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 County Results Municipality Results
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The1964 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1964, as part of1964 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Politics inWisconsin since thePopulist movement had been dominated by the Republican Party,[1] as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, fled fromWilliam Jennings Bryan's agrarian andfree silver sympathies.[2] Competition between the "League" underRobert M. La Follette, and the conservative "Regular" faction[3] would develop into theWisconsin Progressive Party in the late 1930s, which was opposed to the conservative German Democrats and to the national Republican Party, and allied withFranklin D. Roosevelt at the federal level. During the two wartime elections, the formerly Democratic German counties in the east of the state – which had been powerfully opposed tothe Civil War because they saw it as a "Yankee" war and opposed the military draft instituted during it[4] – viewedCommunism as a much greater threat to America thanNazism and consequently opposed President Roosevelt's war effort.[5] Consequently, these historically Democratic counties became virtually the most Republican in the entire state, and became a major support base for populist conservative SenatorJoe McCarthy, who became notorious for his investigations into Communists inside the American government. The state's populace's opposition to Communism and theKorean War turned Wisconsin strongly to Republican nomineeDwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections.
The 1958 midterm elections, however, saw a major change in Wisconsin politics, asGaylord A. Nelson became only the state's second Democratic Governor since 1895, and the state also elected Democrats to the position of treasurer and Senator, besides that party gaining a majority inthe State Assembly for only the second time since the middle 1890s. They maintained a close balance in the early 1960s, signaling the state's transition to aswing state. Duringthe Republican primaries, Wisconsin supportedfavorite sonJohn W. Byrnes but no other state joined him. Ultimate Republican nomineeBarry Goldwater considered Wisconsin a useful state to combine with hisSouthern andWestern strategy for winning the presidency and directing the GOP away from the decliningYankeeNortheast.[6] The Republican would campaign in Wisconsin late in September, but met with severe hostility at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison.[7] Signs saying "Bring the Bomb—Back Barry" were common in Madison.
In the 1958 election,Gaylord A. Nelson was elected as Wisconsin's second Democratic governor since 1895, and the state also elected Democrats to the position of treasurer and U.S. Senator, besides that party gaining a majority in theState Assembly for only the second time since the middle 1890s. They maintained a close balance in the early 1960s, signaling the state's transition to aswing state.[8] The Republican would campaign in Wisconsin late in September, but met with severe hostility at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison.[9]
George Wallace ran in the Democratic primary, but was defeated by GovernorJohn W. Reynolds Jr., who served as a surrogate for Johnson.[10]
| 1964 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[11][12] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Lyndon B. Johnson (incumbent) | 1,050,424 | 62.09% | 12 | |
| Republican | Barry Goldwater | 638,495 | 37.74% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers[a] | Clifton DeBerry | 1,692 | 0.10% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor[b] | Eric Hass | 1,204 | 0.07% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,691,815 | 100.00% | 12 | ||
| County[11][12] | Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic | Barry Goldwater Republican | Clifton DeBerry Socialist Workers | Eric Hass Socialist Labor | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,262 | 64.83% | 1,219 | 34.94% | 3 | 0.09% | 5 | 0.14% | 1,043 | 29.89% | 3,489 |
| Ashland | 5,383 | 70.91% | 2,198 | 28.96% | 6 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.05% | 3,185 | 41.95% | 7,591 |
| Barron | 8,332 | 59.28% | 5,701 | 40.56% | 17 | 0.12% | 6 | 0.04% | 2,631 | 18.72% | 14,056 |
| Bayfield | 3,875 | 67.08% | 1,886 | 32.65% | 14 | 0.24% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,989 | 34.43% | 5,777 |
| Brown | 30,851 | 59.26% | 21,134 | 40.59% | 61 | 0.12% | 18 | 0.03% | 9,717 | 18.67% | 52,064 |
| Buffalo | 3,663 | 63.60% | 2,091 | 36.31% | 5 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,572 | 27.29% | 5,759 |
| Burnett | 2,921 | 65.45% | 1,536 | 34.42% | 5 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,385 | 31.03% | 4,463 |
| Calumet | 5,356 | 57.75% | 3,905 | 42.11% | 10 | 0.11% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,451 | 15.64% | 9,274 |
| Chippewa | 10,911 | 63.38% | 6,277 | 36.46% | 18 | 0.10% | 8 | 0.05% | 4,634 | 26.92% | 17,214 |
| Clark | 7,781 | 61.25% | 4,897 | 38.55% | 16 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.08% | 2,884 | 22.70% | 12,704 |
| Columbia | 10,093 | 61.66% | 6,253 | 38.20% | 17 | 0.10% | 7 | 0.04% | 3,840 | 23.46% | 16,370 |
| Crawford | 3,930 | 58.98% | 2,726 | 40.91% | 4 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.05% | 1,204 | 18.07% | 6,663 |
| Dane | 68,118 | 71.38% | 27,124 | 28.42% | 83 | 0.09% | 101 | 0.11% | 40,994 | 42.96% | 95,426 |
| Dodge | 15,497 | 58.91% | 10,772 | 40.95% | 30 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.03% | 4,725 | 17.96% | 26,308 |
| Door | 4,416 | 50.68% | 4,289 | 49.22% | 8 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.01% | 127 | 1.46% | 8,714 |
| Douglas | 15,237 | 76.80% | 4,579 | 23.08% | 12 | 0.06% | 11 | 0.06% | 10,658 | 53.72% | 19,839 |
| Dunn | 6,475 | 61.91% | 3,964 | 37.90% | 14 | 0.13% | 5 | 0.05% | 2,511 | 24.01% | 10,458 |
| Eau Claire | 15,775 | 64.33% | 8,700 | 35.48% | 34 | 0.14% | 12 | 0.05% | 7,075 | 28.85% | 24,521 |
| Florence | 1,029 | 63.25% | 596 | 36.63% | 1 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.06% | 433 | 26.62% | 1,627 |
| Fond du Lac | 18,040 | 58.61% | 12,708 | 41.29% | 26 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.01% | 5,332 | 17.32% | 30,778 |
| Forest | 2,479 | 69.79% | 1,069 | 30.10% | 3 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,410 | 39.69% | 3,552 |
| Grant | 9,309 | 54.09% | 7,872 | 45.74% | 16 | 0.09% | 14 | 0.08% | 1,437 | 8.35% | 17,211 |
| Green | 5,548 | 50.76% | 5,364 | 49.08% | 14 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.03% | 184 | 1.68% | 10,929 |
| Green Lake | 3,893 | 50.12% | 3,871 | 49.83% | 2 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.03% | 22 | 0.29% | 7,768 |
| Iowa | 4,620 | 58.43% | 3,275 | 41.42% | 9 | 0.11% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,345 | 17.01% | 7,907 |
| Iron | 2,514 | 72.24% | 963 | 27.67% | 2 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,551 | 44.57% | 3,480 |
| Jackson | 3,818 | 60.06% | 2,532 | 39.83% | 6 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,286 | 20.23% | 6,357 |
| Jefferson | 13,295 | 60.20% | 8,741 | 39.58% | 28 | 0.13% | 20 | 0.09% | 4,554 | 20.62% | 22,084 |
| Juneau | 4,583 | 60.57% | 2,976 | 39.33% | 5 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,607 | 21.24% | 7,567 |
| Kenosha | 30,522 | 67.29% | 14,764 | 32.55% | 40 | 0.09% | 30 | 0.07% | 15,758 | 34.74% | 45,356 |
| Kewaunee | 4,792 | 61.59% | 2,980 | 38.30% | 6 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,812 | 23.29% | 7,780 |
| La Crosse | 16,625 | 55.78% | 13,135 | 44.07% | 26 | 0.09% | 17 | 0.06% | 3,490 | 11.71% | 29,803 |
| Lafayette | 4,471 | 58.28% | 3,194 | 41.64% | 4 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,277 | 16.64% | 7,671 |
| Langlade | 5,077 | 62.83% | 2,994 | 37.05% | 8 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,083 | 25.78% | 8,081 |
| Lincoln | 5,883 | 60.06% | 3,894 | 39.75% | 10 | 0.10% | 9 | 0.09% | 1,989 | 20.31% | 9,796 |
| Manitowoc | 21,927 | 68.92% | 9,849 | 30.96% | 24 | 0.08% | 15 | 0.05% | 12,078 | 37.96% | 31,815 |
| Marathon | 24,603 | 65.74% | 12,766 | 34.11% | 38 | 0.10% | 19 | 0.05% | 11,837 | 31.63% | 37,426 |
| Marinette | 9,657 | 64.32% | 5,332 | 35.52% | 12 | 0.08% | 12 | 0.08% | 4,325 | 28.80% | 15,013 |
| Marquette | 1,927 | 50.50% | 1,881 | 49.29% | 8 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 46 | 1.21% | 3,816 |
| Menominee | 647 | 89.12% | 78 | 10.74% | 1 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 569 | 78.38% | 726 |
| Milwaukee | 288,577 | 65.67% | 149,962 | 34.12% | 401 | 0.09% | 519 | 0.12% | 138,615 | 31.55% | 439,459 |
| Monroe | 6,385 | 55.41% | 5,126 | 44.48% | 7 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.05% | 1,259 | 10.93% | 11,524 |
| Oconto | 6,360 | 58.92% | 4,420 | 40.94% | 11 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.04% | 1,940 | 17.98% | 10,795 |
| Oneida | 6,431 | 62.11% | 3,909 | 37.75% | 10 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.05% | 2,522 | 24.36% | 10,355 |
| Outagamie | 21,556 | 53.62% | 18,595 | 46.26% | 35 | 0.09% | 12 | 0.03% | 2,961 | 7.36% | 40,198 |
| Ozaukee | 9,517 | 52.51% | 8,581 | 47.35% | 15 | 0.08% | 10 | 0.06% | 936 | 5.16% | 18,123 |
| Pepin | 2,154 | 66.71% | 1,069 | 33.11% | 4 | 0.12% | 2 | 0.06% | 1,085 | 33.60% | 3,229 |
| Pierce | 6,351 | 65.70% | 3,291 | 34.05% | 14 | 0.14% | 10 | 0.10% | 3,060 | 31.65% | 9,666 |
| Polk | 7,215 | 65.57% | 3,754 | 34.12% | 18 | 0.16% | 16 | 0.15% | 3,461 | 31.45% | 11,003 |
| Portage | 11,887 | 72.05% | 4,579 | 27.75% | 21 | 0.13% | 11 | 0.07% | 7,308 | 44.30% | 16,498 |
| Price | 4,289 | 63.97% | 2,406 | 35.88% | 7 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,883 | 28.09% | 6,705 |
| Racine | 37,785 | 63.71% | 21,434 | 36.14% | 52 | 0.09% | 35 | 0.06% | 16,351 | 27.57% | 59,306 |
| Richland | 4,315 | 57.17% | 3,224 | 42.71% | 6 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,091 | 14.46% | 7,548 |
| Rock | 28,257 | 58.04% | 20,372 | 41.85% | 44 | 0.09% | 11 | 0.02% | 7,885 | 16.19% | 48,684 |
| Rusk | 4,176 | 65.20% | 2,214 | 34.57% | 7 | 0.11% | 8 | 0.12% | 1,962 | 30.63% | 6,405 |
| Sauk | 9,288 | 59.33% | 6,345 | 40.53% | 12 | 0.08% | 11 | 0.07% | 2,943 | 18.80% | 15,656 |
| Sawyer | 2,591 | 56.17% | 2,012 | 43.62% | 7 | 0.15% | 3 | 0.07% | 579 | 12.55% | 4,613 |
| Shawano | 6,560 | 50.06% | 6,519 | 49.74% | 18 | 0.14% | 8 | 0.06% | 41 | 0.32% | 13,105 |
| Sheboygan | 26,410 | 66.95% | 12,968 | 32.88% | 48 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.05% | 13,442 | 34.07% | 39,445 |
| St. Croix | 8,864 | 65.86% | 4,565 | 33.92% | 16 | 0.12% | 13 | 0.10% | 4,299 | 31.94% | 13,458 |
| Taylor | 4,624 | 67.03% | 2,261 | 32.78% | 10 | 0.14% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,363 | 34.25% | 6,898 |
| Trempealeau | 6,320 | 65.91% | 3,264 | 34.04% | 3 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.02% | 3,056 | 31.87% | 9,589 |
| Vernon | 6,242 | 57.28% | 4,640 | 42.58% | 11 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.05% | 1,602 | 14.70% | 10,898 |
| Vilas | 2,841 | 50.03% | 2,827 | 49.78% | 3 | 0.05% | 8 | 0.14% | 14 | 0.25% | 5,679 |
| Walworth | 11,746 | 48.92% | 12,225 | 50.92% | 30 | 0.12% | 8 | 0.03% | −479 | −2.00% | 24,009 |
| Washburn | 3,181 | 62.84% | 1,865 | 36.84% | 8 | 0.16% | 8 | 0.16% | 1,316 | 26.00% | 5,062 |
| Washington | 11,563 | 55.62% | 9,191 | 44.21% | 27 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.05% | 2,372 | 11.41% | 20,791 |
| Waukesha | 39,796 | 52.76% | 35,502 | 47.07% | 85 | 0.11% | 46 | 0.06% | 4,294 | 5.69% | 75,429 |
| Waupaca | 6,990 | 45.42% | 8,381 | 54.46% | 15 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.02% | −1,391 | −9.04% | 15,389 |
| Waushara | 3,004 | 46.64% | 3,437 | 53.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | −433 | −6.72% | 6,441 |
| Winnebago | 23,636 | 52.72% | 21,084 | 47.03% | 85 | 0.19% | 30 | 0.07% | 2,552 | 5.69% | 44,835 |
| Wood | 15,378 | 64.65% | 8,388 | 35.26% | 16 | 0.07% | 5 | 0.02% | 6,990 | 29.39% | 23,787 |
| Totals | 1,050,424 | 62.09% | 638,495 | 37.74% | 1,692 | 0.10% | 1,204 | 0.07% | 411,929 | 24.35% | 1,691,815 |
Early polls nevertheless showed incumbent PresidentLyndon B. Johnson leading Goldwater comfortably,[13] despite predictions of a severe backlash tothe Civil Rights Act from Wisconsin's anti-blackGerman-American andPolish-American populations.[14] Extreme fears of financial loss for farmers accounted for a 66–28 lead for Johnson in September,[15] while fear of Goldwater's policy of strategic use ofnuclear weapons,[16] rather than enthusiasm for the domestic and foreign policies of President Johnson, was cited as the cause of the President's continuing strong lead one month later.[17]
Johnson won Wisconsin by a margin of 24.35 percent. Goldwater held up slightly better in the German areas where conservative Republicanism had been established by anti-World War II sentiment, whilst he lost heavily in the Yankee counties of the south.[16] As of the2024 presidential election[update], this is nonetheless the last election in which Wisconsin voted to the right ofAlaska orOhio, but also the last in whichDodge County,Fond du Lac County,Green Lake County,Ozaukee County,Vilas County,Washington County, andWaukesha County[c] voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[18]
These were the names of the electors on each ticket.[11]
| Lyndon B. Johnson &Hubert Humphrey Democratic Party | Barry Goldwater &William E. Miller Republican Party | Clifton DeBerry &Ed Shaw Socialist Workers Party | Eric Hass &Henning A. Blomen Socialist Labor Party |
|---|---|---|---|
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State and district results of the1964 United States presidential election | ||
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