1968 United States presidential election in Oregon explained

See main article: 1968 United States presidential election.

The 1968 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Voters chose six^[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Oregon was won by former Vice President Richard Nixon (R–New York), with 49.83% of the popular vote, against Vice President Hubert Humphrey (D–Minnesota), with 43.78% of the popular vote. Independent candidate George Wallace finished with 6.06% of Oregon's popular vote.^{[3] [4]} As of 2020, this is the fifth and final time Oregon and neighboring Washington did not vote for the same presidential candidate.

Wallace did best in Eastern Oregon, along with Douglas and Josephine counties, primarily settled by people from the Ohio Valley/Border States. Wallace had little appeal in the primarily Yankee-settled Willamette Valley.^[5]

Nixon's victory was the first of five consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Oregon would not vote for a Democratic candidate again until Michael Dukakis in 1988. Since then it has become a safe Democratic state.

Results

Results by county

County	Richard Nixon Republican		Hubert Humphrey Democratic		George Wallace Independent		Various candidates Write-ins		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%
	Baker		3,311		52.93%		2,464		39.39%		480		7.67%						847		13.54%		6,255
	Benton		11,654		61.29%		6,538		34.38%		749		3.94%		75		0.39%		5,116		26.91%		19,016
	Clackamas		32,363		50.60%		27,939		43.68%		3,659		5.72%						4,424		6.92%		63,961
	Clatsop		5,810		45.61%		6,243		49.01%		651		5.11%		34		0.27%		-433		-3.40%		12,738
	Columbia		4,208		38.09%		6,064		54.89%		728		6.59%		47		0.43%		-1,856		-16.80%		11,047
	Coos		8,230		39.40%		10,884		52.10%		1,767		8.46%		9		0.04%		-2,654		-12.70%		20,890
	Crook		1,727		47.88%		1,611		44.66%		256		7.10%		13		0.36%		116		3.22%		3,607
	Curry		2,323		49.12%		1,934		40.90%		436		9.22%		36		0.76%		389		8.22%		4,729
	Deschutes		5,599		49.86%		4,859		43.27%		738		6.57%		34		0.30%		740		6.59%		11,230
	Douglas		13,410		51.40%		9,186		35.21%		3,433		13.16%		63		0.24%		4,224		16.19%		26,092
	Gilliam		619		55.27%		436		38.93%		65		5.80%						183		16.34%		1,120
	Grant		1,632		58.00%		934		33.19%		239		8.49%		9		0.32%		698		24.81%		2,814
	Harney		1,617		56.58%		1,036		36.25%		197		6.89%		8		0.28%		581		20.33%		2,858
	Hood River		2,597		48.84%		2,385		44.86%		323		6.07%		12		0.23%		212		3.98%		5,317
	Jackson		19,577		56.19%		12,714		36.49%		2,446		7.02%		105		0.30%		6,863		19.70%		34,842
	Jefferson		1,669		55.26%		1,160		38.41%		180		5.96%		11		0.36%		509		16.85%		3,020
	Josephine		8,456		57.64%		4,351		29.66%		1,800		12.27%		64		0.44%		4,105		27.98%		14,671
	Klamath		9,604		56.44%		5,629		33.08%		1,735		10.20%		49		0.29%		3,975		23.36%		17,017
	Lake		1,538		61.40%		730		29.14%		229		9.14%		8		0.32%		808		32.26%		2,505
	Lane		39,563		49.12%		34,521		42.86%		5,830		7.24%		635		0.79%		5,042		6.26%		80,549
	Lincoln		5,031		47.02%		5,009		46.82%		659		6.16%						22		0.20%		10,699
	Linn		12,604		51.90%		10,032		41.31%		1,648		6.79%						2,572		10.59%		24,284
	Malheur		5,447		65.16%		2,021		24.17%		892		10.67%						3,426		40.99%		8,360
	Marion		30,417		54.80%		22,327		40.23%		2,756		4.97%		2		0.00%		8,090		14.57%		55,502
	Morrow		1,068		54.30%		797		40.52%		102		5.19%						271		13.78%		1,967
	Multnomah		106,831		43.87%		124,651		51.19%		11,054		4.54%		982		0.40%		-17,820		-7.32%		243,518
	Polk		6,997		55.66%		4,961		39.46%		581		4.62%		32		0.25%		2,036		16.20%		12,571
	Sherman		646		59.32%		384		35.26%		59		5.42%						262		24.06%		1,089
	Tillamook		3,261		44.73%		3,609		49.50%		394		5.40%		27		0.37%		-348		-4.77%		7,291
	Umatilla		8,975		54.80%		6,402		39.09%		956		5.84%		46		0.28%		2,573		15.71%		16,379
	Union		3,796		49.00%		3,409		44.00%		521		6.73%		21		0.27%		387		5.00%		7,747
	Wallowa		1,527		55.69%		1,006		36.69%		194		7.08%		15		0.55%		521		19.00%		2,742
	Wasco		3,842		46.26%		3,918		47.17%		514		6.19%		32		0.39%		-76		-0.91%		8,306
	Washington		34,105		56.99%		22,943		38.34%		2,566		4.29%		228		0.38%		11,162		18.65%		59,842
	Wheeler		443		58.14%		292		38.32%		27		3.54%						151		19.82%		762
	Yamhill		7,936		55.55%		5,487		38.41%		819		5.73%		43		0.30%		2,449		17.14%		14,285
Totals	408,433	49.83%	358,866	43.78%	49,683	6.06%	2,640	0.32%	49,567	6.05%	819,622

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• • • • Baker Benton Clackamas Crook
  • Curry Deschutes
    • • Douglas Gilliam Grant Harney
• Hood River
  • • • • • • • Jackson Jefferson Klamath Lake Lane Lincoln Linn Marion
                • Morrow Polk Sherman Umatilla Union Wallowa Washington Wheeler Yamhill

See also

• United States presidential elections in Oregon

Notes and References

1. Web site: United States Presidential election of 1968 – Encyclopædia Britannica. May 26, 2017.
2. Web site: 1968 Election for the Forty-Sixth Term (1969-73). May 26, 2017.
3. Web site: 1968 Presidential General Election Results – Oregon. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. May 26, 2017.
4. Web site: The American Presidency Project – Election of 1968. May 26, 2017.
5. Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 511