The 1960 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. Voters chose six representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Oregon was won by incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon (R–California), running with former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., with 52.56% of the popular vote, against Senator John F. Kennedy (D–Massachusetts), running with Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, with 47.32% of the popular vote. , this is the last election in which Multnomah County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

Background Oregon had not voted for the Democratic presidential nominee since the 1944 election.

Legislation was passed in 1959 that created a primary system for the president. Candidates had no choice as to whether or not they would run in the Oregon primaries. Oregon had a unique law in which all individuals believed to be candidates (by the Attorney General) would be listed, whether or not they wanted to compete in the state's primary.

Primaries Democratic primary

Since at least 1957, Kennedy had been anticipating running in Oregon's primary due to the state's unique election laws, which would give him no choice as to whether or not he would be listed on the ballot.

Oregon's primary came late, just prior to California's. Kennedy had made several appearances in Oregon in the spring of 1959, and was leading according to his campaign's internal polling against a plethora of prospective opponents. He garnered the support of figures such as Edith Green. By late 1959, however, Senator Wayne Morse launched a favorite son campaign, which posed a viable challenge to Kennedy's prospects of winning Oregon.

Hubert Humphrey had been seen as having a realistic chance of winning the strongly liberal state electorate if he were to remain a viable candidate through late-May (when the primary was scheduled). However, Humphrey ultimately withdrew earlier on after losing the West Virginia primary.

Kennedy's campaign worried about a potential active campaign effort by Adlai Stevenson II in the state, where many voters were still enamored with the two-time Democratic standard bearer. In a January 26, 1960 memo, campaign manager Robert Kennedy stated that it was important for the Kennedy campaign to try and stop Stevenson from becoming an active factor in the Oregon primary. Congressman Charles O. Porter was seen as being likely to lead any potential effort to support a Stevenson candidacy in Oregon, therefore, Robert considered persuading him that such an effort would hand the primary to Morse, whom Porter despised. However, by May this proved to be unneeded, as Kennedy had already cleared the field.

While names of several other contenders appeared on the Oregon Democratic primary ballot, the only active opponent which Kennedy faced in the primary was Morse. Oregon was the only state in which Kennedy directly challenged a favorite son candidate. The Kennedy campaign saw the fiercely independent and progressive state electorate as challenging for them to maneuver. He defeated Morse 51 to 32%.

1960 Oregon Democratic Presidential Primary ResultsPartyCandidateVotesPercentage Democratic John F. Kennedy 146,332 51.0% Democratic Wayne Morse 91,715 31.9% Democratic Hubert Humphrey 16,319 5.7% Democratic Stuart Symington 12,496 4.4% Democratic Lyndon B. Johnson 11,101 3.9% Democratic Adlai Stevenson II (write-ins) 7,924 2.8% Democratic Others 1,210 0.4% Totals 287,097 100.00%

Republican primary

Richard Nixon was the only candidate placed onto the Republican primary ballot by the secretary of state. Nelson Rockefeller, who withdrew from the race, received a large number of write-in votes.

1960 Oregon Republican Presidential Primary ResultsPartyCandidateVotesPercentage Republican Richard Nixon 211,276 93.1% Republican Nelson Rockefeller (write-ins) 9,307 4.1% Democratic John F. Kennedy (write-ins) 2,864 1.3% Republican Barry Goldwater (write-ins) 1,571 0.7% Republican Others 2,015 0.9% Totals 227,033 100.00%

Campaign Nixon placed first in all four congressional districts. Crook County, a bellwether county since the 1884 election, incorrectly supported Kennedy. Oregon had one of the lowest Catholic and highest fundamentalist Protestant populations in the United States.

Results

Results by county County Richard NixonRepublican John F. KennedyDemocratic Various candidatesWrite-ins Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Baker 3,514 48.46% 3,734 51.50% 3 0.04% -220 -3.04% 7,251 Benton 9,734 64.36% 5,391 35.64% 4,343 28.72% 15,125 Clackamas 28,531 54.53% 23,679 45.26% 109 0.21% 4,852 9.27% 52,319 Clatsop 6,286 48.86% 6,530 50.75% 50 0.39% -244 -1.89% 12,866 Columbia 4,356 43.96% 5,546 55.97% 6 0.06% -1,190 -12.01% 9,908 Coos 8,751 40.32% 12,893 59.40% 61 0.28% -4,142 -19.08% 21,705 Crook 1,732 46.35% 2,005 53.65% -273 -7.30% 3,737 Curry 2,382 46.23% 2,767 53.70% 4 0.08% -385 -7.47% 5,153 Deschutes 5,145 51.74% 4,776 48.03% 23 0.23% 369 3.71% 9,944 Douglas 12,493 48.39% 13,322 51.61% -829 -3.22% 25,815 Gilliam 712 54.02% 606 45.98% 106 8.04% 1,318 Grant 1,697 54.13% 1,438 45.87% 259 8.26% 3,135 Harney 1,464 54.40% 1,220 45.34% 7 0.26% 244 9.06% 2,691 Hood River 3,103 55.86% 2,450 44.10% 2 0.04% 653 11.76% 5,555 Jackson 17,554 54.59% 14,531 45.19% 72 0.22% 3,023 9.40% 32,157 Jefferson 1,413 53.75% 1,214 46.18% 2 0.08% 199 7.57% 2,629 Josephine 7,387 57.57% 5,419 42.23% 25 0.19% 1,968 15.34% 12,831 Klamath 9,095 50.46% 8,928 49.54% 167 0.92% 18,023 Lake 1,555 51.90% 1,441 48.10% 114 3.80% 2,996 Lane 36,148 52.49% 32,596 47.34% 118 0.17% 3,552 5.15% 68,862 Lincoln 5,231 49.90% 5,243 50.01% 9 0.09% -12 -0.11% 10,483 Linn 12,899 53.89% 11,035 46.11% 1,864 7.78% 23,934 Malheur 5,043 59.86% 3,381 40.14% 1,662 19.72% 8,424 Marion 29,124 58.28% 20,791 41.61% 55 0.11% 8,333 16.67% 49,970 Morrow 1,003 49.12% 1,039 50.88% -36 -1.76% 2,042 Multnomah 127,271 50.53% 124,273 49.34% 338 0.13% 2,998 1.19% 251,882 Polk 6,709 59.38% 4,578 40.52% 11 0.10% 2,131 18.86% 11,298 Sherman 659 56.57% 506 43.43% 153 13.14% 1,165 Tillamook 3,935 48.92% 4,098 50.94% 11 0.14% -163 -2.02% 8,044 Umatilla 9,374 53.77% 8,053 46.19% 6 0.03% 1,321 7.58% 17,433 Union 3,689 47.48% 4,081 52.52% -392 -5.04% 7,770 Wallowa 1,440 46.08% 1,682 53.82% 3 0.10% -242 -7.74% 3,125 Wasco 4,355 49.58% 4,426 50.39% 3 0.03% -71 -0.81% 8,784 Washington 25,415 58.85% 17,736 41.07% 35 0.08% 7,679 17.78% 43,186 Wheeler 566 54.84% 466 45.16% 100 9.68% 1,032 Yamhill 8,295 59.98% 5,528 39.97% 6 0.04% 2,767 20.01% 13,829Totals408,06052.56%367,40247.32%9590.12%40,6585.24%776,421

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Baker Clatsop Crook Curry Douglas Lincoln Morrow Tillamook Wasco

See also United States presidential elections in Oregon

References

Works cited