1968 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

1968 Democratic vice presidential nomination

August 29, 1968 (1968-08-29)

Nominee Edmund Muskie Home state Maine

Previous Vice Presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey Vice Presidential nominee Edmund Muskie

This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 1968 election. After winning the Democratic presidential nomination at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey asked the convention to nominate Maine Senator Edmund Muskie as his running mate. The convention overwhelmingly voted to ratify the choice of Muskie, though Julian Bond picked up a scattering of votes.[1] Muskie was surprised by the selection, as he was from a Northeastern state with few electoral votes.[2] Humphrey almost chose Oklahoma Senator Fred R. Harris, but Humphrey decided that Muskie's age, governmental experience, and quiet temperament made him the better candidate.[1] The Humphrey–Muskie ticket ultimately lost to the Nixon–Agnew ticket in the 1968 election. Muskie's place on the national ticket helped make him an early front-runner for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination, though Muskie ultimately dropped out of the contest.[3]

Potential running mates

Poster featuring Muskie.

Finalists

• 
  Senator
  Edmund Muskie
  from Maine
  (1959–1980)
• 
  Mayor of San Francisco
  Joseph Alioto
  from California
  (1968–1976)[2]
• 
  Senator
  Fred R. Harris
  from Oklahoma
  (1964–1973)[2]
• 
  Governor
  Richard J. Hughes
  from New Jersey
  (1962–1970)[2]
• 
  Former Deputy Secretary of Defense
  Cyrus Vance
  from New York
  (1962–1970)[2]

Declined

• 
  Senator
  Ted Kennedy
  from Massachusetts
  (1962–2009)[2]
• 
  Republican Governor
  Nelson Rockefeller
  from New York
  (1959–1973)[2]
• 
  Senator and 1968 presidential candidate
  George McGovern
  from South Dakota
  (1963–1981)[4]

Others

• 
  Former Governor
  Terry Sanford
  from North Carolina
  (1961–1965)[2]
• 
  Ambassador to France
  Sargent Shriver
  from Maryland
  (1968–1970)[2]
• 
  Senator
  Daniel Inouye
  from Hawaii
  (1963–2012)[5]

Results

1968 Democratic vice presidential balloting
Contender: ballot	Final tally
Senator Edmund Muskie	1942.5
Not voting	604.25
Activist Julian Bond	48.5
David Hoeh	4
Senator Ted Kennedy	3.5
Senator Eugene McCarthy	3
Don Edwards	2
Senator Abraham Ribicoff	2
Senator George McGovern	2
Mayor Richard J. Daley	1.5
Governor Robert Evander McNair	1.5
Philadelphia Mayor James Tate	1.5
Representative Allard K. Lowenstein	1
Senate nominee Paul O'Dwyer	1
Representative Henry S. Reuss	1
Former Governor Terry Sanford	1
Ambassador Sargent Shriver	1
William Fitts Ryan	1
Former Governor George Wallace	0.5

Source: Keating Holland, "All the Votes... Really," CNN[6]

See also

• 1968 Democratic National Convention
• Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1968

References

1. Wainstock, Dennis (October 18, 2013). Election Year 1968: The Turning Point. Enigman Books. p. 149. ISBN 9781936274413. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
2. Richarson, Darcy (2002). A Nation Divided: The 1968 Presidential Campaign. iUniverse. p. 166. ISBN 9780595236992. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
3. Apple, R. W. (March 27, 1996). "Edmund S. Muskie, 81, Dies; Maine Senator and a Power on the National Scene". New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
4. Offner, Arnold (2018). Hubert Humphrey: The Conscience of the Country. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 301. ISBN 978-0-300-22239-5.
5. "LBJ urged Humphrey to consider Inouye for v.p." Deseret News. December 7, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
6. "AllPolitics – 1996 GOP NRC – All The Votes...Really". CNN.