The 1968 United States presidential election in Florida was held on November 5, 1968. Florida voters chose fourteen electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Nixon obtained his support in Central Florida, Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey got his support from Southern Florida, and third-party candidate George Wallace got his support from the Florida Panhandle, or Northern Florida. This was one of the better states for George Wallace, due to the Northern part of the state being against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which Lyndon Johnson had signed into law. This led to Democratic party gains in support from black voters. The party simultaneously lost the great majority of white voters. One exception to this abandonment by white voters came in the Jewish sections of Miami.Phillips, Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 281-282

Among white voters, 45% supported Nixon, 32% supported Wallace, and 23% supported Humphrey. The Republican Party held their convention in Miami Beach that year.

Primary elections

Democratic primary Florida held its Democratic presidential primary on May 28, 1968. George Smathers won the Florida Democratic primary. Scott Kelly lead the unpledged delegation. CandidateNumber of votes%George Smathers236,24246.11%Eugene McCarthy147,216 28.73%(no preference)128,89925.16%Total512,357100%

Republican primary Florida held its Republican primary on May 28, 1968. The only option on the ballot was "no preference". CandidateNumber of votes%No preference51,509100%Total51,509100%

Results

Results by county County Richard NixonRepublican Hubert HumphreyDemocratic George WallaceAmerican Independent Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Alachua 9,670 34.02% 10,060 35.39% 8,696 30.59% -390 -1.37% 28,426 Baker 294 10.72% 487 17.75% 1,962 71.53% -1,475 -53.78% 2,743 Bay 5,121 21.07% 4,020 16.54% 15,161 62.39% -10,040 -41.32% 24,302 Bradford 718 15.18% 1,173 24.79% 2,840 60.03% -1,667 -35.24% 4,731 Brevard 37,124 48.02% 18,281 23.65% 21,909 28.34% 15,215 19.68% 77,314 Broward 106,122 54.50% 56,613 29.07% 31,992 16.43% 49,509 25.43% 194,727 Calhoun 356 11.38% 398 12.72% 2,375 75.90% -1,977 -63.18% 3,129 Charlotte 6,056 50.58% 3,647 30.46% 2,270 18.96% 2,409 20.12% 11,973 Citrus 2,767 38.71% 1,775 24.83% 2,606 36.46% 161 2.25% 7,148 Clay 3,251 35.14% 1,954 21.12% 4,046 43.74% -795 -8.60% 9,251 Collier 5,362 50.85% 2,230 21.15% 2,952 28.00% 2,410 22.85% 10,544 Columbia 1,553 21.13% 1,750 23.81% 4,046 55.06% -2,296 -31.25% 7,349 Dade 135,222 37.02% 176,689 48.37% 53,391 14.62% -41,467 -11.35% 365,302 DeSoto 1,103 26.94% 937 22.89% 2,054 50.17% -951 -23.23% 4,094 Dixie 217 10.39% 325 15.57% 1,546 74.04% -1,221 -58.47% 2,088 Duval 51,585 30.89% 54,834 32.84% 60,559 36.27% -5,725 -3.43% 166,978 Escambia 15,089 22.07% 16,281 23.81% 37,000 54.12% -20,719 -30.31% 68,370 Flagler 360 20.25% 601 33.80% 817 45.95% -216 -12.15% 1,778 Franklin 529 16.86% 699 22.28% 1,909 60.85% -1,210 -38.57% 3,137 Gadsden 1,337 14.76% 3,274 36.15% 4,446 49.09% -1,172 -12.94% 9,057 Gilchrist 183 12.12% 208 13.77% 1,119 74.11% -911 -60.34% 1,510 Glades 261 23.92% 230 21.08% 600 55.00% -339 -31.08% 1,091 Gulf 364 9.58% 711 18.71% 2,725 71.71% -2,014 -53.00% 3,800 Hamilton 337 12.34% 820 30.03% 1,574 57.63% -754 -27.60% 2,731 Hardee 1,278 28.34% 703 15.59% 2,529 56.08% -1,251 -27.74% 4,510 Hendry 900 27.04% 791 23.76% 1,638 49.20% -738 -22.16% 3,329 Hernando 2,053 34.42% 1,524 25.55% 2,387 40.02% -334 -5.60% 5,964 Highlands 4,560 42.95% 2,582 24.32% 3,475 32.73% 1,085 10.22% 10,617 Hillsborough 49,441 34.77% 45,848 32.24% 46,913 32.99% 2,528 1.78% 142,202 Holmes 377 7.00% 312 5.79% 4,700 87.21% -4,323 -80.21% 5,389 Indian River 6,518 51.25% 3,179 24.99% 3,022 23.76% 3,339 26.26% 12,719 Jackson 1,236 10.02% 2,472 20.05% 8,622 69.93% -6,150 -49.88% 12,330 Jefferson 459 14.84% 1,066 34.48% 1,567 50.68% -501 -16.20% 3,092 Lafayette 137 9.28% 215 14.56% 1,125 76.17% -910 -61.61% 1,477 Lake 11,763 47.42% 4,599 18.54% 8,442 34.03% 3,321 13.39% 24,804 Lee 14,376 46.23% 7,978 25.66% 8,741 28.11% 5,635 18.12% 31,095 Leon 9,288 28.49% 10,440 32.02% 12,878 39.50% -2,438 -7.48% 32,606 Levy 745 18.81% 767 19.36% 2,449 61.83% -1,682 -42.47% 3,961 Liberty 154 8.96% 242 14.09% 1,322 76.95% -1,080 -62.86% 1,718 Madison 654 13.81% 1,378 29.10% 2,703 57.09% -1,325 -27.99% 4,735 Manatee 18,247 52.51% 8,286 23.85% 8,214 23.64% 9,961 28.66% 34,747 Marion 7,468 32.66% 5,798 25.36% 9,600 41.98% -2,132 -9.32% 22,866 Martin 5,179 50.63% 2,580 25.22% 2,471 24.15% 2,599 25.41% 10,230 Monroe 5,094 34.19% 5,534 37.14% 4,271 28.67% -440 -2.95% 14,899 Nassau 1,301 19.91% 1,598 24.46% 3,634 55.63% -2,036 -31.17% 6,533 Okaloosa 5,525 26.54% 3,059 14.69% 12,237 58.77% -6,712 -32.23% 20,821 Okeechobee 862 28.66% 542 18.02% 1,604 53.32% -742 -24.66% 3,008 Orange 50,874 50.54% 22,548 22.40% 27,247 27.07% 23,627 23.47% 100,669 Osceola 4,172 43.90% 1,870 19.68% 3,462 36.43% 710 7.47% 9,504 Palm Beach 62,191 53.19% 32,837 28.08% 21,894 18.73% 29,354 25.11% 116,922 Pasco 9,743 42.36% 6,292 27.36% 6,966 30.29% 2,777 12.07% 23,001 Pinellas 109,235 51.71% 68,209 32.29% 33,814 16.01% 41,026 19.42% 211,258 Polk 27,839 36.98% 15,898 21.12% 31,540 41.90% -3,701 -4.92% 75,277 Putnam 2,955 26.80% 2,920 26.49% 5,150 46.71% -2,195 -19.91% 11,025 St. Johns 3,880 34.31% 2,748 24.30% 4,682 41.40% -802 -7.09% 11,310 St. Lucie 7,281 43.02% 5,232 30.92% 4,410 26.06% 2,049 12.10% 16,923 Santa Rosa 2,567 20.19% 1,600 12.58% 8,549 67.23% -5,982 -47.04% 12,716 Sarasota 30,160 63.73% 10,127 21.40% 7,041 14.88% 20,033 42.33% 47,328 Seminole 10,821 44.69% 6,120 25.27% 7,275 30.04% 3,546 14.65% 24,216 Sumter 910 17.96% 1,277 25.21% 2,879 56.83% -1,602 -31.62% 5,066 Suwannee 845 14.13% 1,182 19.76% 3,955 66.12% -2,773 -46.36% 5,982 Taylor 794 15.71% 941 18.62% 3,318 65.66% -2,377 -47.04% 5,053 Union 179 10.78% 290 17.46% 1,192 71.76% -902 -54.30% 1,661 Volusia 28,024 39.91% 24,987 35.58% 17,209 24.51% 3,037 4.33% 70,220 Wakulla 247 10.49% 440 18.68% 1,668 70.83% -1,228 -52.15% 2,355 Walton 963 13.45% 1,064 14.86% 5,135 71.70% -4,071 -56.84% 7,162 Washington 528 10.71% 722 14.64% 3,682 74.66% -2,960 -60.02% 4,932Totals886,80440.53%676,79430.93%624,20728.53%210,0109.60%2,187,805

Counties that flipped from Democratic to American Independent

Baker Bradford Dixie Flagler Gilchrist Hamilton Levy Sumter Union

Counties that flipped from Republican to American Independent

Bay Calhoun Clay Columbia DeSoto Duval Escambia Franklin Glades Gadsden Gulf Hendry Hernando Hardee Holmes Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Leon Liberty Madison Marion Nassau Okaloosa Okeechobee Putnam Polk St. Johns Santa Rosa Suwannee Taylor Walton Washington Wakulla

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Brevard Charlotte Citrus Hillsborough Pasco Pinellas St. Lucie Volusia

Results by congressional district Nixon won 8 congressional districts (including five held by Democrats), while Wallace won 3 (all held by Democrats), and Humphrey won a single district.

DistrictNixonHumphreyWallace1st19.9%18.9%61.2%2nd23.5%27.6%48.9%3rd28.2%34.6%37.2%4th39.7%27.7%32.6%5th49.5%23.1%27.5%6th34.7%31.3%34%7th47.9%23.1%29%8th50.8%31.8%17.4%9th53.0%26.2%20.8%10th45.9%36.7%17.4%11th28.5%58.4%13.1%12th44.8%38.6%16.6%

Analysis Between the imposition of a poll tax in 1889 and the migration of numerous northerners seeking a hotter climate in the 1940s,Silbey, Joel H. and Bogue, Allan G.; The History of American Electoral Behavior, p. 210 Florida had been a one-party Democratic state, lacking any traditional white Republicanism due to the absence of mountains or German "Forty-Eighter" settlements. So late as the landmark court case of Smith v. Allwright (1944), half of Florida's registered Republicans were still black,See Price, Hugh Douglas; "The Negro and Florida Politics, 1944-1954", in The Journal of Politics, Vol. 17, No. 2 (May, 1955), pp. 198-220 although very few blacks in Florida had ever voted within the previous fifty-five years. New migrants from traditionally Republican northern states took up residence in Central Florida and brought with them their Republican voting habits at the presidential level.Seagull, Louis M.; Southern Republicanism, p. 73

In 1964 there was a complete reversal of the 1950s voting pattern of a largely Republican south and central Florida and continuing Democratic loyalty in the North, with almost zero correlation between 1960 and 1964 county returns.Lamis, Alexander P.; The Two-Party South, p. 180 Following his landslide sweep of the northern states, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society at first appeared to be helping him in Florida;Grantham, Dewey W.; The Life and Death of the Solid South: A Political History, pp. 172-173 however, the relationship soured quickly as the Democratic Party factionalized. In 1966, via a campaign portraying his opponent as a dangerous liberal, Claude R. Kirk defeated Miami mayor Robert King Hugh to become (alongside Winthrop Rockefeller) the first GOP governor of any Confederate state since Alfred A. Taylor in 1922.Grantham; The Life and Death of the Solid South, p. 165

, this is the last election in which Escambia County, Clay County, Okaloosa County, and Santa Rosa County did not support the Republican candidate.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

Notes

References

Works cited