Republican Party presidential primaries, 1968 facts for kids
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![]() Gold denotes a state won by Richard Nixon. Blue denotes a state won by Nelson Rockefeller. Green denotes a state won by James A. Rhodes. Purple denotes a state won by Ronald Reagan. Grey denotes a state that did not hold a primary.
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The 1968 Republican presidential primaries were a series of elections. They helped voters of the Republican Party choose who would run for President of the United States. This happened before the main 1968 U.S. presidential election.
Former Vice President Richard Nixon won these primaries. He was chosen as the party's candidate at the 1968 Republican National Convention. This big meeting took place from August 5 to August 8, 1968, in Miami, Florida.
Who Ran for President?
This section shows the main people who wanted to become the Republican presidential candidate.
-
Former Vice President
Richard Nixon
from California -
Governor
George Romney
from Michigan
(Stopped running Feb. 28th, 1968) -
Former Governor
Harold Stassen
from Minnesota
What are "Favorite Sons"?
A "favorite son" is a candidate who runs mainly to control their home state's votes. They often hope to influence who wins the nomination. Many of these candidates later supported one of the main contenders.
-
Senator
John Tower
from Texas
(Stopped running July 1st)
(Supported Richard Nixon) -
Governor
James A. Rhodes
from Ohio -
Senator
Clifford Case
from New Jersey
(Stopped running before 1st vote)
(Supported Richard Nixon) -
Senator
Howard Baker
from Tennessee
(Stopped running May 16th)
(Supported Richard Nixon) -
Governor
Spiro Agnew
from Maryland
(Stopped running August 6th)
(Supported Richard Nixon) -
Governor
Daniel J. Evans
from Washington
(Stopped running August 5th)
(Supported Nelson Rockefeller) -
Senator
Strom Thurmond
from South Carolina
(Stopped running before 1st vote)
(Supported Richard Nixon) -
Senator
Frank Carlson
from Kansas -
Senator
Hiram Fong
from Hawaii -
Governor
John Volpe
from Massachusetts
(Stopped running April 30th, 1968)
Who Decided Not to Run?
Many important political figures chose not to run for president in 1968. They might have had other plans or felt it wasn't the right time.
-
Former Ambassador James M. Gavin from New York -
Former Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona -
Senator Mark Hatfield from Oregon -
Senator Thomas Kuchel from California -
Retired Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay from California -
Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. from Massachusetts -
Former Governor William Scranton from Pennsylvania -
General William Westmoreland from South Carolina