1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Tennessee voted more or less equally for the candidates, resulting in Republican candidate Richard Nixon of New York and his running mate Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland receiving a plurality of the votes as opposed to a majority. Tennessee had the smallest percentage of the Nixon vote that delivered him the state.

Nixon carried Tennessee with 37.85% of the vote to American Independence Party candidate George Wallace’s 34.02% and Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey's 28.13%, a victory margin of 3.87%. Nixon's victory was due to his large margins in traditionally Republican East Tennessee, while Wallace and Humphrey split Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee.^[1]^[2] As of the 2024 presidential election^[update], this is the last election in which Hamilton County did not support the Republican presidential candidate.^[3]

43% of white voters supported Nixon, 39% supported Wallace, and 19% supported Humphrey.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Results

1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee^[1]^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon	472,592	37.85%	11
	American	George Wallace	424,792	34.02%	0
	Democratic	Hubert Humphrey	351,233	28.13%	0
	Write-ins	Write-ins	10	0.00%	0
Totals			1,248,617	100.00%	11
Voter turnout					-

Results by county

County	Richard Nixon Republican		George Wallace American Independent		Hubert Humphrey Democratic		Margin		Total votes cast
County	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	Total votes cast
Anderson	10,233	47.04%	4,323	19.87%	7,198	33.09%	3,035^[b]	13.95%	21,754
Bedford	1,870	22.30%	4,099	48.88%	2,416	28.81%	-1,683^[c]	-20.07%	8,385
Benton	1,468	30.70%	2,255	47.16%	1,059	22.15%	-787	-16.46%	4,782
Bledsoe	1,477	46.65%	732	23.12%	957	30.23%	520^[b]	16.42%	3,166
Blount	12,753	57.10%	4,407	19.73%	5,176	23.17%	7,577^[b]	33.93%	22,336
Bradley	6,924	50.01%	4,159	30.04%	2,762	19.95%	2,765	19.97%	13,845
Campbell	4,024	52.54%	1,367	17.85%	2,268	29.61%	1,756^[b]	22.93%	7,659
Cannon	780	25.55%	1,464	47.95%	809	26.50%	-655^[c]	-21.45%	3,053
Carroll	3,757	41.80%	3,298	36.70%	1,932	21.50%	459	5.10%	8,987
Carter	9,467	64.68%	3,009	20.56%	2,160	14.76%	6,458	44.12%	14,636
Cheatham	669	16.96%	2,497	63.31%	778	19.73%	-1,719^[c]	-43.58%	3,944
Chester	1,408	32.79%	2,037	47.44%	849	19.77%	-629	-14.65%	4,294
Claiborne	3,101	59.75%	775	14.93%	1,314	25.32%	1,787^[b]	34.43%	5,190
Clay	814	42.13%	451	23.34%	667	34.52%	147^[b]	7.61%	1,932
Cocke	5,645	72.80%	1,159	14.95%	950	12.25%	4,486	57.85%	7,754
Coffee	3,337	29.87%	4,794	42.91%	3,040	27.21%	-1,457	-13.04%	11,171
Crockett	932	20.71%	2,865	63.67%	703	15.62%	-1,933	-42.96%	4,500
Cumberland	3,115	51.81%	1,469	24.43%	1,428	23.75%	1,646	27.38%	6,012
Davidson	44,175	32.34%	47,889	35.06%	44,543	32.61%	-3,346^[c]	-2.45%	136,607
Decatur	1,409	36.79%	1,544	40.31%	877	22.90%	-135	-3.52%	3,830
DeKalb	1,532	39.33%	1,516	38.92%	847	21.75%	16	0.41%	3,895
Dickson	1,291	18.99%	3,475	51.10%	2,034	29.91%	-1,441^[c]	-21.19%	6,800
Dyer	2,826	26.41%	5,842	54.59%	2,033	19.00%	-3,016	-28.18%	10,701
Fayette	740	13.34%	2,570	46.34%	2,236	40.32%	-334^[c]	-6.02%	5,546
Fentress	2,026	57.80%	808	23.05%	671	19.14%	1,218	34.75%	3,505
Franklin	1,700	18.62%	4,939	54.11%	2,489	27.27%	-2,450^[c]	-26.84%	9,128
Gibson	4,093	26.77%	7,233	47.31%	3,962	25.92%	-3,140	-20.54%	15,288
Giles	1,264	17.01%	3,966	53.36%	2,203	29.64%	-1,763^[c]	-23.72%	7,433
Grainger	2,788	67.26%	596	14.38%	761	18.36%	2,027^[b]	48.90%	4,145
Greene	7,957	58.26%	2,753	20.16%	2,947	21.58%	5,010^[b]	36.68%	13,657
Grundy	618	17.33%	1,642	46.03%	1,307	36.64%	-335^[c]	-9.39%	3,567
Hamblen	6,382	57.86%	2,259	20.48%	2,390	21.67%	3,992^[b]	36.19%	11,031
Hamilton	29,302	34.54%	32,080	37.82%	23,441	27.64%	-2,778	-3.28%	84,823
Hancock	1,489	72.88%	236	11.55%	318	15.57%	1,171^[b]	57.31%	2,043
Hardeman	1,171	20.18%	2,924	50.38%	1,709	29.45%	-1,215^[c]	-20.93%	5,804
Hardin	2,910	45.55%	2,325	36.40%	1,153	18.05%	585	9.15%	6,388
Hawkins	6,217	60.78%	1,798	17.58%	2,213	21.64%	4,004^[b]	39.14%	10,228
Haywood	1,152	20.51%	2,757	49.07%	1,709	30.42%	-1,048^[c]	-18.65%	5,618
Henderson	3,591	51.99%	2,086	30.20%	1,230	17.81%	1,505	21.79%	6,907
Henry	2,068	23.89%	3,439	39.73%	3,149	36.38%	-290^[c]	-3.35%	8,656
Hickman	760	17.33%	2,473	56.40%	1,152	26.27%	-1,321^[c]	-30.13%	4,385
Houston	232	12.82%	941	52.02%	636	35.16%	-305^[c]	-16.86%	1,809
Humphreys	866	19.90%	2,095	48.14%	1,391	31.96%	-704^[c]	-16.18%	4,352
Jackson	673	24.90%	908	33.59%	1,122	41.51%	214^[c]	7.92%	2,703
Jefferson	5,494	67.11%	1,199	14.65%	1,494	18.25%	4,000^[b]	48.86%	8,187
Johnson	3,107	79.02%	375	9.54%	450	11.44%	2,657^[b]	67.58%	3,932
Knox	47,202	52.44%	18,277	20.31%	24,528	27.25%	22,674^[b]	25.19%	90,007
Lake	409	16.99%	1,262	52.41%	737	30.61%	-525^[c]	-21.80%	2,408
Lauderdale	1,080	15.99%	3,566	52.80%	2,108	31.21%	-1,458^[c]	-21.59%	6,754
Lawrence	4,343	41.26%	3,993	37.93%	2,191	20.81%	350	3.33%	10,527
Lewis	455	17.91%	997	39.25%	1,088	42.83%	91^[c]	3.58%	2,540
Lincoln	1,167	16.14%	4,214	58.29%	1,848	25.56%	-2,366^[c]	-32.73%	7,229
Loudon	4,299	54.58%	1,996	25.34%	1,581	20.07%	2,303	29.24%	7,876
Macon	2,173	58.04%	1,041	27.80%	530	14.16%	1,132	30.24%	3,744
Madison	6,143	29.14%	9,420	44.69%	5,517	26.17%	-3,277	-15.55%	21,080
Marion	1,959	30.59%	2,784	43.47%	1,661	25.94%	-825	-12.88%	6,404
Marshall	1,202	19.68%	3,379	55.32%	1,527	25.00%	-1,852^[c]	-30.32%	6,108
Maury	3,048	20.88%	8,148	55.82%	3,401	23.30%	-4,747^[c]	-32.52%	14,597
McMinn	6,098	52.92%	2,535	22.00%	2,889	25.07%	3,209^[b]	27.85%	11,522
McNairy	2,979	41.21%	2,872	39.73%	1,377	19.05%	107	1.48%	7,228
Meigs	729	43.81%	442	26.56%	493	29.63%	236^[b]	14.18%	1,664
Monroe	4,749	53.38%	1,222	13.73%	2,926	32.89%	1,823^[b]	20.49%	8,897
Montgomery	3,248	22.52%	5,638	39.09%	5,538	38.39%	-100^[c]	-0.70%	14,424
Moore	224	15.71%	856	60.03%	346	24.26%	-510^[c]	-35.77%	1,426
Morgan	1,803	47.46%	1,028	27.06%	968	25.48%	775	20.40%	3,799
Obion	2,420	25.92%	4,680	50.13%	2,235	23.94%	-2,260	-24.21%	9,335
Overton	1,258	31.25%	1,176	29.21%	1,592	39.54%	-334^[b]	-8.29%	4,026
Perry	519	25.58%	784	38.64%	726	35.78%	-58^[c]	-2.86%	2,029
Pickett	884	59.41%	199	13.37%	405	27.22%	479^[b]	32.19%	1,488
Polk	1,808	45.02%	754	18.77%	1,454	36.21%	354^[b]	8.81%	4,016
Putnam	3,693	35.83%	3,073	29.81%	3,541	34.36%	152^[b]	1.47%	10,307
Rhea	2,428	40.70%	2,237	37.50%	1,301	21.81%	191	3.20%	5,966
Roane	6,033	45.74%	3,898	29.55%	3,258	24.70%	2,135	16.19%	13,189
Robertson	1,802	22.47%	3,904	48.67%	2,315	28.86%	-1,589^[c]	-19.81%	8,021
Rutherford	4,168	24.72%	7,773	46.10%	4,921	29.18%	-2,852^[c]	-16.92%	16,862
Scott	2,406	58.24%	734	17.77%	991	23.99%	1,415^[b]	34.25%	4,131
Sequatchie	663	29.82%	1,011	45.48%	549	24.70%	-348	-15.66%	2,223
Sevier	7,629	74.67%	1,476	14.45%	1,112	10.88%	6,153	60.22%	10,217
Shelby	73,416	31.66%	76,996	33.20%	81,486	35.14%	4,490^[c]	1.94%	231,898
Smith	1,089	24.96%	1,831	41.97%	1,443	33.07%	-388^[c]	-8.90%	4,363
Stewart	443	17.43%	1,057	41.60%	1,041	40.97%	-16^[c]	-0.63%	2,541
Sullivan	20,251	50.60%	9,991	24.96%	9,783	24.44%	10,260	25.64%	40,025
Sumner	4,519	27.41%	7,592	46.05%	4,376	26.54%	-3,073	-18.64%	16,487
Tipton	1,422	16.86%	4,943	58.59%	2,071	24.55%	-2,872^[c]	-34.04%	8,436
Trousdale	252	15.80%	649	40.69%	694	43.51%	45^[c]	2.82%	1,595
Unicoi	3,327	65.49%	843	16.59%	910	17.91%	2,417^[b]	47.58%	5,080
Union	1,956	66.71%	449	15.31%	527	17.97%	1,429^[b]	48.74%	2,932
Van Buren	327	29.30%	507	45.43%	282	25.27%	-180	-16.13%	1,116
Warren	1,858	24.07%	3,814	49.42%	2,046	26.51%	-1,768^[c]	-22.91%	7,718
Washington	12,882	56.66%	4,925	21.66%	4,930	21.68%	7,952^[b]	34.98%	22,737
Wayne	2,417	58.51%	1,208	29.24%	506	12.25%	1,209	29.27%	4,131
Weakley	2,858	30.50%	4,525	48.29%	1,988	21.21%	-1,667	-17.79%	9,371
White	1,423	29.91%	1,750	36.79%	1,584	33.30%	-166^[c]	-3.49%	4,757
Williamson	2,788	28.69%	4,867	50.08%	2,063	21.23%	-2,079	-21.39%	9,718
Wilson	2,736	24.21%	5,648	49.98%	2,916	25.81%	-2,732^[c]	-24.17%	11,300
Totals	472,592	37.85%	424,792	34.02%	351,233	28.13%	47,800	3.83%	1,248,617^[d]

Counties that flipped from Democratic to American Independent

Counties that flipped from Republican to American Independent

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

^ 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y In this county where Wallace did run third behind both Nixon and Humphrey, margin given is Nixon vote minus Humphrey vote and percentage margin Nixon percentage minus Humphrey percentage.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai In this county where Nixon ran third behind both Wallace and Humphrey, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Humphrey percentage minus Wallace percentage.
^ This total includes 10 write-in votes not separated by county.

References

^ ^a ^b "1968 Presidential General Election Results - Tennessee". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Woolley, John; Peters, Gehard. "1968 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 147.
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

Works cited

Black, Earl; Black, Merle (1992). The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674941306.

[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.

[HumphreydWallace-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y In this county where Wallace did run third behind both Nixon and Humphrey, margin given is Nixon vote minus Humphrey vote and percentage margin Nixon percentage minus Humphrey percentage.

[HumphreydNixon-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai In this county where Nixon ran third behind both Wallace and Humphrey, margin given is Humphrey vote minus Wallace vote and percentage margin Humphrey percentage minus Wallace percentage.

[10] This total includes 10 write-in votes not separated by county.

[results-2] "1968 Presidential General Election Results - Tennessee". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 25, 2016.

[results2-3] Woolley, John; Peters, Gehard. "1968 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 26, 2016.

[How-4] Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992147-5] Black & Black 1992, p. 147.

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992295-6] Black & Black 1992, p. 295.

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992335-7] Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

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