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| Turnout |  79% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Congressional district results
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The1968 United States presidential election in Florida was held on November 5, 1968. Florida voters chose fourteen electors, or representatives tothe Electoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Nixon obtained his support inCentral Florida, Democratic candidateHubert Humphrey got his support fromSouthern Florida, and third-party candidateGeorge Wallace got his support from theFlorida Panhandle, or Northern Florida. This was one of the better states forGeorge Wallace, due to the Northern part of the state being against theCivil Rights Act of 1964, whichLyndon Johnson had signed into law. This led to Democratic party gains in support from black voters. The party simultaneously lost the great majority of white voters. One exception to this abandonment by white voters came in the Jewish sections of Miami.[1]
Among white voters, 45% supported Nixon, 32% supported Wallace, and 23% supported Humphrey.[2][3][4] The Republican Party heldtheir convention in Miami Beach that year.[5]
Florida held its Democratic presidential primary on May 28, 1968. George Smathers won the Florida Democratic primary.[6]Scott Kelly lead the unpledged delegation.[7]
| Candidate[6] | Number of votes | %[7] |
|---|---|---|
| George Smathers | 236,242 | 46.11% |
| Eugene McCarthy | 147,216 | 28.73% |
| (no preference) | 128,899 | 25.16% |
| Total | 512,357 | 100% |
Florida held its Republican primary on May 28, 1968. The only option on the ballot was "no preference".[8]
| Candidate[8] | Number of votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| No preference | 51,509 | 100% |
| Total | 51,509 | 100% |
| Presidential candidate | Party | Home state | Popular vote | Electoral vote | Running mate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Percentage | Vice-presidential candidate | Home state | Electoral vote | ||||
| Richard Nixon | Republican | New York | 886,804 | 40.53% | 14 | Spiro Agnew | Maryland | 14 |
| Hubert Humphrey | Democratic | Minnesota | 676,794 | 30.93% | 0 | Edmund Muskie | Maine | 0 |
| George Wallace | American Independent | Alabama | 624,207 | 28.53% | 0 | Curtis LeMay | California | 0 |
| Total | 2,187,805 | 100% | 14 | 14 | ||||
| Needed to win | 270 | 270 | ||||||
| County[9] | Richard Nixon Republican | Hubert Humphrey Democratic | George Wallace American Independent | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alachua | 9,670 | 34.02% | 10,060 | 35.39% | 8,696 | 30.59% | -390 | -1.37% | 28,426 |
| Baker | 294 | 10.72% | 487 | 17.75% | 1,962 | 71.53% | -1,475[b] | -53.78% | 2,743 |
| Bay | 5,121 | 21.07% | 4,020 | 16.54% | 15,161 | 62.39% | -10,040[c] | -41.32% | 24,302 |
| Bradford | 718 | 15.18% | 1,173 | 24.79% | 2,840 | 60.03% | -1,667[b] | -35.24% | 4,731 |
| Brevard | 37,124 | 48.02% | 18,281 | 23.65% | 21,909 | 28.34% | 15,215[c] | 19.68% | 77,314 |
| Broward | 106,122 | 54.50% | 56,613 | 29.07% | 31,992 | 16.43% | 49,509 | 25.43% | 194,727 |
| Calhoun | 356 | 11.38% | 398 | 12.72% | 2,375 | 75.90% | -1,977[b] | -63.18% | 3,129 |
| Charlotte | 6,056 | 50.58% | 3,647 | 30.46% | 2,270 | 18.96% | 2,409 | 20.12% | 11,973 |
| Citrus | 2,767 | 38.71% | 1,775 | 24.83% | 2,606 | 36.46% | 161[c] | 2.25% | 7,148 |
| Clay | 3,251 | 35.14% | 1,954 | 21.12% | 4,046 | 43.74% | -795[c] | -8.60% | 9,251 |
| Collier | 5,362 | 50.85% | 2,230 | 21.15% | 2,952 | 28.00% | 2,410[c] | 22.85% | 10,544 |
| Columbia | 1,553 | 21.13% | 1,750 | 23.81% | 4,046 | 55.06% | -2,296[b] | -31.25% | 7,349 |
| Dade | 135,222 | 37.02% | 176,689 | 48.37% | 53,391 | 14.62% | -41,467 | -11.35% | 365,302 |
| DeSoto | 1,103 | 26.94% | 937 | 22.89% | 2,054 | 50.17% | -951[c] | -23.23% | 4,094 |
| Dixie | 217 | 10.39% | 325 | 15.57% | 1,546 | 74.04% | -1,221[b] | -58.47% | 2,088 |
| Duval | 51,585 | 30.89% | 54,834 | 32.84% | 60,559 | 36.27% | -5,725[b] | -3.43% | 166,978 |
| Escambia | 15,089 | 22.07% | 16,281 | 23.81% | 37,000 | 54.12% | -20,719[b] | -30.31% | 68,370 |
| Flagler | 360 | 20.25% | 601 | 33.80% | 817 | 45.95% | -216[b] | -12.15% | 1,778 |
| Franklin | 529 | 16.86% | 699 | 22.28% | 1,909 | 60.85% | -1,210[b] | -38.57% | 3,137 |
| Gadsden | 1,337 | 14.76% | 3,274 | 36.15% | 4,446 | 49.09% | -1,172[b] | -12.94% | 9,057 |
| Gilchrist | 183 | 12.12% | 208 | 13.77% | 1,119 | 74.11% | -911[b] | -60.34% | 1,510 |
| Glades | 261 | 23.92% | 230 | 21.08% | 600 | 55.00% | -339[c] | -31.08% | 1,091 |
| Gulf | 364 | 9.58% | 711 | 18.71% | 2,725 | 71.71% | -2,014[b] | -53.00% | 3,800 |
| Hamilton | 337 | 12.34% | 820 | 30.03% | 1,574 | 57.63% | -754[b] | -27.60% | 2,731 |
| Hardee | 1,278 | 28.34% | 703 | 15.59% | 2,529 | 56.08% | -1,251[c] | -27.74% | 4,510 |
| Hendry | 900 | 27.04% | 791 | 23.76% | 1,638 | 49.20% | -738[c] | -22.16% | 3,329 |
| Hernando | 2,053 | 34.42% | 1,524 | 25.55% | 2,387 | 40.02% | -334[c] | -5.60% | 5,964 |
| Highlands | 4,560 | 42.95% | 2,582 | 24.32% | 3,475 | 32.73% | 1,085[c] | 10.22% | 10,617 |
| Hillsborough | 49,441 | 34.77% | 45,848 | 32.24% | 46,913 | 32.99% | 2,528[c] | 1.78% | 142,202 |
| Holmes | 377 | 7.00% | 312 | 5.79% | 4,700 | 87.21% | -4,323[c] | -80.21% | 5,389 |
| Indian River | 6,518 | 51.25% | 3,179 | 24.99% | 3,022 | 23.76% | 3,339 | 26.26% | 12,719 |
| Jackson | 1,236 | 10.02% | 2,472 | 20.05% | 8,622 | 69.93% | -6,150[b] | -49.88% | 12,330 |
| Jefferson | 459 | 14.84% | 1,066 | 34.48% | 1,567 | 50.68% | -501[b] | -16.20% | 3,092 |
| Lafayette | 137 | 9.28% | 215 | 14.56% | 1,125 | 76.17% | -910[b] | -61.61% | 1,477 |
| Lake | 11,763 | 47.42% | 4,599 | 18.54% | 8,442 | 34.03% | 3,321[c] | 13.39% | 24,804 |
| Lee | 14,376 | 46.23% | 7,978 | 25.66% | 8,741 | 28.11% | 5,635[c] | 18.12% | 31,095 |
| Leon | 9,288 | 28.49% | 10,440 | 32.02% | 12,878 | 39.50% | -2,438[b] | -7.48% | 32,606 |
| Levy | 745 | 18.81% | 767 | 19.36% | 2,449 | 61.83% | -1,682[b] | -42.47% | 3,961 |
| Liberty | 154 | 8.96% | 242 | 14.09% | 1,322 | 76.95% | -1,080[b] | -62.86% | 1,718 |
| Madison | 654 | 13.81% | 1,378 | 29.10% | 2,703 | 57.09% | -1,325[b] | -27.99% | 4,735 |
| Manatee | 18,247 | 52.51% | 8,286 | 23.85% | 8,214 | 23.64% | 9,961 | 28.66% | 34,747 |
| Marion | 7,468 | 32.66% | 5,798 | 25.36% | 9,600 | 41.98% | -2,132[c] | -9.32% | 22,866 |
| Martin | 5,179 | 50.63% | 2,580 | 25.22% | 2,471 | 24.15% | 2,599 | 25.41% | 10,230 |
| Monroe | 5,094 | 34.19% | 5,534 | 37.14% | 4,271 | 28.67% | -440 | -2.95% | 14,899 |
| Nassau | 1,301 | 19.91% | 1,598 | 24.46% | 3,634 | 55.63% | -2,036[b] | -31.17% | 6,533 |
| Okaloosa | 5,525 | 26.54% | 3,059 | 14.69% | 12,237 | 58.77% | -6,712[c] | -32.23% | 20,821 |
| Okeechobee | 862 | 28.66% | 542 | 18.02% | 1,604 | 53.32% | -742[c] | -24.66% | 3,008 |
| Orange | 50,874 | 50.54% | 22,548 | 22.40% | 27,247 | 27.07% | 23,627[c] | 23.47% | 100,669 |
| Osceola | 4,172 | 43.90% | 1,870 | 19.68% | 3,462 | 36.43% | 710[c] | 7.47% | 9,504 |
| Palm Beach | 62,191 | 53.19% | 32,837 | 28.08% | 21,894 | 18.73% | 29,354 | 25.11% | 116,922 |
| Pasco | 9,743 | 42.36% | 6,292 | 27.36% | 6,966 | 30.29% | 2,777[c] | 12.07% | 23,001 |
| Pinellas | 109,235 | 51.71% | 68,209 | 32.29% | 33,814 | 16.01% | 41,026 | 19.42% | 211,258 |
| Polk | 27,839 | 36.98% | 15,898 | 21.12% | 31,540 | 41.90% | -3,701[c] | -4.92% | 75,277 |
| Putnam | 2,955 | 26.80% | 2,920 | 26.49% | 5,150 | 46.71% | -2,195[c] | -19.91% | 11,025 |
| St. Johns | 3,880 | 34.31% | 2,748 | 24.30% | 4,682 | 41.40% | -802[c] | -7.09% | 11,310 |
| St. Lucie | 7,281 | 43.02% | 5,232 | 30.92% | 4,410 | 26.06% | 2,049 | 12.10% | 16,923 |
| Santa Rosa | 2,567 | 20.19% | 1,600 | 12.58% | 8,549 | 67.23% | -5,982[c] | -47.04% | 12,716 |
| Sarasota | 30,160 | 63.73% | 10,127 | 21.40% | 7,041 | 14.88% | 20,033 | 42.33% | 47,328 |
| Seminole | 10,821 | 44.69% | 6,120 | 25.27% | 7,275 | 30.04% | 3,546[c] | 14.65% | 24,216 |
| Sumter | 910 | 17.96% | 1,277 | 25.21% | 2,879 | 56.83% | -1,602[b] | -31.62% | 5,066 |
| Suwannee | 845 | 14.13% | 1,182 | 19.76% | 3,955 | 66.12% | -2,773[b] | -46.36% | 5,982 |
| Taylor | 794 | 15.71% | 941 | 18.62% | 3,318 | 65.66% | -2,377[b] | -47.04% | 5,053 |
| Union | 179 | 10.78% | 290 | 17.46% | 1,192 | 71.76% | -902[b] | -54.30% | 1,661 |
| Volusia | 28,024 | 39.91% | 24,987 | 35.58% | 17,209 | 24.51% | 3,037 | 4.33% | 70,220 |
| Wakulla | 247 | 10.49% | 440 | 18.68% | 1,668 | 70.83% | -1,228[b] | -52.15% | 2,355 |
| Walton | 963 | 13.45% | 1,064 | 14.86% | 5,135 | 71.70% | -4,071[b] | -56.84% | 7,162 |
| Washington | 528 | 10.71% | 722 | 14.64% | 3,682 | 74.66% | -2,960[b] | -60.02% | 4,932 |
| Totals | 886,804 | 40.53% | 676,794 | 30.93% | 624,207 | 28.53% | 210,010 | 9.60% | 2,187,805 |
Nixon won 8 congressional districts (including five held by Democrats), while Wallace won 3 (all held by Democrats), and Humphrey won a single district.[10]
| District[11] | Nixon | Humphrey | Wallace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 19.9% | 18.9% | 61.2% |
| 2nd | 23.5% | 27.6% | 48.9% |
| 3rd | 28.2% | 34.6% | 37.2% |
| 4th | 39.7% | 27.7% | 32.6% |
| 5th | 49.5% | 23.1% | 27.5% |
| 6th | 34.7% | 31.3% | 34% |
| 7th | 47.9% | 23.1% | 29% |
| 8th | 50.8% | 31.8% | 17.4% |
| 9th | 53.0% | 26.2% | 20.8% |
| 10th | 45.9% | 36.7% | 17.4% |
| 11th | 28.5% | 58.4% | 13.1% |
| 12th | 44.8% | 38.6% | 16.6% |
Between the imposition of a poll tax in 1889 and the migration of numerous northerners seeking a hotter climate in the 1940s,[12] Florida had been a one-party Democratic state, lacking any traditional white Republicanism due to the absence of mountains or German "Forty-Eighter" settlements. So late as the landmark court case ofSmith v. Allwright (1944), half of Florida's registered Republicans were still black,[13] although very few blacks in Florida had ever voted within the previous fifty-five years. New migrants from traditionally Republican northern states took up residence inCentral Florida and brought with them their Republican voting habits at the presidential level.[14]
In 1964 there was a complete reversal of the 1950s voting pattern of a largely Republican south and central Florida and continuing Democratic loyalty in the North, with almost zero correlation between 1960 and 1964 county returns.[15] Following his landslide sweep of the northern states, Lyndon Johnson'sGreat Society at first appeared to be helping him in Florida;[16] however, the relationship soured quickly as the Democratic Party factionalized. In 1966, via a campaign portraying his opponent as a dangerous liberal,Claude R. Kirk defeated Miami mayor Robert King Hugh to become (alongsideWinthrop Rockefeller) the first GOP governor of any Confederate state sinceAlfred A. Taylor in 1922.[17]
As of the2016 presidential election[update], this is the last election in whichEscambia County,Clay County,Okaloosa County, andSanta Rosa County did not support the Republican candidate.[18]
State and district results of the1968 United States presidential election | ||
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