The 1964 United States presidential election in Wyoming took place on November 3, 1964, as part of the 1964 United States presidential election. State voters chose three representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Wyoming was won by incumbent Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson, with 56.56% of the popular vote, against the Republican nominee, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, with 43.44% of the popular vote, representing a margin of victory of 13.2%. Johnson's victory was part of a nationwide landslide in which he captured many traditionally Republican states, and Wyoming was no exception.

Johnson enjoyed bipartisan support due to sympathy over the Assassination of his predecessor John F. Kennedy in 1963, along with support for many of his programs such as the Great Society, which aimed to eliminate poverty in America, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial discrimination. Goldwater, a believer in free markets and low taxes, famously opposed both of these programs, and suggested making social security voluntary, which cost him a great deal of support among moderates – including Republicans – who viewed him as too conservative. Nelson Rockefeller and George W. Romney, the governors of New York and Michigan respectively, refused to endorse Goldwater. He did receive some support from Nixon and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower; however, the former wanted to see much of Goldwater's agenda struck down, while Eisenhower's support was limited to a single commercial, as he never fully forgave the Arizona Senator for calling many of his biggest accomplishments as president such as the Interstate Highway System "a dime store New Deal."The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 1964 – Social Security". Democrats successfully portrayed him as an extremist, most famously with the Daisy Television Ad. With Johnson's victory, Democrat Gale W. McGee held his Senate seat and Democrats flipped the state's sole congressional seat. They even managed to regain control of the Wyoming House of Representatives and got within a single seat of capturing the State Senate, an astounding achievement in a state that political pundits had written off in the years prior as "too Republican".

Despite his stunning defeat, Goldwater's campaign began a long term political realignment in American politics, with conservatives beginning to sway towards the Republican Party, ultimately culminating in the 1980 presidential victory of Ronald Reagan, who had supported Goldwater in 1964, famously giving a speech on his behalf titled "A Time For Choosing", which raised over $1 million for the Republican nominee's campaign,Cannon, Lou (June 6, 2004). "Actor, Governor, President, Icon". The Washington Post. p. A01. and launching Reagan into the national political spotlight. Additionally, many Northeastern liberals who had previously favored the Republicans began to move towards the Democrats, which would ultimately flip the Northeast blue in 1992.

As of 2024, this is the only presidential race since 1948 that Wyoming has voted Democratic; in fact, no Democratic presidential nominee since 1964 has reached even 40% of the state's vote. This is also the last occasion that Laramie County (home to the capital and largest city of Cheyenne), Fremont County, Sheridan County, Park County, Uinta County, Lincoln County, Goshen County, Big Horn County, Platte County, and Hot Springs County have voted for a Democratic presidential nominee.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

Results

Results by county CountyLyndon B. JohnsonDemocraticBarry GoldwaterRepublicanMarginTotal votescast # % # % # % Albany 6,019 67.31% 2,923 32.69% 3,096 34.62% 8,942 Big Horn 2,690 50.21% 2,668 49.79% 22 0.42% 5,358 Campbell 1,196 42.68% 1,606 57.32% -410 -14.64% 2,802 Carbon 4,322 66.68% 2,160 33.32% 2,162 33.36% 6,482 Converse 1,250 44.50% 1,559 55.50% -309 -11.00% 2,809 Crook 780 39.12% 1,214 60.88% -434 -21.76% 1,994 Fremont 5,985 55.45% 4,809 44.55% 1,176 10.90% 10,794 Goshen 2,749 51.35% 2,604 48.65% 145 2.70% 5,353 Hot Springs 1,380 52.91% 1,228 47.09% 152 5.82% 2,608 Johnson 852 34.19% 1,640 65.81% -788 -31.62% 2,492 Laramie 16,059 65.22% 8,563 34.78% 7,496 30.44% 24,622 Lincoln 2,273 55.66% 1,811 44.34% 462 11.32% 4,084 Natrona 11,167 52.42% 10,135 47.58% 1,032 4.84% 21,302 Niobrara 843 42.90% 1,122 57.10% -279 -14.20% 1,965 Park 3,745 50.32% 3,698 49.68% 47 0.64% 7,443 Platte 1,890 56.25% 1,470 43.75% 420 12.50% 3,360 Sheridan 4,747 51.39% 4,491 48.61% 256 2.78% 9,238 Sublette 791 46.78% 900 53.22% -109 -6.44% 1,691 Sweetwater 5,969 75.43% 1,944 24.57% 4,025 50.86% 7,913 Teton 968 47.24% 1,081 52.76% -113 -5.52% 2,049 Uinta 1,929 61.93% 1,186 38.07% 743 23.86% 3,115 Washakie 1,695 49.74% 1,713 50.26% -18 -0.52% 3,408 Weston 1,419 49.07% 1,473 50.93% -54 -1.86% 2,892Totals80,71856.56%61,99843.44%18,72013.12%142,716

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Albany Big Horn Fremont Goshen Hot Springs Lincoln Natrona Park Platte Sheridan Uinta

See also United States presidential elections in Wyoming

References