8,371 28.34% 29,533
Wyandot 6,786 65.81% 3,526 34.19% 3,260 31.61% 10,312
Totals 2,217,611 53.28% 1,944,248 46.72% 273,363 6.57% 4,161,859

See also

References

  1. ^ "Last President who didn't win Ohio". The Blade. February 15, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  2. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 357-358, 395 ISBN 9780691163246
  3. ^ a b "RESULTS OF 1960 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PRIMARIES". John F. Kennedy presidential library. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Oliphant, Thomas; Wilkie, Curtis (2017). The road to Camelot: Inside JFK's Five-Year Campaign. Simon & Schuster.
  5. ^ Our Campaigns – OH US President – D Primary Race – May 3, 1960
  6. ^ Leip, David (2016). "1960 Presidential General Election Results - Ohio". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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