1968 United States presidential election in Missouri
← 1964 November 5, 1968 1972 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon Hubert Humphrey George Wallace
Party Republican Democratic American Independent
Home state New York[a] Minnesota Alabama
Running mate Spiro Agnew Edmund Muskie S. Marvin Griffin
Electoral vote 12 0 0
Popular vote 811,932 791,444 206,126
Percentage 44.87% 43.74% 11.39%
County Results
President before election

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

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The 1968 United States presidential election in Missouri took place on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Former Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee, narrowly won Missouri with 811,932 votes and 44.87 percent of the vote, with Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the Democratic nominee, taking 791,444 votes and 43.74 percent of the vote, followed by American Party of Missouri candidate George Wallace, who took 206,126 votes and 11.39 percent of the vote. Wallace's strongest support came from the Missouri Bootheel, with its significant rural black population and powerful cultural and geographic ties to Kentucky's Jackson Purchase, the Arkansas Delta and West Tennessee.[1] He carried the state's southeasternmost county, Pemiscot, and ran second ahead of Nixon in two others nearby. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Missouri voted for a different candidate than neighboring Arkansas.

Nixon overcame Humphrey's 85,000-vote margin in St. Louis by dominating the state's interior and holding his deficit to Humphrey in Jackson County, where most of Kansas City is located, to 21,000 votes. Nixon was the first Republican to win Audrain County and Boone County since 1868, whilst Callaway and Platte counties voted Republican for the first time ever.[2]

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Richard M. Nixon Spiro Agnew Republican 12[3] 811,932 44.87%
Hubert H. Humphrey Edmund Muskie Democrat 0 791,444 43.74%
George Wallace S. Marvin Griffin American Party of Missouri 0 206,126 11.39%

Results by county

1968 United States presidential election in Missouri[4]
County Richard Milhous Nixon
Republican 		Hubert Horatio Humphrey
Democratic 		George Corley Wallace
American Party of Missouri 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Adair 4,624 58.82% 2,645 33.65% 592 7.53% 1,979 25.17% 7,861
Andrew 3,398 58.97% 2,005 34.80% 359 6.23% 1,393 24.18% 5,762
Atchison 2,206 51.36% 1,752 40.79% 337 7.85% 454 10.57% 4,295
Audrain 5,005 46.24% 4,806 44.41% 1,012 9.35% 199 1.84% 10,823
Barry 5,537 57.12% 3,398 35.06% 758 7.82% 2,139 22.07% 9,693
Barton 2,928 55.68% 1,832 34.84% 499 9.49% 1,096 20.84% 5,259
Bates 4,087 49.49% 3,370 40.81% 801 9.70% 717 8.68% 8,258
Benton 2,899 61.13% 1,345 28.36% 498 10.50% 1,554 32.77% 4,742
Bollinger 2,283 50.08% 1,693 37.14% 583 12.79% 590 12.94% 4,559
Boone 11,917 46.36% 11,771 45.80% 2,015 7.84% 146 0.57% 25,703
Buchanan 16,101 46.38% 15,860 45.69% 2,752 7.93% 241 0.69% 34,713
Butler 6,326 46.98% 4,379 32.52% 2,759 20.49% 1,947 14.46% 13,464
Caldwell 2,631 57.81% 1,490 32.74% 430 9.45% 1,141 25.07% 4,551
Callaway 4,277 46.03% 3,738 40.23% 1,276 13.73% 539 5.80% 9,291
Camden 3,500 61.00% 1,605 27.97% 633 11.03% 1,895 33.03% 5,738
Cape Girardeau 10,298 53.34% 6,656 34.48% 2,351 12.18% 3,642 18.87% 19,305
Carroll 3,680 54.13% 2,473 36.38% 645 9.49% 1,207 17.76% 6,798
Carter 861 45.60% 738 39.09% 289 15.31% 123 6.51% 1,888
Cass 5,271 45.14% 4,468 38.26% 1,938 16.60% 803 6.88% 11,677
Cedar 2,940 64.08% 1,218 26.55% 430 9.37% 1,722 37.53% 4,588
Chariton 2,404 45.50% 2,371 44.87% 509 9.63% 33 0.62% 5,284
Christian 4,019 64.43% 1,586 25.42% 633 10.15% 2,433 39.00% 6,238
Clark 2,111 53.55% 1,489 37.77% 342 8.68% 622 15.78% 3,942
Clay 19,643 44.48% 17,547 39.73% 6,972 15.79% 2,096 4.75% 44,162
Clinton 2,659 45.82% 2,525 43.51% 619 10.67% 134 2.31% 5,803
Cole 11,575 60.55% 5,916 30.95% 1,625 8.50% 5,659 29.60% 19,116
Cooper 4,115 55.29% 2,798 37.59% 530 7.12% 1,317 17.69% 7,443
Crawford 3,525 55.78% 2,123 33.60% 671 10.62% 1,402 22.19% 6,319
Dade 2,250 64.34% 917 26.22% 330 9.44% 1,333 38.12% 3,497
Dallas 2,835 62.49% 1,237 27.26% 465 10.25% 1,598 35.22% 4,537
Daviess 2,288 53.23% 1,676 38.99% 334 7.77% 612 14.24% 4,298
DeKalb 2,112 54.87% 1,452 37.72% 285 7.40% 660 17.15% 3,849
Dent 2,369 50.97% 1,810 38.94% 469 10.09% 559 12.03% 4,648
Douglas 2,836 67.11% 978 23.14% 412 9.75% 1,858 43.97% 4,226
Dunklin 4,366 35.40% 5,063 41.06% 2,903 23.54% -697 -5.65% 12,332
Franklin 9,823 50.77% 7,566 39.10% 1,960 10.13% 2,257 11.66% 19,349
Gasconade 4,400 74.64% 1,131 19.19% 364 6.17% 3,269 55.45% 5,895
Gentry 2,286 48.73% 2,189 46.66% 216 4.60% 97 2.07% 4,691
Greene 32,638 55.27% 19,659 33.29% 6,751 11.43% 12,979 21.98% 59,048
Grundy 3,213 57.29% 1,976 35.24% 419 7.47% 1,237 22.06% 5,608
Harrison 3,092 59.55% 1,688 32.51% 412 7.94% 1,404 27.04% 5,192
Henry 3,824 47.68% 3,514 43.82% 682 8.50% 310 3.87% 8,020
Hickory 1,484 66.55% 537 24.08% 209 9.37% 947 42.47% 2,230
Holt 2,031 56.09% 1,211 33.44% 379 10.47% 820 22.65% 3,621
Howard 1,825 39.12% 2,333 50.01% 507 10.87% -508 -10.89% 4,665
Howell 5,631 57.24% 2,763 28.08% 1,444 14.68% 2,868 29.15% 9,838
Iron 1,600 41.60% 1,755 45.63% 491 12.77% -155 -4.03% 3,846
Jackson 91,086 39.22% 112,154 48.30% 28,980 12.48% -21,068 -9.07% 232,220
Jasper 16,794 54.24% 10,987 35.49% 3,181 10.27% 5,807 18.76% 30,962
Jefferson 11,708 37.70% 13,230 42.60% 6,115 19.69% -1,522 -4.90% 31,053
Johnson 4,834 51.78% 3,484 37.32% 1,018 10.90% 1,350 14.46% 9,336
Knox 1,562 49.29% 1,257 39.67% 350 11.04% 305 9.62% 3,169
Laclede 4,860 56.06% 2,958 34.12% 852 9.83% 1,902 21.94% 8,670
Lafayette 6,840 53.42% 4,859 37.95% 1,105 8.63% 1,981 15.47% 12,804
Lawrence 6,834 59.73% 3,710 32.42% 898 7.85% 3,124 27.30% 11,442
Lewis 2,038 43.90% 2,067 44.53% 537 11.57% -29 -0.62% 4,642
Lincoln 3,185 41.78% 3,142 41.21% 1,297 17.01% 43 0.56% 7,624
Linn 3,795 46.05% 3,933 47.72% 513 6.22% -138 -1.67% 8,241
Livingston 3,827 48.99% 3,467 44.38% 518 6.63% 360 4.61% 7,812
Macon 3,804 47.04% 3,462 42.81% 821 10.15% 342 4.23% 8,087
Madison 2,164 50.33% 1,521 35.37% 615 14.30% 643 14.95% 4,300
Maries 1,438 47.52% 1,185 39.16% 403 13.32% 253 8.36% 3,026
Marion 4,732 41.62% 5,416 47.64% 1,221 10.74% -684 -6.02% 11,369
McDonald 3,025 51.32% 2,188 37.12% 681 11.55% 837 14.20% 5,894
Mercer 1,406 60.76% 783 33.84% 125 5.40% 623 26.92% 2,314
Miller 4,425 64.88% 1,727 25.32% 668 9.79% 2,698 39.56% 6,820
Mississippi 1,421 26.82% 2,303 43.46% 1,575 29.72% 728[b] -13.74% -5,299
Moniteau 3,210 58.54% 1,687 30.77% 586 10.69% 1,523 27.78% 5,483
Monroe 1,349 29.07% 2,776 59.81% 516 11.12% -1,427 -30.75% 4,641
Montgomery 2,903 53.59% 1,891 34.91% 623 11.50% 1,012 18.68% 5,417
Morgan 2,906 57.44% 1,649 32.60% 504 9.96% 1,257 24.85% 5,059
New Madrid 2,317 24.40% 4,195 44.18% 2,984 31.42% 1,211[b] -12.75% -9,496
Newton 7,343 52.87% 5,064 36.46% 1,481 10.66% 2,279 16.41% 13,888
Nodaway 4,736 48.11% 4,494 45.65% 615 6.25% 242 2.46% 9,845
Oregon 1,213 34.03% 1,726 48.43% 625 17.54% -513 -14.39% 3,564
Osage 3,107 61.63% 1,540 30.55% 394 7.82% 1,567 31.09% 5,041
Ozark 1,967 68.37% 606 21.06% 304 10.57% 1,361 47.31% 2,877
Pemiscot 2,191 28.01% 2,681 34.28% 2,950 37.71% -269[b] -3.44% 7,822
Perry 3,858 61.45% 1,958 31.19% 462 7.36% 1,900 30.26% 6,278
Pettis 6,738 46.08% 6,334 43.32% 1,549 10.59% 404 2.76% 14,621
Phelps 5,577 47.33% 4,211 35.74% 1,995 16.93% 1,366 11.59% 11,783
Pike 3,072 43.47% 3,192 45.17% 803 11.36% -120 -1.70% 7,067
Platte 4,836 42.74% 4,665 41.22% 1,815 16.04% 171 1.51% 11,316
Polk 4,145 59.82% 2,170 31.32% 614 8.86% 1,975 28.50% 6,929
Pulaski 2,555 45.82% 2,303 41.30% 718 12.88% 252 4.52% 5,576
Putnam 1,971 63.75% 952 30.79% 169 5.47% 1,019 32.96% 3,092
Ralls 1,175 33.07% 1,900 53.48% 478 13.45% -725 -20.41% 3,553
Randolph 3,582 38.58% 4,810 51.80% 893 9.62% -1,228 -13.23% 9,285
Ray 2,587 35.90% 3,541 49.14% 1,078 14.96% -954 -13.24% 7,206
Reynolds 898 34.79% 1,245 48.24% 438 16.97% -347 -13.44% 2,581
Ripley 1,973 48.24% 1,440 35.21% 677 16.55% 533 13.03% 4,090
Saint Charles 13,533 45.63% 10,374 34.98% 5,752 19.39% 3,159 10.65% 29,659
Saint Clair 2,271 54.36% 1,496 35.81% 411 9.84% 775 18.55% 4,178
Saint Francois 7,492 47.60% 6,379 40.53% 1,867 11.86% 1,113 7.07% 15,738
Saint Louis County 180,355 46.80% 165,786 43.02% 39,234 10.18% 14,569 3.78% 385,375
Saint Louis City 58,252 26.37% 143,010 64.74% 19,652 8.90% -84,758 -38.37% 220,914
Sainte Genevieve 1,937 42.09% 2,225 48.35% 440 9.56% -288 -6.26% 4,602
Saline 4,698 46.76% 4,646 46.24% 704 7.01% 52 0.52% 10,048
Schuyler 1,291 53.17% 969 39.91% 168 6.92% 322 13.26% 2,428
Scotland 1,554 50.06% 1,340 43.17% 210 6.77% 214 6.89% 3,104
Scott 3,856 36.23% 4,313 40.52% 2,474 23.25% -457 -4.29% 10,643
Shannon 1,048 38.67% 1,216 44.87% 446 16.46% -168 -6.20% 2,710
Shelby 1,693 41.33% 2,045 49.93% 358 8.74% -352 -8.59% 4,096
Stoddard 3,919 44.43% 3,150 35.71% 1,751 19.85% 769 8.72% 8,820
Stone 3,006 67.32% 1,004 22.49% 455 10.19% 2,002 44.84% 4,465
Sullivan 2,332 52.24% 1,907 42.72% 225 5.04% 425 9.52% 4,464
Taney 3,289 66.82% 1,219 24.77% 414 8.41% 2,070 42.06% 4,922
Texas 4,022 49.53% 3,117 38.39% 981 12.08% 905 11.15% 8,120
Vernon 3,590 45.27% 3,557 44.85% 783 9.87% 33 0.42% 7,930
Warren 2,669 62.55% 1,033 24.21% 565 13.24% 1,636 38.34% 4,267
Washington 2,641 46.26% 2,292 40.15% 776 13.59% 349 6.11% 5,709
Wayne 2,156 47.79% 1,714 38.00% 641 14.21% 442 9.80% 4,511
Webster 4,118 56.90% 2,547 35.19% 572 7.90% 1,571 21.71% 7,237
Worth 924 48.55% 853 44.82% 126 6.62% 71 3.73% 1,903
Wright 3,576 66.22% 1,337 24.76% 487 9.02% 2,239 41.46% 5,400
Totals 811,932 44.87% 791,444 43.74% 206,126 11.39% 20,488 1.13% 1,809,502

See also

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. ^ a b c In this county where Nixon ran third behind both Humphrey and Wallace, 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. 368–370. ISBN 9780691163246.
  2. ^ Menendez, Albert J. The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. pp. 239–246. ISBN 0786422173.
  3. ^ 1968 Presidential General Election Results – Missouri
  4. ^ "General Election Returns Vote for President, By Counties, at General Election November 5, 1968". State of Missouri Official Manual for the Years 1969-1970 (Report). Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri Secretary of State. 1969.
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