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1968 United States presidential election in Illinois

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Main article: 1968 United States presidential election

The 1968 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the overall 1968 United States presidential election. Illinois voters selected 26 electors to represent the state in the Electoral College, which would then choose the president and vice president.

1968 United States presidential election in Illinois
← 1964 November 5, 1968 1972 →
Turnout81.39%
 
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 Curtis LeMay
Electoral vote 26 0 0
Popular vote 2,174,774 2,039,814 390,958
Percentage 47.08% 44.15% 8.46%
County Results
President before election

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Illinois had been consistently Republican during the "System of 1896," with the exception of a few areas in the southern part of the state that sympathized with the Confederacy during the American Civil War.[1] However, starting from the New Deal era, Illinois became a crucial swing state, having voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1920.

Like other states in the Midwest, Illinois had been severely affected by racial tension during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson.[2] This situation played a role in Charles H. Percy's comfortable Senate win, as he defeated Democrat Paul Douglas. Illinois, particularly the Metro East region, was affected less by racial tension compared to states located to its east.[3]

By the time the election campaign was in full swing at the end of the summer, Democratic nominee and incumbent Vice-President Hubert Humphrey was clearly in serious trouble, and early polling suggested he would have little chance in the state.[4] Humphrey was further hindered by the refusal of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Sr. to help him.[5]

The failure of Nixon’s “50 State Strategy” in 1960 led him to focus on a few electoral-vote-rich states, of which Illinois was one of the most critical.[6] Humphrey lost further in polling during September,[7] and at the end of the first week of October Nixon had a substantial lead.[8] Nevertheless, when the Vice-President campaigned alongside rival former and future Alabama Governor George Wallace,[9] he would gain sharply so that state became extremely close at the beginning of November.

Primaries

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Turnout

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Turnout in the preference vote of the primaries was 0.67%, with a total of 34,241 votes cast.[10][11] Turnout in the general election was 81.39%, with a total of 4,619,749 votes cast.[10] Both major parties held non-binding state-run preferential primaries on June 11. All candidates were write-ins.[10][12]

Democratic

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1968 Illinois Democratic presidential primary
 
← 1964 June 11, 1968 (1968-06-11) 1972 →
       
Candidate Eugene McCarthy Ted Kennedy Hubert Humphrey
Home state Minnesota Massachusetts Minnesota
Popular vote 4,646 4,052 2,059
Percentage 38.60% 33.66% 17.10%
   
Candidate George Wallace
Home state Alabama
Popular vote 768
Percentage 6.38%

The 1968 Illinois Democratic presidential primary was held on June 11, 1968 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Democratic Party's state primaries ahead of the 1968 presidential election.

The preference vote was a "beauty contest". Delegates were instead selected by direct vote in each congressional districts on delegate candidates.[10] While he received 33.66% of the vote, Ted Kennedy was not an active candidate for the nomination. The primary occurred the week after his brother Robert F. Kennedy (who had been running for president) was assassinated. Additionally, while he still received some votes, incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson had already ruled himself out for the nomination.

1968 Illinois Democratic presidential primary[10][12]
Candidate Votes %
Eugene McCarthy (write-in) 4,646 38.60
Edward Kennedy (write-in) 4,052 33.66
Hubert H. Humphrey (write-in) 2,059 17.10
George Wallace (write-in) 768 6.38
Lyndon B. Johnson (write-in) 162 1.35
Other write-ins 351 2.92
Total 12,038 100

Republican

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1968 Illinois Republican presidential primary
 
← 1964 June 11, 1968 (1968-06-11) 1972 →
       
Candidate Richard Nixon Nelson Rockefeller Ronald Reagan
Home state California New York California
Popular vote 17,490 2,165 1,601
Percentage 78.77% 9.75 7.21

The 1968 Illinois Republican presidential primary was held on June 11, 1968 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Republican Party's state primaries ahead of the 1968 presidential election.

In this election, all candidates were write-ins.[10]

The preference vote was a "beauty contest". Delegates were instead selected by direct vote in each congressional districts on delegate candidates.[10]

1968 Illinois Republican presidential primary[10][12]
Candidate Votes %
Richard M. Nixon (write-in) 17,490 78.77
Nelson A. Rockefeller (write-in) 2,165 9.75
Ronald Reagan (write-in) 1,601 7.21
George Wallace (write-in) 386 1.74
Eugene McCarthy (write-in) 162 0.73
Charles Percy (write-in) 120 0.54
George Romney (write-in) 16 0.07
Other write-ins 263 1.19
Total 22,203 100

Results

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Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Richard Nixon Spiro Agnew Republican 26 2,174,774 47.08%
Hubert Humphrey Edmund Muskie Democratic 0 2,039,814 44.15%
George Wallace Curtis LeMay Independent 0 390,958 8.46%
Henning Blomen George Taylor Socialist Labor 0 13,878 0.30%
Write-ins — — 0 325 0.01%

Results by county

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County Richard Nixon
Republican 		Hubert Humphrey
Democratic 		George Wallace
Independent 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast[13]
# % # % # % # % # %
Adams 17,444 54.33% 11,521 35.88% 3,115 9.70% 28 0.09% 5,923 18.45% 32,108
Alexander 2,540 36.63% 2,929 42.24% 1,443 20.81% 22 0.32% -389 -5.61% 6,934
Bond 3,674 52.84% 2,516 36.19% 758 10.90% 5 0.07% 1,158 16.65% 6,953
Boone 5,936 62.27% 2,801 29.38% 783 8.21% 13 0.14% 3,135 32.89% 9,533
Brown 1,629 51.50% 1,265 39.99% 247 7.81% 22 0.70% 364 11.51% 3,163
Bureau 11,216 59.97% 6,304 33.71% 1,171 6.26% 12 0.06% 4,912 26.26% 18,703
Calhoun 1,542 49.12% 1,329 42.34% 266 8.47% 2 0.06% 213 6.78% 3,139
Carroll 5,275 63.69% 2,558 30.89% 440 5.31% 9 0.11% 2,717 32.80% 8,282
Cass 3,411 47.78% 3,302 46.25% 424 5.94% 2 0.03% 109 1.53% 7,139
Champaign 26,027 53.50% 18,425 37.87% 3,857 7.93% 339 0.70% 7,602 15.63% 48,648
Christian 7,486 42.31% 8,465 47.84% 1,730 9.78% 13 0.07% -979 -5.53% 17,694
Clark 4,809 56.08% 2,813 32.80% 949 11.07% 4 0.05% 1,996 23.28% 8,575
Clay 4,429 55.46% 2,878 36.04% 672 8.41% 7 0.09% 1,551 19.42% 7,986
Clinton 6,561 53.78% 4,453 36.50% 1,180 9.67% 5 0.04% 2,108 17.28% 12,199
Coles 10,449 52.86% 7,337 37.12% 1,973 9.98% 7 0.04% 3,112 15.74% 19,766
Cook 960,493 41.11% 1,181,316 50.56% 186,921 8.00% 7,808 0.33% -220,823 -9.45% 2,336,538
Crawford 5,870 58.13% 3,383 33.50% 840 8.32% 5 0.05% 2,487 24.63% 10,098
Cumberland 2,671 53.12% 1,828 36.36% 512 10.18% 17 0.34% 843 16.76% 5,028
DeKalb 14,535 63.20% 6,974 30.32% 1,238 5.38% 252 1.10% 7,561 32.88% 22,999
DeWitt 4,247 54.21% 2,823 36.04% 759 9.69% 5 0.06% 1,424 18.17% 7,834
Douglas 5,058 59.25% 2,824 33.08% 651 7.63% 4 0.05% 2,234 26.17% 8,537
DuPage 124,893 66.61% 48,492 25.86% 13,814 7.37% 297 0.16% 76,401 40.75% 187,496
Edgar 6,281 56.33% 3,565 31.97% 1,292 11.59% 13 0.12% 2,716 24.36% 11,151
Edwards 2,633 63.68% 1,095 26.48% 403 9.75% 4 0.10% 1,538 37.20% 4,135
Effingham 6,698 55.95% 4,496 37.55% 777 6.49% 1 0.01% 2,202 18.40% 11,972
Fayette 5,449 52.38% 4,011 38.56% 939 9.03% 4 0.04% 1,438 13.82% 10,403
Ford 5,233 65.38% 2,216 27.69% 550 6.87% 5 0.06% 3,017 37.69% 8,004
Franklin 9,036 42.88% 10,095 47.90% 1,930 9.16% 13 0.06% -1,059 -5.02% 21,074
Fulton 9,582 46.72% 9,622 46.92% 1,234 6.02% 71 0.35% -40 -0.20% 20,509
Gallatin 1,802 43.01% 1,980 47.26% 404 9.64% 4 0.10% -178 -4.25% 4,190
Greene 3,944 51.17% 3,094 40.14% 660 8.56% 10 0.13% 850 11.03% 7,708
Grundy 6,607 59.50% 3,407 30.68% 1,085 9.77% 6 0.05% 3,200 28.82% 11,105
Hamilton 2,912 52.82% 1,951 35.39% 643 11.66% 7 0.13% 961 17.43% 5,513
Hancock 6,866 60.24% 3,720 32.64% 806 7.07% 5 0.04% 3,146 27.60% 11,397
Hardin 1,492 51.75% 1,199 41.59% 187 6.49% 5 0.17% 293 10.16% 2,883
Henderson 2,224 53.62% 1,635 39.42% 288 6.94% 1 0.02% 589 14.20% 4,148
Henry 12,524 55.10% 8,455 37.20% 1,725 7.59% 27 0.12% 4,069 17.90% 22,731
Iroquois 10,885 67.89% 3,897 24.31% 1,225 7.64% 26 0.16% 6,988 43.58% 16,033
Jackson 9,134 46.47% 8,856 45.05% 1,645 8.37% 22 0.11% 278 1.42% 19,657
Jasper 2,944 51.78% 2,012 35.39% 728 12.80% 2 0.04% 932 16.39% 5,686
Jefferson 7,367 47.63% 6,476 41.87% 1,612 10.42% 12 0.08% 891 5.76% 15,467
Jersey 3,806 46.81% 3,350 41.21% 971 11.94% 3 0.04% 456 5.60% 8,130
Jo Daviess 5,563 59.13% 3,228 34.31% 607 6.45% 10 0.11% 2,335 24.82% 9,408
Johnson 2,406 60.53% 1,143 28.75% 421 10.59% 5 0.13% 1,263 31.78% 3,975
Kane 54,144 61.94% 26,609 30.44% 6,340 7.25% 327 0.37% 27,535 31.50% 87,420
Kankakee 20,025 52.35% 14,460 37.80% 3,735 9.76% 30 0.08% 5,565 14.55% 38,250
Kendall 7,184 70.45% 2,228 21.85% 780 7.65% 6 0.06% 4,956 48.60% 10,198
Knox 14,216 53.86% 9,707 36.77% 2,394 9.07% 79 0.30% 4,509 17.09% 26,396
Lake 68,999 56.60% 43,409 35.61% 8,738 7.17% 757 0.62% 25,590 20.99% 121,903
LaSalle 26,054 50.48% 22,940 44.45% 2,590 5.02% 26 0.05% 3,114 6.03% 51,610
Lawrence 4,883 54.58% 3,075 34.37% 972 10.87% 16 0.18% 1,808 20.21% 8,946
Lee 9,598 62.92% 4,727 30.99% 925 6.06% 5 0.03% 4,871 31.93% 15,255
Livingston 11,963 65.88% 5,234 28.82% 950 5.23% 13 0.07% 6,729 37.06% 18,160
Logan 8,638 60.45% 4,552 31.86% 1,083 7.58% 16 0.11% 4,086 28.59% 14,289
Macon 21,027 42.27% 23,369 46.98% 5,163 10.38% 182 0.37% -2,342 -4.71% 49,741
Macoupin 10,262 43.91% 10,750 46.00% 2,325 9.95% 31 0.13% -488 -2.09% 23,368
Madison 39,622 39.18% 46,384 45.87% 14,987 14.82% 136 0.13% -6,762 -6.69% 101,129
Marion 8,134 46.09% 7,737 43.84% 1,680 9.52% 98 0.56% 397 2.25% 17,649
Marshall 3,897 58.36% 2,455 36.77% 313 4.69% 12 0.18% 1,442 21.59% 6,677
Mason 3,899 49.65% 3,365 42.85% 572 7.28% 17 0.22% 534 6.80% 7,853
Massac 3,578 55.51% 1,934 30.00% 926 14.37% 8 0.12% 1,644 25.51% 6,446
McDonough 8,496 65.74% 3,785 29.29% 628 4.86% 15 0.12% 4,711 36.45% 12,924
McHenry 27,245 66.15% 10,896 26.46% 2,701 6.56% 343 0.83% 16,349 39.69% 41,185
McLean 22,284 59.22% 12,779 33.96% 2,351 6.25% 216 0.57% 9,505 25.26% 37,630
Menard 2,980 59.66% 1,640 32.83% 372 7.45% 3 0.06% 1,340 26.83% 4,995
Mercer 4,844 56.33% 3,143 36.55% 607 7.06% 6 0.07% 1,701 19.78% 8,600
Monroe 5,086 55.48% 2,822 30.78% 1,253 13.67% 6 0.07% 2,264 24.70% 9,167
Montgomery 7,547 46.19% 7,318 44.79% 1,468 8.98% 6 0.04% 229 1.40% 16,339
Morgan 8,902 54.52% 6,281 38.47% 1,137 6.96% 7 0.04% 2,621 16.05% 16,327
Moultrie 3,094 50.50% 2,447 39.94% 571 9.32% 15 0.24% 647 10.56% 6,127
Ogle 12,168 68.98% 4,399 24.94% 1,060 6.01% 14 0.08% 7,769 44.04% 17,641
Peoria 37,021 49.96% 30,937 41.75% 5,648 7.62% 499 0.67% 6,084 8.21% 74,105
Perry 5,384 49.02% 4,449 40.51% 1,144 10.42% 6 0.05% 935 8.51% 10,983
Piatt 3,973 56.28% 2,447 34.66% 636 9.01% 3 0.04% 1,526 21.62% 7,059
Pike 5,035 50.66% 4,191 42.17% 697 7.01% 16 0.16% 844 8.49% 9,939
Pope 1,307 57.63% 732 32.28% 226 9.96% 3 0.13% 575 25.35% 2,268
Pulaski 1,741 37.59% 2,076 44.82% 815 17.59% 0 0.00% -335 -7.23% 4,632
Putnam 1,351 53.93% 988 39.44% 162 6.47% 4 0.16% 363 14.49% 2,505
Randolph 7,681 50.37% 5,953 39.04% 1,607 10.54% 9 0.06% 1,728 11.33% 15,250
Richland 4,781 58.76% 2,495 30.66% 853 10.48% 8 0.10% 2,286 28.10% 8,137
Rock Island 30,404 43.35% 34,506 49.20% 5,054 7.21% 176 0.25% -4,102 -5.85% 70,140
Saline 6,913 49.92% 5,985 43.22% 939 6.78% 12 0.09% 928 6.70% 13,849
Sangamon 36,510 50.02% 29,542 40.47% 6,586 9.02% 358 0.49% 6,968 9.55% 72,996
Schuyler 2,760 60.00% 1,475 32.07% 346 7.52% 19 0.41% 1,285 27.93% 4,600
Scott 1,971 55.55% 1,252 35.29% 325 9.16% 0 0.00% 719 20.26% 3,548
Shelby 5,487 49.27% 4,528 40.66% 1,115 10.01% 7 0.06% 959 8.61% 11,137
St. Clair 34,442 34.14% 50,726 50.29% 15,260 15.13% 446 0.44% -16,284 -16.15% 100,874
Stark 2,292 62.54% 1,128 30.78% 239 6.52% 6 0.16% 1,164 31.76% 3,665
Stephenson 11,821 59.32% 7,040 35.33% 1,050 5.27% 17 0.09% 4,781 23.99% 19,928
Tazewell 22,971 47.44% 20,712 42.77% 4,711 9.73% 28 0.06% 2,259 4.67% 48,422
Union 3,889 46.45% 3,603 43.04% 871 10.40% 9 0.11% 286 3.41% 8,372
Vermilion 21,391 49.26% 16,238 37.39% 5,726 13.19% 69 0.16% 5,153 11.87% 43,424
Wabash 3,529 55.21% 2,244 35.11% 614 9.61% 5 0.08% 1,285 20.10% 6,392
Warren 5,877 60.00% 3,085 31.50% 824 8.41% 9 0.09% 2,792 28.50% 9,795
Washington 4,793 63.32% 2,093 27.65% 671 8.87% 12 0.16% 2,700 35.67% 7,569
Wayne 5,532 59.59% 2,993 32.24% 745 8.02% 14 0.15% 2,539 27.35% 9,284
White 5,351 53.77% 3,837 38.56% 761 7.65% 3 0.03% 1,514 15.21% 9,952
Whiteside 15,177 61.86% 8,132 33.15% 1,179 4.81% 46 0.19% 7,045 28.71% 24,534
Will 43,630 49.32% 31,576 35.70% 12,595 14.24% 659 0.74% 12,054 13.62% 88,460
Williamson 11,886 50.39% 9,660 40.95% 2,031 8.61% 11 0.05% 2,226 9.44% 23,588
Winnebago 47,646 52.51% 36,702 40.45% 6,176 6.81% 215 0.24% 10,944 12.06% 90,739
Woodford 7,876 61.79% 4,005 31.42% 856 6.72% 10 0.08% 3,871 30.37% 12,747
Totals 2,174,774 47.08% 2,039,814 44.15% 390,958 8.46% 14,203 0.31% 134,960 2.93% 4,619,749

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Analysis

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Republican candidate Richard Nixon won the state of Illinois by a narrow margin of 2.93%.[14] The winning of Illinois was the moment that sealed a close and turbulent election for Nixon,[15][16] who in the last counting did much better in massively populated Cook County than Goldwater or Nixon himself in 1960.[15]

Nixon won ninety of Illinois’ 102 counties, with Humphrey winning only Cook and St. Clair Counties with absolute majorities, although he carried several other Metro East and southern Illinois counties where he was helped by the backing of unions and a strong vote for Wallace taking much Nixon support. Wallace’s segregationism also went down very poorly in many cities of that latter urban region.[17]

Nixon's victory was the first of six consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Illinois would not vote for a Democratic candidate again until Bill Clinton in 1992. Since then it has become a safely Democratic state. Nixon became the first ever Republican to win the White House without carrying Rock Island County, as well as the first to do so without carrying Macon County since Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the first to do so without carrying Pulaski County since Ulysses S. Grant in 1868, the first to do so without carrying Alexander or Cook Counties since Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, the first to do so without carrying Fulton County since Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and the first to do so without carrying Christian County since William Howard Taft in 1908.

Humphrey carried the city of Chicago with 874,113 votes to Nixon's 452,914 votes, while Wallace received 105, 655 votes in the city.[18]

See also

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Notes

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  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.

References

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  1. ^ Kleppner, Paul; The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 183, 201 ISBN 0313213798
  2. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 398-399 ISBN 9780691163246
  3. ^ Edison, Jeffrey; ‘The Forgotten County: St. Clair County, Illinois, in 1968’ (thesis), p. 29. Published 2018 by Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
  4. ^ Edwards, Owen Dudley; ‘No Escape Route for Humphrey on All Those Nasty Issues’; The Irish Times, 21 August 1968, p. 5
  5. ^ Healy, Robert; ‘Politics: It’s Still too Early To Pick Winner’; The Boston Globe, September 8, 1968, p. 6A
  6. ^ Mergel, Sarah Katherine; ‘A Report Card for Richard Nixon: Conservative Intellectuals and the President’ (thesis), p. 66. Published by The George Washington University, 2007
  7. ^ Janson, Donald; ‘Humphrey Losing Illinois Support: Wallace, With Rally Slated for Tomorrow, Is Factor’; The New York Times, September 29, 1968, p. 69
  8. ^ ‘Electoral Vote: Nixon 359, HHH 46’; The Boston Globe, October 7, 1968, p. 24
  9. ^ Janson, Donald; ‘Humphrey and Wallace to Stage Rival Rallies Friday in Chicago’; The New York Times, October 30, 1968, p. 30
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 5, 1968 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, JUNE, 11, 1972" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 26, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 10, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ a b c Illinois Blue Book 1967-1968. Illinois Secretary of State. p. 884. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  13. ^ Our Campaigns; IL US President 1968
  14. ^ "1968 Presidential General Election Results – Illinois". Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  15. ^ a b Cooke, Alistair; ‘Illinois Dooms Humphrey’; The Guardian, 7 November 1968, p. 2
  16. ^ Vohra, H.R.; ‘Nixon Vote President: Close Race – Night-long suspense resolved by key State of Illinois’; The Times of India, 7 November 1968, p. 1
  17. ^ Edison; ‘The Forgotten County’, p. 110
  18. ^ "Official Vote Tally in City, Townships". Chicago Tribune. November 30, 1968. Retrieved July 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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