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1968 United States presidential election in Minnesota

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1968 United States presidential election in Minnesota

← 1964 November 5, 1968 1972 →
Turnout74.02%[1] Decrease
 
Nominee Hubert Humphrey Richard Nixon
Party Democratic (DFL) Republican
Home state Minnesota New York[a]
Running mate Edmund Muskie Spiro Agnew
Electoral vote 10 0
Popular vote 857,738 658,643
Percentage 54.00% 41.46%

County Results

President before election

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

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

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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

[edit]
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

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ 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

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  1. ^ "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State". www.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "1968 Presidential Election Results – Minnesota". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  3. ^ "MN US Presidential Election Race, November 05, 1968". Our Campaigns.