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| Turnout | 64.4%[1] 2.5pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Johnson 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
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The1964 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 3, 1964, as part of the1964 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus theDistrict of Columbia participated.New York voters chose 43 electors to represent them in theElectoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbentDemocraticPresidentLyndon B. Johnson and hisrunning mate,President pro tempore of the SenateHubert Humphrey, againstRepublican challenger andSenatorBarry Goldwater fromArizona and his running mate and Chair of theRepublican National Committee,William E. Miller.
Johnson carried the state in a historic landslide, taking 68.56% of the vote to Goldwater's 31.31%, a victory margin of 37.25%. This is the only election in history in which a Democratic presidential candidate carried every singlecounty in the state of New York. The staunchconservative Barry Goldwater was widely seen in the liberal Northeast as a right-wing extremist;[2] he had voted against theCivil Rights Act of 1964, and the Johnson campaign portrayed him as a warmonger who as president would provoke a nuclear war.[3] Thus Goldwater performed especially weakly in northeastern states like New York: he wrote off the state and neighboringConnecticut,Massachusetts,Michigan,New Jersey,Pennsylvania, andRhode Island from the beginning of his presidential campaign even before Kennedy's assassination.[4] For the first time in history, a Democratic presidential candidate swept every Northeastern state in 1964. Not only did Johnson win every Northeastern state, but he won all of them with over 60% of the vote. New York weighed in as the fifth most Democratic state in the nation.
Johnson dominated heavily Democratic cities such asNew York City, the largest in the country, as well as the upstate cities ofAlbany,Buffalo,Rochester, andSyracuse, which historically provided Democratic candidates an advantage. However, Johnson also swept every county in the state, including traditionally Republican parts ofupstate New York andLong Island. Johnson carried allfive boroughs of New York City, the first presidential candidate to do so since the landslide re-election ofFranklin Roosevelt in1936. In the borough ofManhattan, Johnson broke 80% of the vote, the first presidential candidate ever to do so.Brooklyn andthe Bronx voted over 70% Democratic. Traditionally RepublicanQueens, narrowly carried byJohn F. Kennedy four years earlier in1960, gave over 60% of the vote to Johnson. EvenStaten Island voted Democratic, although it was the only county to give Goldwater more than 45% of the vote.[5] Overall, New York City gave Johnson 73.02% of the vote, a citywide vote share no candidate would surpass until fellow DemocratBill Clinton’s 77.10% in 1996. With 2,183,646 votes from the five boroughs, Johnson also received more votes in New York City than any other presidential candidate in history, setting a record that would hold until DemocratHillary Clinton won 2,191,869 votes in2016. Johnson's record of 4.9 million votes won by a single candidate in New York would hold for four years longer, being surpassed byJoe Biden in2020.
Johnson's 68.56% of the vote remains the highest vote share any presidential candidate of either party has ever received in New York State. His 37.25% victory margin also remains the widest margin by which any Democratic presidential candidate has ever won New York State, and the second widest margin by which any candidate of either party has ever carried the state behind RepublicanWarren G. Harding’s 37.61% margin in the1920 Republican landslide.[6] This result also made Johnson one of only three presidential candidates of either party who have been able to sweep every county in New York State, along with Harding in 1920 and his successorCalvin Coolidge in1924. New York weighed in for this election as 15% moreDemocratic than the national average.
| 1964 United States presidential election in New York | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Presidential nominee | Vice presidential nominee | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert Humphrey | 4,570,724 | 63.78% | ||
| Liberal | Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert Humphrey | 342,432 | 4.78% | ||
| Total | Lyndon B. Johnson (incumbent) | Hubert Humphrey | 4,913,156 | 68.56% | 43 | |
| Republican | Barry Goldwater | William E. Miller | 2,243,559 | 31.31% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | Eric Hass | Henning A. Blomen | 6,085 | 0.08% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | Clifton DeBerry | Ed Shaw | 3,215 | 0.04% | 0 | |
| Totals | 7,166,015 | 100.0% | 43 | |||
| 1964 presidential election in New York City | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Total | |||
| Democratic- Liberal | Lyndon B. Johnson | 503,848 | 403,014 | 684,839 | 541,418 | 50,524 | 2,183,643 | 73.02% | |
| 80.52% | 74.69% | 74.80% | 66.28% | 54.36% | |||||
| Republican | Barry Goldwater | 120,125 | 135,780 | 229,291 | 274,351 | 42,330 | 801,877 | 26.81% | |
| 19.20% | 25.16% | 25.05% | 33.59% | 45.54% | |||||
| Socialist Labor | Eric Hass | 966 | 552 | 879 | 748 | 71 | 3,216 | 0.11% | |
| 0.15% | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.09% | 0.08% | |||||
| Socialist Workers | Clifton DeBerry | 780 | 248 | 494 | 311 | 21 | 1,854 | 0.06% | |
| 0.12% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.02% | |||||
| TOTAL | 625,719 | 539,594 | 915,503 | 816,828 | 92,946 | 2,990,590 | 100.00% | ||
| County | Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic | Barry Goldwater Republican | Eric Hass[7] Socialist Labor | Clifton DeBerry[7] Socialist Workers | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Albany | 114,827 | 78.03% | 32,224 | 21.90% | 66 | 0.04% | 35 | 0.02% | 82,603 | 56.13% | 147,152 |
| Allegany | 10,329 | 57.26% | 7,688 | 42.62% | 10 | 0.06% | 12 | 0.07% | 2,641 | 14.64% | 18,039 |
| Bronx | 403,014 | 74.69% | 135,780 | 25.16% | 552 | 0.10% | 248 | 0.05% | 267,234 | 49.53% | 539,594 |
| Broome | 59,021 | 64.76% | 32,048 | 35.16% | 54 | 0.06% | 16 | 0.02% | 26,973 | 29.60% | 91,139 |
| Cattaraugus | 21,994 | 66.78% | 10,907 | 33.12% | 22 | 0.07% | 10 | 0.03% | 11,087 | 33.66% | 32,933 |
| Cayuga | 24,090 | 67.73% | 11,453 | 32.20% | 13 | 0.04% | 10 | 0.03% | 12,637 | 35.53% | 35,566 |
| Chautauqua | 42,924 | 69.17% | 19,069 | 30.73% | 44 | 0.07% | 19 | 0.03% | 23,855 | 38.44% | 62,056 |
| Chemung | 26,332 | 64.10% | 14,716 | 35.82% | 24 | 0.06% | 10 | 0.02% | 11,616 | 28.28% | 41,082 |
| Chenango | 11,653 | 61.49% | 7,293 | 38.48% | 4 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.01% | 4,360 | 23.01% | 18,952 |
| Clinton | 18,398 | 75.12% | 6,078 | 24.82% | 9 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.03% | 12,320 | 50.30% | 24,492 |
| Columbia | 14,516 | 61.62% | 9,023 | 38.30% | 13 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.03% | 5,493 | 23.32% | 23,558 |
| Cortland | 11,110 | 64.33% | 6,149 | 35.61% | 4 | 0.02% | 7 | 0.04% | 4,961 | 28.72% | 17,270 |
| Delaware | 11,686 | 58.24% | 8,359 | 41.66% | 15 | 0.07% | 4 | 0.02% | 3,327 | 16.58% | 20,064 |
| Dutchess | 50,179 | 62.94% | 29,503 | 37.01% | 29 | 0.04% | 14 | 0.02% | 20,676 | 25.93% | 79,725 |
| Erie | 344,910 | 73.14% | 125,962 | 26.71% | 513 | 0.11% | 191 | 0.04% | 218,948 | 46.43% | 471,576 |
| Essex | 10,739 | 64.75% | 5,837 | 35.19% | 5 | 0.03% | 4 | 0.02% | 4,902 | 29.56% | 16,585 |
| Franklin | 12,467 | 71.94% | 4,846 | 27.96% | 10 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.03% | 7,621 | 43.98% | 17,329 |
| Fulton | 15,846 | 68.46% | 7,278 | 31.44% | 18 | 0.08% | 5 | 0.02% | 8,568 | 37.02% | 23,147 |
| Genesee | 15,713 | 65.91% | 8,114 | 34.03% | 8 | 0.03% | 6 | 0.03% | 7,599 | 31.88% | 23,841 |
| Greene | 10,034 | 56.07% | 7,842 | 43.82% | 9 | 0.05% | 9 | 0.05% | 2,192 | 12.25% | 17,894 |
| Hamilton | 1,603 | 55.80% | 1,269 | 44.17% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 334 | 11.63% | 2,873 |
| Herkimer | 20,136 | 66.42% | 10,159 | 33.51% | 11 | 0.04% | 11 | 0.04% | 9,977 | 32.91% | 30,317 |
| Jefferson | 25,175 | 70.10% | 10,718 | 29.84% | 9 | 0.03% | 12 | 0.03% | 14,457 | 40.26% | 35,914 |
| Kings | 684,839 | 74.80% | 229,291 | 25.05% | 879 | 0.10% | 494 | 0.05% | 455,548 | 49.75% | 915,503 |
| Lewis | 6,584 | 67.33% | 3,185 | 32.57% | 5 | 0.05% | 5 | 0.05% | 3,399 | 34.76% | 9,779 |
| Livingston | 13,481 | 65.38% | 7,120 | 34.53% | 8 | 0.04% | 10 | 0.05% | 6,361 | 30.85% | 20,619 |
| Madison | 14,313 | 61.75% | 8,858 | 38.21% | 9 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 5,455 | 23.54% | 23,180 |
| Monroe | 205,226 | 71.86% | 80,099 | 28.05% | 170 | 0.06% | 87 | 0.03% | 125,127 | 43.81% | 285,582 |
| Montgomery | 19,370 | 69.52% | 8,471 | 30.40% | 12 | 0.04% | 8 | 0.03% | 10,899 | 39.12% | 27,861 |
| Nassau | 382,590 | 60.53% | 248,886 | 39.37% | 428 | 0.07% | 211 | 0.03% | 133,704 | 21.16% | 632,115 |
| New York | 503,848 | 80.52% | 120,125 | 19.20% | 966 | 0.15% | 780 | 0.12% | 383,723 | 61.32% | 625,719 |
| Niagara | 67,260 | 70.07% | 28,663 | 29.86% | 44 | 0.05% | 18 | 0.02% | 38,597 | 40.21% | 95,985 |
| Oneida | 73,359 | 64.80% | 39,737 | 35.10% | 82 | 0.07% | 32 | 0.03% | 33,622 | 29.70% | 113,210 |
| Onondaga | 128,630 | 66.99% | 63,205 | 32.92% | 128 | 0.07% | 51 | 0.03% | 65,425 | 34.07% | 192,014 |
| Ontario | 19,922 | 64.72% | 10,847 | 35.24% | 7 | 0.02% | 8 | 0.03% | 9,075 | 29.48% | 30,784 |
| Orange | 48,244 | 61.13% | 30,610 | 38.78% | 49 | 0.06% | 21 | 0.03% | 17,634 | 22.35% | 78,924 |
| Orleans | 9,304 | 62.46% | 5,567 | 37.37% | 18 | 0.12% | 7 | 0.05% | 3,737 | 25.09% | 14,896 |
| Oswego | 24,788 | 66.59% | 12,415 | 33.35% | 13 | 0.03% | 10 | 0.03% | 12,373 | 33.24% | 37,226 |
| Otsego | 15,190 | 63.67% | 8,643 | 36.23% | 19 | 0.08% | 7 | 0.03% | 6,547 | 27.44% | 23,859 |
| Putnam | 12,636 | 57.75% | 9,219 | 42.14% | 11 | 0.05% | 13 | 0.06% | 3,417 | 15.61% | 21,879 |
| Queens | 541,418 | 66.28% | 274,351 | 33.59% | 748 | 0.09% | 311 | 0.04% | 267,067 | 32.69% | 816,828 |
| Rensselaer | 51,170 | 71.01% | 20,814 | 28.88% | 55 | 0.08% | 21 | 0.03% | 30,356 | 42.13% | 72,060 |
| Richmond | 50,524 | 54.36% | 42,330 | 45.54% | 71 | 0.08% | 21 | 0.02% | 8,194 | 8.82% | 92,946 |
| Rockland | 46,173 | 63.74% | 26,187 | 36.15% | 53 | 0.07% | 29 | 0.04% | 19,986 | 27.59% | 72,442 |
| St. Lawrence | 29,173 | 70.62% | 12,102 | 29.30% | 23 | 0.05% | 24 | 0.06% | 17,071 | 41.32% | 41,307 |
| Saratoga | 29,264 | 68.57% | 13,364 | 31.32% | 56 | 0.08% | 24 | 0.03% | 15,900 | 37.25% | 42,675 |
| Schenectady | 51,892 | 70.30% | 21,848 | 29.60% | 8 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.03% | 30,044 | 40.70% | 73,820 |
| Schoharie | 7,187 | 63.09% | 4,193 | 36.81% | 3 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.03% | 2,994 | 26.28% | 11,391 |
| Schuyler | 4,326 | 59.62% | 2,925 | 40.31% | 7 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.04% | 1,401 | 19.31% | 7,256 |
| Seneca | 8,890 | 66.46% | 4,473 | 33.44% | 20 | 0.05% | 12 | 0.03% | 4,417 | 33.02% | 13,376 |
| Steuben | 24,634 | 60.61% | 15,988 | 39.34% | 15 | 0.04% | 8 | 0.02% | 8,646 | 21.27% | 40,645 |
| Suffolk | 180,598 | 55.51% | 144,350 | 44.37% | 277 | 0.09% | 108 | 0.03% | 36,248 | 11.14% | 325,333 |
| Sullivan | 16,728 | 67.52% | 8,006 | 32.31% | 23 | 0.09% | 18 | 0.07% | 8,722 | 35.21% | 24,775 |
| Tioga | 10,411 | 59.26% | 7,147 | 40.68% | 4 | 0.02% | 5 | 0.03% | 3,264 | 18.58% | 17,567 |
| Tompkins | 16,103 | 63.90% | 9,070 | 35.99% | 12 | 0.05% | 17 | 0.07% | 7,033 | 27.91% | 25,202 |
| Ulster | 35,486 | 59.82% | 23,749 | 40.03% | 60 | 0.10% | 31 | 0.05% | 11,737 | 19.79% | 59,326 |
| Warren | 12,772 | 61.94% | 7,834 | 37.99% | 10 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.02% | 4,938 | 23.95% | 20,620 |
| Washington | 13,826 | 62.87% | 8,160 | 37.10% | 3 | 0.01% | 4 | 0.02% | 5,666 | 25.77% | 21,993 |
| Wayne | 18,729 | 63.83% | 10,586 | 36.08% | 14 | 0.05% | 13 | 0.04% | 8,143 | 27.75% | 29,342 |
| Westchester | 243,723 | 61.98% | 149,052 | 37.90% | 318 | 0.08% | 142 | 0.04% | 94,671 | 24.08% | 393,235 |
| Wyoming | 8,866 | 59.19% | 6,099 | 40.71% | 10 | 0.07% | 5 | 0.03% | 2,767 | 18.48% | 14,980 |
| Yates | 4,983 | 57.52% | 3,675 | 42.42% | 5 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,308 | 15.10% | 8,663 |
| Totals | 4,913,156 | 68.56% | 2,243,559 | 31.31% | 6,085 | 0.08% | 3,215 | 0.04% | 2,669,597 | 37.25% | 7,166,015 |
As of the2024 presidential election, this is the only time in American history that the counties ofGenesee,[8]Livingston,[9]Orleans,[10] andWyoming[11] voted for the Democratic presidential nominee. It is also the last time thatAllegany,Greene,Hamilton,Putnam,Steuben,Tioga, andWayne counties voted Democratic. Most of these counties were in the far western reaches of New York where theWhig Party was strongest in theSecond Party System, before the rise of the Republican Party and during which Democrats regularly won more than a handful ofupstate New York counties.
Many counties ended long streaks of not voting Democratic: It was the first time since1948 thatMonroe County voted for a Democrat, the first time since 1936 thatRichmond,Rockland,Schenectady, andSullivan counties voted for a Democrat, the first time since1932 thatRensselaer County voted for a Democrat, the first time since1916 thatChemung,Greene,Hamilton,Otsego, andSchoharie counties voted for a Democrat, the first time since1912 thatCattaraugus,Columbia,Herkimer,Lewis,Nassau,Putnam,Seneca,Steuben,Suffolk,Tompkins,Ulster, andWestchester counties voted for a Democrat, the first time since1876 thatOrange County voted for a Democrat, the first since1872 thatDutchess county voted for a Democrat, and the first time since1852 that numerous upstate counties voted for a Democrat, namely:Allegany,Broome,Chenango,Delaware,Jefferson,Madison,Onondaga,Oswego,St. Lawrence,Tioga,Warren, andWayne counties. Finally,Fulton andCayuga counties had not voted Democratic since1844, andSaratoga county not since 1836 – 128 years prior.[12]
Unlike some analogous Northeastern counties where Johnson only won very narrowly, likeLancaster inPennsylvania, Johnson won these normally Republican upstate counties by large margins of over 25%. This is one of two occasions between 1852 and 1992 that the Democratic candidate carried New York outside of the city (along with 1912), however, this was the only time they did so with a majority of the vote.[5]
State and district results of the1964 United States presidential election | ||
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