1968 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary
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The 1968 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary was held on March 12, 1968, in New Hampshire as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1968 United States presidential election.
Details
President Lyndon Johnson, who had not officially entered the race for president, won the primary as a write-in, but finished with a shockingly low total of less than 50%.[1][2] Eugene McCarthy, then a little-known senator from Minnesota, won 42% of the primary vote. McCarthy's extremely strong showing gave his campaign legitimacy and momentum.[3] In addition, McCarthy's superior coordination led to a near sweep of the state's twenty-four pledged delegates; since Johnson had no formal campaign organization in the state, a number of competing pro-Johnson delegate candidates split his vote, allowing McCarthy to take twenty delegates.
Just 19 days later, President Johnson announced he would not seek a second bid for re-election, opening up the Democratic field to other candidates including Robert F. Kennedy (who was assassinated after winning the California primary)[4] and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the eventual nominee.[5]
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References
- ^ "JOHNSON MARGIN CUT TO 230 VOTES; Narrow Victory in Combined New Hampshire Totals". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ New Hampshire. Dept. of State (1969). Manual for the General Court. University of New Hampshire Library. Concord, N.H. : Dept. of State.
- ^ Glass, Andrew (2016-03-12). "McCarthy nearly upsets LBJ in New Hampshire primary: March 12, 1968". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ "Behind the Picture: RFK's Assassination, Los Angeles, 1968". LIFE. 2014-05-15. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ Christian, George (1988-04-01). "The Night Lyndon Quit". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2024-02-08.