The 1968 United States presidential election in Nevada took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. State voters chose three representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Since William Jennings Bryan's three elections, Nevada had been a bellwether state voting for every winner since 1912. However, relative to the nation, Nevada had trended Republican since the end of World War II when Populist radicalism gave way to small-town and rural conservatism due to demographic and technological change.Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 458, 463 Although Democrats had a large advantage in registration, the 1966 midterm elections saw Republican Lieutenant Governor Paul Laxalt take most of the Mormon and Catholic vote in traditionally Democratic Clark County,Bushnell; Eleanore; 'The 1966 Election in Nevada', The Western Political Quarterly, volume 20, no. 2, Part 2 (June 1967), pp. 581-585 which was becoming the center of the state's rapid demographic growth. This Republican trend was aided by a fall in demand for construction work in Las Vegas and several major strikes across the state.
In the early stages of the campaign, the Democratic Party viewed Nixon – despite losing strongly Catholic Nevada to Kennedy in 1960 – as much more dangerous in Nevada than Ronald Reagan or George Romney.Turner, Wallace; 'Democrats Chart Strategy in West: Delegates From Six States Discuss Campaign Plans'; The New York Times, January 15, 1968, p. 24 As a part of his national third party segregationist campaign, former Alabama Governor George Wallace became the first third-party candidate to obtain the necessary eight thousand signatures to get on the ballot in Nevada since the "Progressive Party" in 1948.'Wallace Wins Spot on Nevada Ballot'; The Washington Post, May 2, 1968, p. A2
In the earliest polls Nevada's past Republican trend was confirmed, with it being given clearly to Nixon in the second week of September,Broder, David S.; 'Early Analysis Gives Nixon Commanding Lead in Race' The Washington Post, September 10, 1968, p. A15 and confirmed by further polls'Gallup Gives Nixon Big Lead in Midwest and West'; The New York Times (Special); October 25, 1968, p. 17 until the last few days before the election. During this period Humphrey made a brief visit to NevadaBushnell, Eleanore and Driggs, Don W.; The Western Political Quarterly, volume 22, no. 3 (September 1969), pp. 504-509 and came back substantially nationwide, whilst a strong poll for Wallace made the state doubtful.'A Final State-by-State Political Survey...: ...A Last Reading on the Campaign of 1968'; The Washington Post, November 3, 1968, p. B4
Ultimately former Vice President Richard Nixon, with 47.46% of the popular vote, won Nevada more substantially than predicted by the last polls, though by less than thought likely in September and early October. "Independent American" candidate George Wallace finished with 13.25% of the popular vote, close to his national average but his best performance outside the Confederacy and Border States. Wallace's success was largely due to his endorsement by state congressman Walter S. Baring Jr., a conservative "States' Rights Democrat" who consistently managed huge majorities in Nevada's rural 'Cow Counties' (the 14 counties apart from Clark, Washoe, and Carson City).
Nixon's victory was the first of six consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Nevada wouldn't vote Democratic again until Bill Clinton in 1992.
Results
Results by county County Richard NixonRepublican Hubert HumphreyDemocratic George WallaceAmerican Independent Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Churchill 1,954 52.25% 1,211 32.38% 575 15.37% 743 19.87% 3,740 Clark 31,522 41.99% 33,225 44.26% 10,318 13.75% -1,703 -2.27% 75,065 Douglas 1,801 64.37% 670 23.95% 327 11.69% 1,131 40.42% 2,798 Elko 2,687 54.48% 1,686 34.18% 559 11.33% 1,001 20.30% 4,932 Esmeralda 138 39.09% 118 33.43% 97 27.48% 20 5.66% 353 Eureka 277 56.53% 149 30.41% 64 13.06% 128 26.12% 490 Humboldt 1,287 50.97% 885 35.05% 353 13.98% 402 15.92% 2,525 Lander 461 50.72% 301 33.11% 147 16.17% 160 17.61% 909 Lincoln 555 49.87% 414 37.20% 144 12.94% 141 12.67% 1,113 Lyon 1,616 53.88% 939 31.31% 444 14.80% 677 22.57% 2,999 Mineral 927 32.31% 1,242 43.29% 700 24.40% -315 -10.98% 2,869 Nye 843 40.70% 728 35.15% 500 24.14% 115 5.55% 2,071 Ormsby 3,169 56.58% 1,770 31.60% 662 11.82% 1,399 24.98% 5,601 Pershing 567 46.74% 466 38.42% 180 14.84% 101 8.32% 1,213 Storey 222 50.00% 172 38.74% 50 11.26% 50 11.26% 444 Washoe 23,492 54.65% 14,560 33.87% 4,936 11.48% 8,932 20.78% 42,988 White Pine 1,670 40.65% 2,062 50.19% 376 9.15% -392 -9.54% 4,108Totals73,18847.46%60,59839.29%20,43213.25%12,5908.17%154,218
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Ormsby Elko Esmeralda Eureka Humboldt Lander Lincoln Nye Pershing Storey Washoe
See also United States presidential elections in Nevada
Notes
References