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The 1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 5, 1968, and was part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. Whereas in the Deep South, Black Belt whites had deserted the national Democratic Party in 1948, in North Carolina, where they had historically been an economically liberalizing influence on the state Democratic Party,^[1] the white landowners of the Black Belt had stayed exceedingly loyal to the party until after the Voting Rights Act. This allowed North Carolina to be, along with Arkansas, the only state to vote for Democrats in all four presidential elections between 1952 and 1964. Indeed, the state had not voted Republican since anti-Catholic fervor lead it to support Herbert Hoover over Al Smith in 1928; and other than that the state had not voted Republican once in the century since the Reconstruction era election of 1872. Nonetheless, in 1964 Republican Barry Goldwater may have won a small majority of white voters,^[b]^[3] although he was beaten by virtually universal support for incumbent President Lyndon Johnson by a black vote estimated at 175 thousand.

However, with the Voting Rights Act's passage, a reaction set in amongst these, and indeed amongst almost all Southern poor whites outside the unionized coalfields of Appalachia.^[4] Former Alabama Governor George Wallace, running in North Carolina under the moniker of the “American Party”, appealed very strongly to most white voters in the eastern half of the state who had become extremely critical of black protesters, student radicals, and rising crime rates.^[5]

In early polls it was thought that Wallace would carry the state,^[6] but a major swing against him and toward Republican nominee Richard Nixon during October and November saw Nixon win the state, with 39.5 percent of the vote, whilst Wallace's 31.3 percent still pushed Democratic nominee and incumbent Vice-President Hubert Humphrey into third on 29.2 percent. The Alabama segregationist carried almost all of the Piedmont and Outer Banks, and some Black Belt areas where black voter registration was still limited – the very areas that had allowed John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson II to carry North Carolina when other Outer South states went Republican. In these previously loyal regions whites felt President Johnson had moved much too far on civil rights issues, and consequent support for highly segregationist candidates in Democratic primary elections^[7] led them naturally to Wallace.^[8] Humphrey had very limited support outside of black voters, who were estimated to comprise well over half his total vote in the state,^[9] with his share of the white vote totaling less than 20 percent^[2] and coming mainly from some traditionally Democratic mountain counties and the university communities of Orange and Durham counties. 48% of white voters supported Nixon, 41% supported Wallace, and 12% supported Humphrey.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Nixon won twelve of the state's electoral votes, while one faithless elector that had been pledged to Nixon voted instead for Wallace. As of the 2020 presidential election^[update], this is the last election in which Wayne County and Lenoir County did not vote for the Republican presidential candidate.^[13]

Results

1968 United States presidential election in North Carolina^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon	627,192	39.51%	12
	American	George Wallace	496,188	31.26%	1
	Democratic	Hubert Humphrey	464,113	29.24%	0
Totals			1,587,493	100.0%	13
Voter turnout					—

Results by county

County^[15]	Richard Nixon Republican		George Wallace American Independent		Hubert Humphrey Democratic		Margin		Total
County^[15]	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	Total
Alamance	12,310	36.54%	13,139	39.00%	8,241	24.46%	-829	-2.46%	33,690
Alexander	4,379	52.03%	2,203	26.18%	1,834	21.79%	2,176	25.85%	8,416
Alleghany	1,695	45.80%	904	24.43%	1,102	29.78%	593^[c]	16.02%	3,701
Anson	1,474	18.39%	3,571	44.56%	2,969	37.05%	-602^[d]	-7.51%	8,014
Ashe	4,894	53.15%	888	9.64%	3,426	37.21%	1,468^[c]	15.94%	9,208
Avery	3,197	70.76%	690	15.27%	631	13.97%	2,507	55.49%	4,518
Beaufort	2,669	23.03%	5,686	49.07%	3,232	27.89%	-2,454^[d]	-21.18%	11,587
Bertie	811	11.38%	3,108	43.61%	3,207	45.00%	99^[d]	1.39%	7,126
Bladen	1,746	20.79%	3,897	46.41%	2,754	32.80%	-1,143^[d]	-13.61%	8,397
Brunswick	2,404	27.52%	3,358	38.45%	2,972	34.03%	-386^[d]	-4.42%	8,734
Buncombe	21,031	44.23%	11,889	25.01%	14,624	30.76%	6,407^[c]	13.47%	47,544
Burke	11,068	48.84%	5,892	26.00%	5,704	25.17%	5,176	22.84%	22,664
Cabarrus	13,226	52.35%	6,538	25.88%	5,501	21.77%	6,688	26.47%	25,265
Caldwell	10,433	51.46%	5,095	25.13%	4,746	23.41%	5,338	26.33%	20,274
Camden	180	9.06%	1,100	55.36%	707	35.58%	-393^[d]	-19.78%	1,987
Carteret	4,593	40.23%	3,061	26.81%	3,762	32.95%	831^[c]	7.28%	11,416
Caswell	1,036	17.20%	2,851	47.33%	2,137	35.47%	-714^[d]	-11.86%	6,024
Catawba	18,393	56.33%	7,285	22.31%	6,974	21.36%	11,108	34.02%	32,652
Chatham	3,845	36.22%	3,239	30.51%	3,532	33.27%	313^[c]	2.95%	10,616
Cherokee	3,768	53.18%	915	12.91%	2,402	33.90%	1,366^[c]	19.28%	7,085
Chowan	798	21.60%	1,696	45.90%	1,201	32.50%	-495^[d]	-13.40%	3,695
Clay	1,390	54.94%	293	11.58%	847	33.48%	543^[c]	21.46%	2,530
Cleveland	7,298	32.28%	9,649	42.68%	5,661	25.04%	-2,351	-10.40%	22,608
Columbus	3,881	26.19%	6,693	45.17%	4,243	28.64%	-2,450^[d]	-16.53%	14,817
Craven	2,991	21.77%	6,509	47.37%	4,240	30.86%	-2,269^[d]	-16.51%	13,740
Cumberland	9,143	31.95%	9,539	33.33%	9,938	34.72%	399^[d]	1.39%	28,620
Currituck	363	14.11%	1,471	57.19%	738	28.69%	-733^[d]	-28.50%	2,572
Dare	1,035	40.13%	844	32.73%	700	27.14%	191	7.40%	2,579
Davidson	16,678	46.57%	11,544	32.23%	7,594	21.20%	5,134	14.34%	35,816
Davie	3,866	49.04%	2,515	31.90%	1,502	19.05%	1,351	17.14%	7,883
Duplin	2,724	22.22%	6,082	49.62%	3,451	28.16%	-2,631^[d]	-21.46%	12,257
Durham	12,705	29.68%	13,542	31.63%	16,563	38.69%	3,021^[d]	7.06%	42,810
Edgecombe	3,198	22.36%	5,861	40.98%	5,243	36.66%	-618^[d]	-4.32%	14,302
Forsyth	31,623	46.79%	15,681	23.20%	20,281	30.01%	11,342^[c]	16.79%	67,585
Franklin	1,375	14.10%	5,525	56.64%	2,855	29.27%	-2,670^[d]	-27.37%	9,755
Gaston	18,741	43.77%	13,973	32.64%	10,100	23.59%	4,768	11.13%	42,814
Gates	406	14.58%	1,227	44.07%	1,151	41.34%	-76^[d]	-2.73%	2,784
Graham	1,570	52.44%	363	12.12%	1,061	35.44%	509^[c]	17.00%	2,994
Granville	1,837	21.50%	4,071	47.64%	2,638	30.87%	-1,433^[d]	-16.77%	8,546
Greene	650	12.71%	2,906	56.80%	1,560	30.49%	-1,346^[d]	-26.31%	5,116
Guilford	38,996	46.23%	19,751	23.42%	25,604	30.35%	13,392^[c]	15.88%	84,351
Halifax	3,148	20.72%	7,116	46.84%	4,927	32.43%	-2,189^[d]	-14.41%	15,191
Harnett	5,184	32.97%	6,531	41.54%	4,007	25.49%	-1,347	-8.57%	15,722
Haywood	6,205	39.26%	3,898	24.66%	5,703	36.08%	502^[c]	3.18%	15,806
Henderson	9,334	57.45%	3,861	23.76%	3,053	18.79%	5,473	33.69%	16,248
Hertford	1,125	17.04%	2,203	33.36%	3,275	49.60%	1,072^[d]	16.24%	6,603
Hoke	812	17.88%	1,545	34.02%	2,185	48.11%	640^[d]	14.09%	4,542
Hyde	401	20.02%	833	41.59%	769	38.39%	-64^[d]	-3.20%	2,003
Iredell	10,557	43.17%	9,021	36.89%	4,878	19.95%	1,536	6.28%	24,456
Jackson	3,747	48.14%	1,080	13.88%	2,956	37.98%	791^[c]	10.16%	7,783
Johnston	6,764	33.05%	9,212	45.01%	4,492	21.95%	-2,448	-11.96%	20,468
Jones	361	10.72%	1,780	52.88%	1,225	36.39%	-555^[d]	-16.49%	3,366
Lee	2,586	29.32%	3,711	42.07%	2,524	28.61%	-1,125	-12.75%	8,821
Lenoir	3,844	24.43%	8,036	51.08%	3,853	24.49%	-4,183^[d]	-26.59%	15,733
Lincoln	6,188	46.20%	3,161	23.60%	4,044	30.19%	2,144^[c]	16.01%	13,393
Macon	3,295	50.48%	1,162	17.80%	2,070	31.71%	1,225^[c]	18.77%	6,527
Madison	3,130	49.18%	1,034	16.25%	2,201	34.58%	929^[c]	14.60%	6,365
Martin	1,221	14.97%	3,818	46.81%	3,118	38.22%	-700^[d]	-8.59%	8,157
McDowell	4,740	46.01%	3,018	29.30%	2,543	24.69%	1,722	16.71%	10,301
Mecklenburg	56,325	52.40%	20,070	18.67%	31,102	28.93%	25,223^[c]	23.47%	107,497
Mitchell	3,778	72.65%	603	11.60%	819	15.75%	2,959^[c]	56.90%	5,200
Montgomery	3,070	39.67%	2,259	29.19%	2,410	31.14%	660^[c]	8.53%	7,739
Moore	5,322	43.74%	3,263	26.82%	3,583	29.45%	1,739^[c]	14.29%	12,168
Nash	4,602	24.08%	9,230	48.29%	5,283	27.64%	-3,947^[d]	-20.65%	19,115
New Hanover	10,020	37.03%	9,291	34.33%	7,750	28.64%	729	2.70%	27,061
Northampton	860	10.86%	2,986	37.71%	4,072	51.43%	1,086^[d]	13.72%	7,918
Onslow	3,444	28.08%	5,542	45.18%	3,281	26.75%	-2,098	-17.10%	12,267
Orange	6,097	33.30%	3,845	21.00%	8,366	45.70%	-2,269^[c]	-12.40%	18,308
Pamlico	745	21.46%	1,447	41.68%	1,280	36.87%	-167^[d]	-4.81%	3,472
Pasquotank	1,430	18.84%	3,597	47.39%	2,564	33.78%	-1,033^[d]	-13.61%	7,591
Pender	1,007	17.76%	2,720	47.98%	1,942	34.26%	-778^[d]	-13.72%	5,669
Perquimans	468	15.37%	1,554	51.03%	1,023	33.60%	-531^[d]	-17.43%	3,045
Person	2,138	24.17%	4,065	45.95%	2,644	29.89%	-1,421^[d]	-16.06%	8,847
Pitt	5,745	25.41%	9,167	40.55%	7,696	34.04%	-1,471^[d]	-6.51%	22,608
Polk	2,550	45.89%	1,484	26.71%	1,523	27.41%	1,027^[c]	18.48%	5,557
Randolph	13,450	52.35%	6,892	26.82%	5,351	20.83%	6,558	25.53%	25,693
Richmond	2,865	22.78%	5,457	43.38%	4,257	33.84%	-1,200^[d]	-9.54%	12,579
Robeson	4,526	23.55%	6,441	33.52%	8,248	42.92%	1,807^[d]	9.40%	19,215
Rockingham	8,095	33.46%	9,324	38.54%	6,774	28.00%	-1,229	-5.08%	24,193
Rowan	15,207	46.79%	9,220	28.37%	8,074	24.84%	5,987	18.42%	32,501
Rutherford	7,785	46.11%	4,476	26.51%	4,622	27.38%	3,163^[c]	18.73%	16,883
Sampson	6,597	41.44%	4,527	28.43%	4,797	30.13%	1,800^[c]	11.31%	15,921
Scotland	1,717	28.69%	2,016	33.68%	2,252	37.63%	236^[d]	3.95%	5,985
Stanly	9,428	51.43%	4,706	25.67%	4,199	22.90%	4,722	25.76%	18,333
Stokes	4,781	45.25%	3,410	32.28%	2,374	22.47%	1,371	12.97%	10,565
Surry	9,638	51.19%	4,103	21.79%	5,088	27.02%	4,550^[c]	24.17%	18,829
Swain	1,494	45.86%	537	16.48%	1,227	37.66%	267^[c]	8.20%	3,258
Transylvania	4,033	46.85%	2,365	27.47%	2,210	25.67%	1,668	19.38%	8,608
Tyrrell	291	22.61%	415	32.25%	581	45.14%	166^[d]	12.89%	1,287
Union	5,290	38.67%	4,761	34.80%	3,630	26.53%	529	3.87%	13,681
Vance	2,252	19.84%	5,244	46.21%	3,852	33.94%	-1,392^[d]	-12.27%	11,348
Wake	28,928	43.08%	17,250	25.69%	20,979	31.24%	7,949^[c]	11.84%	67,157
Warren	796	14.79%	2,294	42.62%	2,293	42.60%	-1^[d]	-0.02%	5,383
Washington	1,016	21.26%	1,866	39.04%	1,898	39.71%	32^[d]	0.67%	4,780
Watauga	5,081	55.88%	1,060	11.66%	2,952	32.46%	2,129^[c]	23.42%	9,093
Wayne	5,678	28.79%	8,709	44.15%	5,338	27.06%	-3,031	-15.36%	19,725
Wilkes	11,195	60.29%	2,876	15.49%	4,497	24.22%	6,698^[c]	36.07%	18,568
Wilson	4,053	25.13%	7,903	49.00%	4,173	25.87%	-3,730^[d]	-23.13%	16,129
Yadkin	5,885	60.51%	2,397	24.65%	1,443	14.84%	3,488	35.86%	9,725
Yancey	2,448	45.21%	752	13.89%	2,215	40.90%	233^[c]	4.31%	5,415
Totals	627,192	39.51%	496,188	31.26%	464,113	29.24%	131,004	8.25%	1,587,493

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Democratic to American Independent

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.
^ Other election scholars have doubted Goldwater won the white vote in the state, which undoubtedly was extremely close.^[2]
^ ^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 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 ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap 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.

References

^ Phillips, Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority. pp. 219, 303. ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6.
^ ^a ^b Black, Earl (2021). "Competing Responses to the New Southern Politics: Republican and Democratic Southern Strategies, 1964-76". In Reed, John Shelton; Black, Merle (eds.). Perspectives on the American South: An Annual Review of Society, Politics, and Culture. ISBN 9781136764882.
^ See Etsy, Amos (January 2005). "North Carolina Republicans and the Conservative Revolution, 1964-1968". The North Carolina Historical Review. 82 (1): 1–32.
^ Phillips. The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 226
^ Eamon, Tom. The Making of a Southern Democracy: North Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat McCrory. p. 123. ISBN 9781469606972.
^ Lehnen, Robert G. (June 1970). "Stability of Presidential Choice in 1968: The Case of Two Southern States". Social Science Quarterly. 51 (1): 138–147.
^ Black, Earl (June 1973). "The Militant Segregationist Vote in the Post-Brown South: A Comparative Analysis". Social Science Quarterly. 54 (1): 66–84.
^ Schönberger, Robert A.; Segal, David R. (August 1971). "The Ecology of Dissent: The Southern Wallace Vote in 1968". Midwest Journal of Political Science. 15 (3): 583–586.
^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 280
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 147.
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
^ Sullivan, Robert David (June 29, 2016). "How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century". The National Catholic Review (America Magazine ed.).
^ Leip, Dave (2005). "1968 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina". US Election Atlas. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
^ "NC US President Race, November 03, 1968". Our Campaigns.