1968 Alabama Democratic presidential primary

A presidential primary was held in the U.S. state of Alabama on May 7, 1968, with runoff elections in some congressional districts on June 4, to elect delegates representing Alabama to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. A substantial number of Alabama's national convention delegates were pledged to former Governor George Wallace as a favorite son candidate, despite his wishes. Wallace did not seek or want the national Democratic nomination, instead opting for a third-party run. Despite the state having its congressional maps redrawn after losing a seat in the 1960 United States census, Alabama continued to use its nine old congressional districts from the 1950s for the purpose of electing delegates while simultaneously using the new eight districts for U.S. House of Representatives seats.

Of Alabama's fifty national delegate slots, only sixteen were up for election in May and June. Five of the thirty-four remaining delegates were party officers, or superdelegates, with twenty-nine running unopposed for their respective nominations. Alabama's forty-five pledged delegates were split equally among its nine old congressional districts and elected to designated places. On May 7, 1968, twelve delegates were elected in the first round, ten pledged to Wallace, and two uncommitted. The last four delegates were elected in the runoff; three for Wallace, and one uncommitted. On June 5, the day after the Democratic runoff, The Birmingham News determined that thirty-one delegates were pledged to George Wallace, eighteen were uncommitted, and one, Joe Reed of Montgomery, was pledged to Hubert Humphrey.

The state's fifty delegates were worth thirty-two votes, with most delegates only receiving a half vote. By the 1968 Democratic National Convention, delegates pledged to Wallace from Alabama numbered 9½ votes, and 20½ uncommitted. Many delegates who refused to sign the loyalty pledge to the national party were refused from being seated and were replaced. At the roll call, Alabama's votes numbered 23 for Hubert Humphrey, 3½ for Ted Kennedy, 1½ for Crimson Tide head coach Bear Bryant, half a vote each for Wallace and governor of North Carolina Dan K. Moore, with three abstentions.

Results An asterisk denotes a delegate elected, two asterisks denotes a delegate candidate advancing to a runoff. Runoff results by old congressional district

Old CDand place Pledged to George Wallace Uncommitted Total Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % 1st, place 1 J. A. Kahalley* 27,722 56.22% — — — 49,314 Ellis V. Ollinger 21,592 43.78% 1st, place 2 Dan C. Alexander* 35,945 73.73% — — — 48,751 Frank O. Alonzo 12,806 26.27% 6th, place 5 J. R. Stallworth* 22,350 68.33% F. N. Nixon 10,359 31.67% 32,709 8th, place 5 E. M. Frazier 14,199 40.08% Jim O'Connor* 21,227 59.92% 35,426 Source: The Associated Press

First round results by old congressional district

Place Pledged to George Wallace Uncommitted Total Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % 1st, place 1 J. A. Kahalley** 23,059 45.30% Roosevelt Johnson 7,922 15.56% 50,904 Ellis V. Ollinger** 19,923 39.14% — — — 1st, place 2 Dan C. Alexander** 25,280 49.65% Annye H. Braxton 12,380 24.31% 50,920 Frank O. Alonzo** 13,260 26.04% — — — 2nd, place 1 Bob Coburn Jr.* 23,934 66.07% Collins W. Harris 12,290 33.93% 36,224 3rd, place 1 Hilton Parish* 25,768 77.38% Carl L. Raybon 7,531 22.62% 33,299 3rd, place 3 Frank P. Samples** 20,730 56.84% Ezell Webb 8,303 22.76% 36,474 — — — Henry O. Williams 7,441 20.40% 3rd, place 5 W. Ray Lolley* 26,253 73.20% Aaron Sellers 9,613 26.80% 35,866 4th, place 2 Earl Goodwin* 25,857 74.08% Frank Embry 9,048 25.92% 34,905 4th, place 4 — — — Joe J. Phillips* 22,268 65.19% 34,157 — — — T. J. Clemons 11,889 34.81% 5th, place 5 Robert H. Wilder* 16,077 57.84% Billy J. Gallaher 11,720 42.16% 27,797 6th, place 5 J. R. Stallworth** 15,551 45.86% F. N. Nixon** 11,194 33.01% 33,909 — — — James W. Powell 7,164 21.13% 8th, place 2 Murray W. Beasley* 25,553 70.64% George Castile 10,618 29.36% 36,171 8th, place 3 Mrs. E. M. Frazier* 18,830 54.75% Wiley Layton 15,560 45.25% 34,390 8th, place 5 E. M. Frazier** 16,204 45.34% Jim O'Connor** 13,335 37.31% 35,741 — — — Mariola Jernigan 6,202 17.35% 9th, place 1 — — — Alan T. Drennon* 37,693 50.39% 74,800 — — — Jess Lanier 37,107 49.61% 9th, place 2 Robert C. Gafford* 46,647 64.37% Reuben Davis 20,277 27.98% 72,471 — — — Henry Ulys Creel 5,547 7.65% 9th, place 4 Hubert Kilgore* 47,121 65.04% James M. Tanner 25,333 34.96% 72,454 Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1971 (p. 396–410)

1968 Alabama Democratic presidential primary

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