1968 United States presidential election in Minnesota
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| Turnout | 74.02%[1]  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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The 1968 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose ten electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Minnesota was won by the Democratic Party candidate, incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the home-state favorite, won the state over former Vice President Richard Nixon by 199,095 votes, giving him one of his fourteen victories in the election (13 states plus D.C.).
The American candidate, former Alabama governor George Wallace, failed to make a substantial impact in Minnesota, as his base of support was primarily in the Deep South. While Wallace took 13.5% of the national popular vote and won five states of the former Confederacy, he only took 4.43% of the vote in Minnesota, his weakest state in the Midwestern United States.
Nationally, Nixon won the election with 301 electoral votes, though he led Humphrey by less than a percent in the popular vote. The election permanently disrupted the New Deal Coalition, which had been dominant in presidential politics since 1932. This was the first election since 1916 in which Minnesota backed the losing candidate in a presidential election. Nixon became the first Republican to win a presidential election without winning Minnesota.
Until 2016, this was the last presidential election in Minnesota where any county was won with over seventy percent of the popular vote. In 2016, Donald Trump carried Morrison County with 73% of the vote, and Todd County with 70.75% of the vote. In this case, Humphrey won the following counties over this threshold: Carlton County, Lake County, and Saint Louis County. It was not until 2020 that Democrats received over 70% of the vote in a Minnesota county again, namely Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
Results
| 1968 United States presidential election in Minnesota[2] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Hubert Humphrey | 857,738 | 54.00% | 10 | |
| Republican | Richard Nixon | 658,643 | 41.46% | 0 | |
| American | George Wallace | 68,931 | 4.43% | 0 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Eldridge Cleaver | 935 | 0.06% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | Fred Halstead | 808 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| No party | Eugene McCarthy (write-in) | 585 | 0.04% | 0 | |
| Communist | Charlene Mitchell | 415 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | Henning Blomen | 285 | 0.02% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 170 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,599,655 | 100.00% | 10 | ||
| Voter turnout | 74% | — | |||
Results by county
| County[3] | Hubert Humphrey DFL |
Richard Nixon Republican |
George Wallace American |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Aitkin | 3,094 | 54.69% | 2,254 | 39.84% | 286 | 5.06% | 23 | 0.41% | 840 | 14.85% | 5,657 |
| Anoka | 30,656 | 61.15% | 16,358 | 32.63% | 3,073 | 6.13% | 47 | 0.09% | 14,298 | 28.52% | 50,134 |
| Becker | 4,875 | 47.81% | 4,728 | 46.37% | 568 | 5.57% | 25 | 0.25% | 147 | 1.44% | 10,196 |
| Beltrami | 5,034 | 52.63% | 3,912 | 40.90% | 599 | 6.26% | 20 | 0.21% | 1,122 | 11.73% | 9,565 |
| Benton | 4,022 | 50.17% | 3,470 | 43.29% | 514 | 6.41% | 10 | 0.12% | 552 | 6.88% | 8,016 |
| Big Stone | 2,119 | 53.70% | 1,645 | 41.69% | 176 | 4.46% | 6 | 0.15% | 474 | 12.01% | 3,946 |
| Blue Earth | 9,254 | 47.37% | 9,571 | 48.99% | 686 | 3.51% | 26 | 0.13% | -317 | -1.62% | 19,537 |
| Brown | 4,585 | 37.13% | 7,039 | 57.00% | 703 | 5.69% | 23 | 0.19% | -2,454 | -19.87% | 12,350 |
| Carlton | 8,538 | 71.04% | 3,016 | 25.10% | 444 | 3.69% | 20 | 0.17% | 5,522 | 45.94% | 12,018 |
| Carver | 4,590 | 38.96% | 6,649 | 56.44% | 528 | 4.48% | 13 | 0.11% | -2,059 | -17.48% | 11,780 |
| Cass | 3,569 | 44.89% | 3,888 | 48.91% | 486 | 6.11% | 7 | 0.09% | -319 | -4.02% | 7,950 |
| Chippewa | 3,701 | 51.78% | 3,195 | 44.70% | 243 | 3.40% | 8 | 0.11% | 506 | 7.08% | 7,147 |
| Chisago | 4,102 | 53.61% | 3,053 | 39.90% | 492 | 6.43% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,049 | 13.71% | 7,651 |
| Clay | 7,987 | 48.23% | 7,910 | 47.77% | 640 | 3.86% | 23 | 0.14% | 77 | 0.46% | 16,560 |
| Clearwater | 2,046 | 57.46% | 1,284 | 36.06% | 217 | 6.09% | 14 | 0.39% | 762 | 21.40% | 3,561 |
| Cook | 777 | 44.94% | 853 | 49.33% | 96 | 5.55% | 3 | 0.17% | -76 | -4.39% | 1,729 |
| Cottonwood | 3,046 | 41.21% | 4,050 | 54.80% | 293 | 3.96% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,004 | -13.59% | 7,391 |
| Crow Wing | 7,411 | 50.09% | 6,687 | 45.20% | 672 | 4.54% | 25 | 0.17% | 724 | 4.89% | 14,795 |
| Dakota | 28,416 | 56.94% | 19,290 | 38.65% | 2,142 | 4.29% | 60 | 0.12% | 9,126 | 18.29% | 49,908 |
| Dodge | 2,437 | 42.69% | 3,064 | 53.67% | 201 | 3.52% | 7 | 0.12% | -627 | -10.98% | 5,709 |
| Douglas | 4,826 | 44.52% | 5,464 | 50.41% | 536 | 4.95% | 13 | 0.12% | -638 | -5.89% | 10,839 |
| Faribault | 4,335 | 41.75% | 5,662 | 54.53% | 379 | 3.65% | 8 | 0.08% | -1,327 | -12.78% | 10,384 |
| Fillmore | 3,918 | 36.94% | 6,257 | 58.99% | 426 | 4.02% | 6 | 0.06% | -2,339 | -22.05% | 10,607 |
| Freeborn | 8,671 | 52.35% | 7,315 | 44.16% | 558 | 3.37% | 19 | 0.11% | 1,356 | 8.19% | 16,563 |
| Goodhue | 7,220 | 45.23% | 8,283 | 51.89% | 451 | 2.83% | 10 | 0.06% | -1,063 | -6.66% | 15,964 |
| Grant | 1,982 | 48.40% | 1,929 | 47.11% | 179 | 4.37% | 5 | 0.12% | 53 | 1.29% | 4,095 |
| Hennepin | 220,078 | 54.07% | 170,002 | 41.77% | 15,659 | 3.85% | 1,285 | 0.32% | 50,076 | 12.30% | 407,024 |
| Houston | 2,703 | 35.19% | 4,450 | 57.94% | 521 | 6.78% | 7 | 0.09% | -1,747 | -22.75% | 7,681 |
| Hubbard | 1,920 | 38.79% | 2,720 | 54.95% | 304 | 6.14% | 6 | 0.12% | -800 | -16.16% | 4,950 |
| Isanti | 3,439 | 54.27% | 2,429 | 38.33% | 451 | 7.12% | 18 | 0.28% | 1,010 | 15.94% | 6,337 |
| Itasca | 10,512 | 64.86% | 4,898 | 30.22% | 780 | 4.81% | 16 | 0.10% | 5,614 | 34.64% | 16,206 |
| Jackson | 3,515 | 51.95% | 2,886 | 42.65% | 359 | 5.31% | 6 | 0.09% | 629 | 9.30% | 6,766 |
| Kanabec | 2,154 | 50.71% | 1,847 | 43.48% | 240 | 5.65% | 7 | 0.16% | 307 | 7.23% | 4,248 |
| Kandiyohi | 7,639 | 57.01% | 5,086 | 37.96% | 658 | 4.91% | 17 | 0.13% | 2,553 | 19.05% | 13,400 |
| Kittson | 1,894 | 53.91% | 1,436 | 40.88% | 179 | 5.10% | 4 | 0.11% | 458 | 13.03% | 3,513 |
| Koochiching | 4,697 | 66.01% | 2,104 | 29.57% | 299 | 4.20% | 16 | 0.22% | 2,593 | 36.44% | 7,116 |
| Lac qui Parle | 2,937 | 50.39% | 2,672 | 45.85% | 212 | 3.64% | 7 | 0.12% | 265 | 4.54% | 5,828 |
| Lake | 4,266 | 72.42% | 1,351 | 22.93% | 263 | 4.46% | 11 | 0.19% | 2,915 | 49.49% | 5,891 |
| Lake of the Woods | 875 | 56.16% | 607 | 38.96% | 69 | 4.43% | 7 | 0.45% | 268 | 17.20% | 1,558 |
| Le Sueur | 5,094 | 53.17% | 4,189 | 43.72% | 292 | 3.05% | 6 | 0.06% | 905 | 9.45% | 9,581 |
| Lincoln | 2,109 | 52.33% | 1,732 | 42.98% | 187 | 4.64% | 2 | 0.05% | 377 | 9.35% | 4,030 |
| Lyon | 5,317 | 53.35% | 4,331 | 43.46% | 306 | 3.07% | 12 | 0.12% | 986 | 9.89% | 9,966 |
| Mahnomen | 1,508 | 57.89% | 893 | 34.28% | 201 | 7.72% | 3 | 0.12% | 615 | 23.61% | 2,605 |
| Marshall | 3,161 | 53.07% | 2,367 | 39.74% | 418 | 7.02% | 10 | 0.17% | 794 | 13.33% | 5,956 |
| Martin | 4,271 | 35.67% | 7,115 | 59.43% | 580 | 4.84% | 7 | 0.06% | -2,844 | -23.76% | 11,973 |
| McLeod | 4,861 | 40.29% | 6,619 | 54.87% | 576 | 4.77% | 8 | 0.07% | -1,758 | -14.58% | 12,064 |
| Meeker | 4,213 | 48.40% | 4,044 | 46.46% | 438 | 5.03% | 9 | 0.10% | 169 | 1.94% | 8,704 |
| Mille Lacs | 3,494 | 50.71% | 2,990 | 43.40% | 399 | 5.79% | 7 | 0.10% | 504 | 7.31% | 6,890 |
| Morrison | 6,111 | 54.29% | 4,511 | 40.08% | 612 | 5.44% | 22 | 0.20% | 1,600 | 14.21% | 11,256 |
| Mower | 11,022 | 56.56% | 7,736 | 39.70% | 692 | 3.55% | 36 | 0.18% | 3,286 | 16.86% | 19,486 |
| Murray | 2,662 | 45.21% | 2,906 | 49.35% | 316 | 5.37% | 4 | 0.07% | -244 | -4.14% | 5,888 |
| Nicollet | 4,244 | 45.96% | 4,671 | 50.58% | 312 | 3.38% | 7 | 0.08% | -427 | -4.62% | 9,234 |
| Nobles | 5,171 | 51.16% | 4,451 | 44.04% | 477 | 4.72% | 8 | 0.08% | 720 | 7.12% | 10,107 |
| Norman | 2,828 | 56.42% | 1,981 | 39.53% | 200 | 3.99% | 3 | 0.06% | 847 | 16.89% | 5,012 |
| Olmsted | 13,417 | 42.14% | 17,292 | 54.31% | 1,103 | 3.46% | 28 | 0.09% | -3,875 | -12.17% | 31,840 |
| Otter Tail | 7,400 | 35.75% | 12,483 | 60.30% | 802 | 3.87% | 16 | 0.08% | -5,083 | -24.55% | 20,701 |
| Pennington | 2,998 | 54.86% | 2,247 | 41.12% | 212 | 3.88% | 8 | 0.15% | 751 | 13.74% | 5,465 |
| Pine | 4,044 | 56.82% | 2,591 | 36.41% | 463 | 6.51% | 19 | 0.27% | 1,453 | 20.41% | 7,117 |
| Pipestone | 2,234 | 38.93% | 3,241 | 56.48% | 260 | 4.53% | 3 | 0.05% | -1,007 | -17.55% | 5,738 |
| Polk | 8,380 | 55.24% | 6,074 | 40.04% | 700 | 4.61% | 15 | 0.10% | 2,306 | 15.20% | 15,169 |
| Pope | 2,592 | 48.29% | 2,504 | 46.65% | 265 | 4.94% | 7 | 0.13% | 88 | 1.64% | 5,368 |
| Ramsey | 122,568 | 62.64% | 64,068 | 32.75% | 8,543 | 4.37% | 477 | 0.24% | 58,500 | 29.89% | 195,656 |
| Red Lake | 1,467 | 63.29% | 718 | 30.97% | 130 | 5.61% | 3 | 0.13% | 749 | 32.32% | 2,318 |
| Redwood | 3,680 | 39.63% | 5,134 | 55.29% | 462 | 4.98% | 9 | 0.10% | -1,454 | -15.66% | 9,285 |
| Renville | 4,535 | 45.78% | 4,821 | 48.67% | 543 | 5.48% | 7 | 0.07% | -286 | -2.89% | 9,906 |
| Rice | 7,785 | 50.82% | 7,037 | 45.94% | 477 | 3.11% | 20 | 0.13% | 748 | 4.88% | 15,319 |
| Rock | 2,084 | 38.78% | 3,056 | 56.87% | 232 | 4.32% | 2 | 0.04% | -972 | -18.09% | 5,374 |
| Roseau | 2,649 | 52.61% | 2,048 | 40.68% | 326 | 6.47% | 12 | 0.24% | 601 | 11.93% | 5,035 |
| St. Louis | 72,267 | 70.99% | 25,981 | 25.52% | 3,255 | 3.20% | 294 | 0.29% | 46,286 | 45.47% | 101,797 |
| Scott | 6,656 | 56.23% | 4,632 | 39.13% | 540 | 4.56% | 9 | 0.08% | 2,024 | 17.10% | 11,837 |
| Sherburne | 3,481 | 52.80% | 2,737 | 41.51% | 369 | 5.60% | 6 | 0.09% | 744 | 11.29% | 6,593 |
| Sibley | 2,540 | 35.50% | 4,250 | 59.41% | 361 | 5.05% | 3 | 0.04% | -1,710 | -23.91% | 7,154 |
| Stearns | 15,990 | 47.62% | 15,422 | 45.93% | 2,081 | 6.20% | 87 | 0.26% | 568 | 1.69% | 33,580 |
| Steele | 4,631 | 41.39% | 6,193 | 55.34% | 358 | 3.20% | 8 | 0.07% | -1,562 | -13.95% | 11,190 |
| Stevens | 2,247 | 44.39% | 2,560 | 50.57% | 246 | 4.86% | 9 | 0.18% | -313 | -6.18% | 5,062 |
| Swift | 3,716 | 57.60% | 2,476 | 38.38% | 247 | 3.83% | 12 | 0.19% | 1,240 | 19.22% | 6,451 |
| Todd | 3,992 | 42.20% | 4,883 | 51.62% | 572 | 6.05% | 13 | 0.14% | -891 | -9.42% | 9,460 |
| Traverse | 1,669 | 54.12% | 1,277 | 41.41% | 137 | 4.44% | 1 | 0.03% | 392 | 12.71% | 3,084 |
| Wabasha | 3,452 | 43.77% | 4,081 | 51.75% | 346 | 4.39% | 7 | 0.09% | -629 | -7.98% | 7,886 |
| Wadena | 2,198 | 40.81% | 2,912 | 54.07% | 269 | 4.99% | 7 | 0.13% | -714 | -13.26% | 5,386 |
| Waseca | 3,057 | 40.20% | 4,292 | 56.44% | 244 | 3.21% | 12 | 0.16% | -1,235 | -16.24% | 7,605 |
| Washington | 16,449 | 56.81% | 10,921 | 37.72% | 1,527 | 5.27% | 57 | 0.20% | 5,528 | 19.09% | 28,954 |
| Watonwan | 2,701 | 41.99% | 3,446 | 53.57% | 278 | 4.32% | 8 | 0.12% | -745 | -11.58% | 6,433 |
| Wilkin | 1,946 | 46.72% | 2,037 | 48.91% | 181 | 4.35% | 1 | 0.02% | -91 | -2.19% | 4,165 |
| Winona | 8,627 | 49.46% | 7,998 | 45.85% | 781 | 4.48% | 37 | 0.21% | 629 | 3.61% | 17,443 |
| Wright | 8,793 | 55.82% | 6,321 | 40.13% | 627 | 3.98% | 12 | 0.08% | 2,472 | 15.69% | 15,753 |
| Yellow Medicine | 3,587 | 50.81% | 3,060 | 43.34% | 406 | 5.75% | 7 | 0.10% | 527 | 7.47% | 7,060 |
| Totals | 857,738 | 54.00% | 658,643 | 41.46% | 68,931 | 4.34% | 3,198 | 0.20% | 199,095 | 12.54% | 1,588,510 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Watonwan
- Todd
- Wilkin
- Faribault
- Douglas
- Fillmore
- Cottonwood
- Cook
- Pipestone
- Redwood
- Brown
- Blue Earth
- Goodhue
- Houston
- McLeod
- Murray
- Nicollet
- Olmsted
- Cass
- Renville
- Rock
- Steele
- Hubbard
- Stevens
- Wadena
- Wabasha
- Waseca
See also
Notes
- ^ 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
- ^ "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State". www.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "1968 Presidential Election Results – Minnesota". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "MN US Presidential Election Race, November 05, 1968". Our Campaigns.
