From February 3 to July 13, 1968, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1968 United States presidential election. Former Vice President Richard Nixon was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1968 Republican National Convention held from August 5 to August 8, 1968, in Miami Beach, Florida.
February 3 to July 13, 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1,333 delegates to the Republican National Convention 667 (majority) votes needed to win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nixon Rockefeller Reagan Romney Favorite Sons Uncommitted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
1968 Republican primaries and state conventions
Note:
| Date (daily totals) | Contest | Total pledged delegates | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delegates won and popular vote | ||||||||||
| Richard Nixon | Nelson Rockefeller | Ronald Reagan | George Romney | Favorite Sons | Harold Stassen | Others | Uncommitted | |||
| February 3 | Pennsylvania State Committee | 10 (of 64) | - | - | - | - | 10 Del. | - | - | - |
| February 10 | Oklahoma District Conventions | 12 (of 22) | 10 Del. | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - |
| North Carolina District Conventions | 12 (of 26) | 10 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | |
| February 18 | North Carolina District Conventions | 10 (of 26) | 5 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 Del. |
| February 24 | Oklahoma State Convention | 10 (of 22) | 7 Del. | - | 3 Del. | - | 0 Del. | - | - | - |
| March 2 | North Carolina State Convention | 4 (of 26) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 Del. |
| Tennessee 5th District Convention | 2 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | |
| March 9 | Kansas 4th District Convention | 2 (of 20) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| March 12 | New Hampshire Primary 103,938 | 8 (of 8) | 8 Del. 80,666 (77.61%) | 11,241 WI (10.82%) | 362 WI (0.35%) | 1,743 (1.68%) | - | 429 (0.41%) | 9,497 WI (9.14%) | - |
| March 16 | Kansas 2nd District Convention | 2 (of 20) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| Virginia 1st District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 1 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 Del. | |
| March 23 | Kansas 1st District Convention | 2 (of 20) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| March 28 | Tennessee 9th District Convention | 2 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| March 30 | Kansas 5th District Convention | 2 (of 20) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| South Carolina State Convention | 22 (of 22) | - | - | - | - | 22 Del. | - | - | - | |
| Tennessee 3rd District Convention | 2 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | |
| April 2 | Wisconsin Primary 490,739 | 30 (of 30) | 30 Del. 390,368 (79.55%) | 7,995 WI (1.63%) | 50,727 (10.34%) | 2,087 WI (0.43%) | - | 28,531 (5.81%) | 4,268 WI (0.87%) | 6,763 (1.38%) |
| April 4 | Tennessee 8th District Convention | 2 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| April 6 | Kansas 3rd District Convention | 2 (of 20) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| Tennessee 1st District Convention | 2 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | |
| Virginia 2nd and 4th District Conventions | 4 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | |
| April 13 | Tennessee 6th District Convention | 2 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| Virginia 5th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| April 15 | Virginia 3rd District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| April 16 | Iowa District Conventions | 14 (of 24) | 9 Del. | 5 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| April 17 | Iowa State Convention | 10 (of 26) | 7 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 Del. |
| April 19 | Kentucky District Conventions | 14 (of 24) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 14 Del. |
| April 20 | Kentucky State Convention | 10 (of 24) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 Del. |
| Minnesota 6th District Convention | 2 (of 26) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Virginia 8th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| April 23 | Pennsylvania Pres. Primary 288,384 | 0 (of 64) | 171,815 WI (59.58%) | 52,915 WI (18.35%) | 8,636 WI (3.00%) | - | - | - | 55,018 WI (19.08%) | 6,763 (1.38%) |
| Pennsylvania Del. Primary | 54 (of 64) | - | - | - | - | 54 Del. | - | - | - | |
| April 26 | Tennessee 7th District Convention | 2 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - |
| Virginia 10th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 1 Del. | 1 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| April 27 | Arizona State Convention | 16 (of 16) | 13 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 Del. |
| Kansas State Convention | 10 (of 20) | - | - | - | - | 10 Del. | - | - | - | |
| Michigan State Convention | 48 (of 48) | - | - | - | 48 Del. | - | - | - | - | |
| Minnesota 3rd, 5th and 7th District Conventions | 6 (of 26) | 4 Del. | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nevada State Convention | 12 (of 12) | 8 Del. | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | |
| Tennessee 2nd and 4th District Conventions | 4 (of 28) | - | - | - | - | 4 Del. | - | - | - | |
| Virginia 7th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| April 30 | Delaware State Convention | 12 (of 12) | 7 Del. | 5 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Massachusetts Primary 106,521 | 34 (of 34) | 27,447 WI (25.77%) | 34 Del. 31,964 WI (30.01%) | 1,770 WI (1.66%) | 49 WI (0.05%) | 31,465 (29.54%) | - | 13,826 WI (12.98%) | - | |
| May 4 | Minnesota 1st and 4th District Conventions | 4 (of 26) | 4 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Virginia State Convention | 4 (of 24) | 4 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| May 5 | Georgia State Convention | 30 (of 30) | 23 Del. | 1 Del. | 6 Del. | - | - | - | - | - |
| May 7 | Indiana Primary 508,362 | 26 (of 26) | 26 Del. 508,362 (100.00%) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ohio Pres. Primary 614,492 | 0 (of 58) | - | - | - | - | 614,492 (100.00%) | - | - | - | |
| Ohio Del. Primary 508,362 | 58 (of 58) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | 55 Del. | 1 Del. | - | - | |
| Washington, D.C. Primary 13,430 | 9 (of 9) | 9 Del. 12,102 (90.11%) | 1,328 (9.89%) | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| May 11 | Hawaii State Convention | 14 (of 14) | - | - | - | - | 14 Del. | - | - | - |
| Maine State Convention | 12 (of 12) | 4 Del. | 6 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | 4 Del. | |
| Minnesota 2nd and 8th District Conventions | 4 (of 26) | 4 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Wyoming State Convention | 12 (of 12) | 10 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | |
| May 12 | Alaska State Convention | 12 (of 12) | - | - | - | - | 12 Del. | - | - | - |
| May 14 | Nebraska Pres. Primary 200,707 | 0 (of 10) | 140,336 (69.92%) | 10,225 WI (5.09%) | 42,703 (21.28%) | 40 WI (0.02%) | - | 2,638 (1.31%) | 4,765 WI (2.37%) | - |
| Nebraska Del. Primary | 16 (of 16) | 15 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 Del. | |
| West Virginia Del. Primary | 14 (of 14) | 7 Del. | 1 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | 6 Del. | |
| May 15 | Missouri 3rd District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Rhode Island State Convention | 14 (of 14) | - | 14 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| May 17 | Missouri 6th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| May 18 | Missouri 2nd District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 1 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 Del. |
| Vermont State Convention | 12 (of 12) | 9 Del. | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | 1 Del. | |
| May 22 | Louisiana 8th District Convention | 2 (of 26) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Missouri 1st District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| May 23 | Louisiana 5th District Convention | 2 (of 26) | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - |
| May 25 | Colorado 1st District Convention | 2 (of 18) | 1 Del. | - | 1 Del. | - | - | - | - | - |
| Louisiana 4th and 6th District Conventions | 4 (of 26) | 4 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Missouri 4th, 9th and 10th District Convention | 6 (of 24) | 6 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Tennessee State Convention | 10 (of 28) | 10 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| May 26 | Louisiana 3rd District Convention | 2 (of 26) | - | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - |
| May 28 | Florida Primary 51,509 | 36 (of 36) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 36 Del. 51,509 (100.00%) |
| Louisiana 7th District Convention | 2 (of 26) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | |
| Missouri 5th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Oregon Primary 312,159 | 18 (of 18) | 18 Del. 203,037 (65.04%) | 36,305 WI (11.63%) | 63,707 (20.41%) | - | - | - | 9,110 WI (2.92%) | - | |
| May 30 | Louisiana 1st and 2nd District Conventions | 4 (of 26) | 4 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| June 1 | Mississippi State Convention | 20 (of 20) | 7 Del. | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | 11 Del. |
| June 4 | California Primary 1,525,091 | 86 (of 86) | - | - | 86 Del. 1,525,091 (100.00%) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Colorado 2nd District Convention | 2 (of 18) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| New Jersey Pres. Primary 88,592 | 0 (of 40) | 71,809 WI (81.06%) | 11,530 WI (13.02%) | 2,737 WI (3.09%) | - | - | - | 2,516 WI (2.84%) | - | |
| New Jersey Del. Primary | 40 (of 40) | - | - | - | - | 40 Del. | - | - | - | |
| South Dakota Primary 68,113 | 14 (of 14) | 14 Del. 68,113 (100.00%) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| June 7 | Colorado 3rd and 4th District Convention | 4 (of 18) | 4 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Missouri 8th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| June 8 | Colorado State Convention | 10 (of 18) | 8 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. |
| Missouri 7th District Convention | 2 (of 24) | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| June 11 | Illinois Pres. Primary 22,403 | 0 (of 58) | 17,490 WI (78.07%) | 2,165 WI (9.66%) | 1,601 WI (7.15%) | 16 WI (0.07%) | - | - | 1,131 WI (5.05%) | - |
| Illinois Del. Primary | 48 (of 58) | 40 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 Del. | |
| Texas State Convention | 56 (of 56) | - | - | - | - | 56 Del. | - | - | - | |
| June 14 | Minnesota State Convention | 4 (of 26) | 3 Del. | 7 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| North Dakota State Convention | 8 (of 8) | 6 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | |
| June 15 | Connecticut State Convention | 16 (of 16) | 3 Del. | 13 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Idaho State Convention | 14 (of 14) | 8 Del. | - | 6 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | |
| June 18 | New York Del. Primary | 82 (of 82) | 4 Del. | 78 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| June 22 | Louisiana State Convention | 20 (of 30) | 7 Del. | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | 1 Del. |
| Maryland State Convention | 26 (of 26) | - | - | - | - | 26 Del. | - | - | - | |
| Montana State Convention | 14 (of 14) | 13 Del. | - | 1 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | |
| New Mexico State Convention | 12 (of 12) | 6 Del. | - | 3 Del. | - | - | - | - | 5 Del. | |
| Washington State Convention | 24 (of 24) | 23 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 Del. | |
| June 28 | Alabama District Conventions | 16 (of 26) | 7 Del. | - | 2 Del. | - | - | - | - | 7 Del. |
| June 29 | Alabama State Convention | 10 (of 26) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 Del. |
| Arkansas State Convention | 18 (of 18) | - | - | - | - | 18 Del. | - | - | - | |
| Illinois State Convention | 10 (of 58) | 8 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 Del. | |
| Missouri State Convention | 4 (of 24) | 1 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 Del. | |
| Virginia 6th and 9th District Conventions | 4 (of 24) | 4 Del. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| July 13 | Utah State Convention | 8 (of 8) | 3 Del. | - | 5 Del. | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1,333 delegates 4,473,551 votes | 475 1,679,443 (37.54%) | 174 164,340 (3.67%) | 123 1,696,632 (37.93%) | 48 4,447 (0.10%) | 345 645,957 (14.44%) | 1 31,655 (0.71%) | 0 110,438 (2.47%) | 151 140,639 (3.14%) | ||
| Suspected delegate count August 4, 1968 | 619 (46.44%) | 267 (20.03%) | 192 (14.40%) | 48 (3.60%) | 157 (11.78%) | - | - | 50 (3.75%) | ||
Candidates
The following political leaders were candidates for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination:
Nominee
| Candidate | Most recent office | Home state | Campaign Withdrawal date | Popular vote | Contests won | Running mate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Nixon | Vice President of the United States (1953–1961) | New York | (Campaign) Secured nomination: August 8, 1968 | 1,679,443 (37.5%) | 10 | Spiro Agnew | |||
Other major candidates
These candidates participated in multiple state primaries or were included in multiple major national polls.
| Candidate | Most recent office | Home state | Campaign Withdrawal date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Rockefeller | Governor of New York (1959–1973) | New York | (Campaign) | ||
| Ronald Reagan | Governor of California (1967–1975) | California | (Campaign) Accepted draft: August 5, 1968 | ||
| George W. Romney | Governor of Michigan (1963–1969) | Michigan | (Campaign) Announced: Nov. 18, 1967 Withdrew: February 28, 1968 | ||
Favorite sons
The following candidates ran only in their home state's primary, caucus, or convention. They ran for the purpose of controlling their state's respective delegate slate at the national convention and did not appear to be considered national candidates by the media. The media referred to them as "favorite son" candidates.
- Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland (endorsed Nixon)
- Governor Dewey F. Bartlett of Oklahoma (endorsed Nixon)
- Governor Daniel J. Evans of Washington
- Governor Wally Hickel of Alaska (endorsed Nixon)
- Governor James A. Rhodes of Ohio (endorsed Rockefeller)
- Governor Raymond P. Shafer of Pennsylvania (endorsed Rockefeller)
- Senator Hiram Fong of Hawaii (endorsed Nixon)
- Governor John Volpe of Massachusetts (endorsed Nixon)
- Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas
- Senator Clifford Case of New Jersey
- Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina (endorsed Nixon)
- Senator John Tower of Texas (endorsed Nixon)
- Ambassador and former 1960 GOP vice presidential nominee Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. of Massachusetts
- Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois
- Senator Charles H. Percy of Illinois (endorsed Rockefeller)
- Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon
- Senator Thruston Ballard Morton of Kentucky (endorsed Rockefeller)
- Representative Robert Taft Jr. of Ohio
- Governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. of Florida (endorsed Rockefeller)
- Former Governor John Davis Lodge of Connecticut (endorsed Nixon)
- Former Governor William Scranton of Pennsylvania
- Mayor of New York City John Lindsay (endorsed Rockefeller)
- Retired Lt. General James M. Gavin
- Favorite sons received the support of Alaska (Wally Hickel), Hawaii (Hiram Fong), New Jersey (Clifford Case), South Carolina (Strom Thurmond), Ohio (Jim Rhodes), Pennsylvania (Raymond Shafer), Maryland (Spiro Agnew), Texas (John Tower), Kansas (Frank Carlson), and Tennessee (Howard Baker).
- This should not be taken as a finalized list of results. While a significant amount of research was done, there were a number of Delegates who were not bound by the instruction, or "Pledged" to a candidate, though an attempt has been made to display their initial preferences. Some states also held primaries for the delegate positions, and these on occasion were where slates or candidates pledge to a certain candidate might be elected; however, as these elections allowed for a single person to vote for multiple candidates, as many as the number of positions being filled, it is difficult to determine how many people actually voted in these primaries. For this reason, while the results of some are in the table, they are not included in the popular vote summaries at the bottom of the table. Also information on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, who elected five and three delegates respectively to the Republican Convention, was not found.
- Committed to Governor Raymond Shafer of Pennsylvania.
- Two delegates initially refused to commit to a candidate, but later backed Nixon.
- Only six of eleven districts held conventions on this date.
- Only five of eleven districts held conventions on this date.
- A resolution was passed endorsing Governor Dewey Bartlett as a favorite-son, but he withdrew himself from consideration.
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- Committed to Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas.
- Includes 5,511 Write-In votes (5.30%) for Eugene McCarthy, 1,778 Write-In votes (1.71%) for Lyndon Johnson, 527 votes (0.51%) for Willis Stone, 374 Write-In votes (5.30%) for Paul Fisher, and 247 Write-In votes (0.24%) for Herbert Hoover
- Committed to Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas.
- Committed to Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas.
- The date is assumed; while scheduled for this date, it may have been interrupted by the Memphis Riots.
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- Committed to Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas.
- Committed to Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- Includes 585 Write-In votes (0.12%) for George Wallace and 301 Write-In votes (0.06%) for Robert Kennedy
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- Committed to Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas.
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- This is an estimate, as no hard number was provided in the source.
- The source claims that Nixon could call upon 16 of the 24 Iowa delegates; the estimate of 7 accounts for the minimum 9 elected in the District Conventions.
- No poll was done on the delegation, so preferences are not known.
- No poll was done on the delegation, so preferences are not known.
- Includes 18,800 Write-In votes (6.52%) for Eugene McCarthy, 13,290 Write-In votes (4.61%) for George Wallace, 10,431 Write-In votes (3.62%) for Robert Kennedy, 4,651 Write-In votes (1.61%) for Hubert Humphrey, 3,088 Write-In votes (1.07%) for Lyndon Johnson, and 1,271 Write-In votes (0.44%) for Raymond Shafer
- Loosely Committed to Governor Raymond Shafer of Pennsylvania.
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- Committed to Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas.
- Committed to Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
- All votes for Governor John Volpe of Massachusetts.
- Includes 9,758 Write-In votes (9.16%) for Eugene McCarthy, 1,184 Write-In votes (1.11%) for Robert Kennedy, 828 Write-In votes (0.78%) for Hubert Humphrey, 297 Write-In votes (0.28%) for George Wallace, and 70 Write-In votes (0.07%) for Charles Percey
- District Conventions were held the earlier on April 20; preferences are not known amongst those delegates, however.
- All votes for Governor James Rhodes of Ohio.
- Committed to Governor James Rhodes of Ohio.
- The local Nixon and Rockefeller campaigns ran a unified slate. The delegates were divided six to Nixon, three to Rockefeller
- Nominally unpledged, the slate was reportedly for Reagan.
- Committed to Senator Hiram Fong of Hawaii.
- Both favored either Rockefeller or Reagan.
- Committed to Governor Walter Hickel of Alaska.
- Includes 1,544 Write-In votes (0.77%) for Eugene McCarthy, 1,302 votes (0.65%) for Americus Liberator, 885 Write-In votes (0.44%) for Robert Kennedy, 533 Write-In votes (0.27%) for George Wallace, 219 Write-In votes (0.11%) for Hubert Humphrey, 32 Write-In votes (0.02%) for John Lindsay, and 19 Write-In votes (0.01%) for Lyndon Johnson.
- Nominally uncommitted, the delegates were reportedly solidly behind Rockefeller
- In the 4th District there was a resolution passed advocating for the nomination of Charlton Lyons, the '64 Republican nominee for Governor, as a Favorite Son for the Louisiana delegation.
- Preferences are not known.
- Includes 7,387 Write-In votes (2.37%) for Eugene McCarthy, and 1,723 Write-In votes (0.55%) for Robert Kennedy.
- The date is assumed from the source, as hard data on the 1st and 2nd District Conventions could not be found.
- Two delegates not polled are included here; seven delegates leaned towards either Nixon or Reagan equally.
- Includes 1,358 Write-In votes (1.53%) for Eugene McCarthy, 616 Write-In votes (0.70%) for George Wallace, 227 Write-In votes (0.26%) for Robert Kennedy, 145 Write-In votes (0.16%) for Hubert Humphrey, and 6 Write-In votes (0.01%) for Lyndon Johnson.
- Committed to Senator Clifford Case of New Jersey.
- Includes 586 Write-In votes (2.62%) for George Wallace, 162 Write-In votes (0.72%) for Eugene McCarthy, and 120 Write-In votes (0.54%) for Charles Percy.
- Committed to Senator John Tower of Texas.
- Nominally uncommitted, the delegates were reportedly behind Rockefeller
- Committed to Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland.
- Three were said to favor either Reagan or Nixon.
- Two delegates were supportive of either Nixon or Reagan in opposition to Rockefeller; the other five were Uncommitted.
- Committed to Governor Winthrop Rockefeller of Arkansas.
- Robert Taft Jr. with 4%, Mark Hatfield with 3%, and Charles Percy with 2%
- Robert Taft Jr. with 4%, Mark Hatfield and Charles Percy with 2% each
- John Lindsay with 5%, Robert Taft Jr. with 3%, Mark Hatfield with 2%, and Charles Percy with 1%
- John Lindsay with 3%, Robert Taft Jr. with 3%, Mark Hatfield with 2%, and Charles Percy with 1%
- John Lindsay with 2%, Robert Taft Jr. with 2%, Mark Hatfield and Charles Percy with 1% each
- John Lindsay with 4%, Robert Taft Jr. with 3%, Mark Hatfield with 2%, and Charles Percy with 1%
- John Lindsay with 4%, Robert Taft Jr. with 4%, Charles Percy with 2% and Mark Hatfield with 1%
- John Lindsay with 2% and Mark Hatfield with 1%
- John Lindsay with 11% and Mark Hatfield with 7%
- John Lindsay with 6% and Mark Hatfield with 5%
After November 1966
| Poll source | Publication | Richard Nixon | Charles Percy | Ronald Reagan | George Romney | Nelson Rockefeller | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallup | Nov. 25, 1966 | 31% | – | 8% | 39% | 5% | 11% | 7% |
| Gallup | Feb. 12, 1967 | 39% | 6% | 7% | 28% | 11% | 5% | 4% |
| Gallup | March 19, 1967 | 39% | 4% | 8% | 30% | 9% | 6% | 4% |
| Gallup | May 21, 1967 | 43% | 6% | 7% | 28% | 7% | 5% | 4% |
| Gallup | July 12, 1967 | 39% | 7% | 11% | 25% | 10% | 4% | 4% |
| Gallup | Aug. 23, 1967 | 33% | 6% | 15% | 26% | 12% | 5% | 3% |
| Gallup | Aug. 22–26, 1967 | 35% | 6% | 11% | 24% | 14% | 4% | 6% |
| Gallup | Sep. 15–19, 1967 | 40% | 9% | 16% | 14% | 17% | 2% | 2% |
| Gallup | Nov. 19, 1967 | 42% | 5% | 13% | 14% | 15% | 6% | 5% |
| Gallup | Jan 1968 | 42% | 5% | 8% | 12% | 27% | 4% | 2% |
| Gallup | Feb. 21, 1968 | 51% | 3% | 8% | 7% | 25% | 5% | 1% |
| Gallup | July 28, 1968 | 60% | 2% | 7% | – | 23% | 6% |
- Mark Hatfield with 3% and John Lindsay with 2%
- This poll was withdrawn from national newspapers by the Gallup organization after allegations of inconsistent methodology.
- Mark Hatfield with 3% and John Lindsay with 2%
- Mark Hatfield with 4% and John Lindsay with 2%
- Mark Hatfield with 3% and John Lindsay with 2%
- Mark Hatfield and John Lindsay with 2% each
- Charles Percy with 6%, John Lindsay with 3%, and Mark Hatfield with 2%
- Mark Hatfield and John Lindsay with 2% each
- Mark Hatfield and John Lindsay with 1% each
- Mark Hatfield and John Lindsay with 3% each
- Mark Hatfield with 2%, John Lindsay and James M. Gavin with 1% each
- Mark Hatfield with 2%, John Lindsay with 2%, and James M. Gavin with 1%
- John Lindsay with 4%, Mark Hatfield with 1%, and Harold Stassen with 1%
Head-to-head polling
Nixon v. Romney
| Poll source | Date(s) | Richard Nixon | George Romney | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallup | Nov. 25, 1965 | 55% | 38% | 7% |
| Gallup | July 10, 1966 | 55% | 40% | 5% |
| Gallup | Nov. 1967 | 65% | 31% | 4% |
| Gallup | Jan. 31, 1968 | 68% | 26% | 6% |
Statewide polling
New Hampshire
| Poll source | Publication | Richard Nixon | George Romney | Nelson Rockefeller | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roper Research Associates | March 4, 1968 | 65% | 9% | 13% | 13% |
Primary race
Nixon was the front-runner for the Republican nomination and to a great extent the story of the Republican primary campaign and nomination is the story of one Nixon opponent after another entering the race and then dropping out.
Nixon's first challenger was Michigan Governor George W. Romney. Romney's grandfather, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had emigrated to Mexico in 1886 with his three wives and their children, after the U.S. federal government outlawed polygamy. However Romney's parents (monogamous under new church doctrine) retained their U.S. citizenship and returned to the United States with him and his siblings in 1912. Questions were occasionally asked about Romney's eligibility to hold the office of President due to his birth in Mexico, given an asserted ambiguity in the United States Constitution over the phrase "natural-born citizen". By February 1967, some newspapers were questioning Romney's eligibility given his Mexican birth.
A Gallup poll in mid-1967 showed Nixon with 39%, followed by Romney with 25%. However, in a slip of the tongue, Romney told a news reporter that he had been "brainwashed" by the military and the diplomatic corps into supporting the Vietnam War; the remark led to weeks of ridicule in the national news media. As the year 1968 opened, Romney was opposed to further American intervention in Vietnam and had decided to run as the Republican version of Eugene McCarthy (The New York Times 2/18/1968). Romney's support slowly faded and he withdrew from the race on February 28, 1968. (The New York Times 2/29/1968).
Nixon won a resounding victory in the important New Hampshire primary on March 12, winning 78% of the vote. Anti-war Republicans wrote in the name of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the leader of the GOP's liberal wing, who received 11% of the vote and became Nixon's new challenger. Nixon led Rockefeller in the polls throughout the primary campaign. Rockefeller defeated Nixon in the Massachusetts primary on April 30 but otherwise fared poorly in the state primaries and conventions.
By early spring, California Governor Ronald Reagan, the leader of the GOP's conservative wing, had become Nixon's chief rival. In the Nebraska primary on May 14, Nixon won with 70% of the vote to 21% for Reagan and 5% for Rockefeller. While this was a wide margin for Nixon, Reagan remained Nixon's leading challenger. Nixon won the next primary of importance, Oregon, on May 15 with 65% of the vote and won all the following primaries except for California (June 4), where only Reagan appeared on the ballot. Reagan's margin in California gave him a plurality of the nationwide primary vote, but when the Republican National Convention assembled, Nixon had 656 delegates according to a UPI poll (with 667 needed for the nomination).
Total popular vote
- Ronald Reagan – 1,696,632 (37.93%)
- Richard Nixon – 1,679,443 (37.54%)
- James A. Rhodes – 614,492 (13.74%)
- Nelson A. Rockefeller – 164,340 (3.67%)
- Unpledged – 140,639 (3.14%)
- Eugene McCarthy (write-in) – 44,520 (1.00%)
- Harold Stassen – 31,655 (0.71%)
- John Volpe – 31,465 (0.70%)
- Others – 21,456 (0.51%)
- George Wallace (write-in) – 15,291 (0.34%)
- Robert F. Kennedy (write-in) – 14,524 (0.33%)
- Hubert Humphrey (write-in) – 5,698 (0.13)
- Lyndon Johnson (write-in) – 4,824 (0.11%)
- George Romney – 4,447 (0.10%)
- Raymond P. Shafer – 1,223 (0.03%)
- William W. Scranton – 724 (0.02%)
- Charles H. Percy – 689 (0.02%)
- Barry M. Goldwater – 598 (0.01%)
- John V. Lindsay – 591 (0.01%)
Endorsements
List of Nelson Rockefeller endorsements
- U.S. Senators
- Edward Brooke (R-MA)
- Clifford Case (R-NJ)
- Mark Hatfield (R-OR)
- Jacob Javits (R-NY)
- Thruston Morton (R-KY)
- Charles H. Percy (R-IL)
- Hugh Scott (R-PA)
- U.S. Representatives
- Edward G. Biester Jr. (R-PA)
- Daniel Button (R-NY)
- Silvio Conte (R-MA)
- Paul Findley (R-IL)
- Gilbert Gude (R-MD)
- Seymour Halpern (R-NY)
- Margaret Heckler (R-MA)
- Frank Horton (R-NY)
- John Lindsay (R-NY)
- Pete McCloskey (R-CA)
- William E. Miller (R-NY)
- Ogden Reid (R-NY)
- Richard Schweiker (R-PA)
- Charles W. Whalen Jr. (R-OH)
- Governors
- John Chafee (R-RI)
- Daniel J. Evans (R-WA)
- Claude R. Kirk Jr. (R-FL)
- John A. Love (R-CO)
- Tom McCall (R-OR)
- Winthrop Rockefeller (R-AR)
- George W. Romney (R-MI)
- Raymond P. Shafer (R-PA)
- Celebrities
- Nancy Ames, singer
- Kitty Carlisle, actress
- Billy Daniels, singer
- Hildegarde, singer
- Teresa Wright, actress
- Individuals
- Ralph Abernathy, civil rights activist
- Philip Johnson, architect
- Maria Tallchief, dancer
List of George Romney endorsements
- Representatives
- Charles Mathias (R-MD)
- Don Riegle (R-MI)
- Governors
- David Cargo (R-MN)
- William Scranton (R-PA)
- Lieutenant governors
- William Milliken (R-MI)
The convention
At the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida, Reagan and Rockefeller planned to unite their forces in a stop-Nixon movement, but the strategy fell apart when neither man agreed to support the other for the nomination. Rockefeller in particular was seen as unacceptable to Southern Conservatives. Nixon won the nomination on the first ballot. He was able to secure the nomination because of the support of many Southern delegates, after he and his subordinates made concessions to Strom Thurmond and Harry Dent. Nixon then chose Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew to be his Vice-Presidential candidate, despite complaints from within the GOP that Agnew was an unknown quantity, and that a better-known and more popular candidate, such as Romney, should have been the Vice-Presidential nominee. However, Agnew was seen as a candidate who could appeal to Rockefeller Republicans, was acceptable to Southern Conservatives, and had a solid law-and-order record. It was also reported that Nixon's first choice for running mate was his longtime friend and ally, Robert Finch, who was the lieutenant governor of California since 1967 and later his HEW Secretary, but Finch declined the offer.
| President | (before switches) | (after switches) | Vice president | Vice-presidential votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard M. Nixon | 692 | 1238 | Spiro T. Agnew | 1119 |
| Nelson Rockefeller | 277 | 93 | George Romney | 186 |
| Ronald Reagan | 182 | 2 | John V. Lindsay | 10 |
| Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes | 55 | — | Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke | 1 |
| Michigan Governor George Romney | 50 | — | James A. Rhodes | 1 |
| New Jersey Senator Clifford Case | 22 | — | Not voting | 16 |
| Kansas Senator Frank Carlson | 20 | — | — | |
| Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller | 18 | — | — | |
| Hawaii Senator Hiram Fong | 14 | — | — | |
| Harold Stassen | 2 | — | — | |
| New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay | 1 | — | — |
See also
- 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries
Bibliography
- Troy, Gil; Schlesinger, Arthur M.; Israel, Fred L. (2012). History of American Presidential Elections, 1789–2008. Vol. 3 (4 ed.). New York City: Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-8160-8220-9.
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