Since William Jennings Bryan's threeelections, Nevada had been a bellwether state voting for every winner since 1912. However, relative to the nation, Nevada had trended Republican since the end of World War II when Populist radicalism gave way to small-town and rural conservatism due to demographic and technological change.[3] Although Democrats had a large advantage in registration, the 1966 midterm elections saw Republican Lieutenant GovernorPaul Laxalt take most of the Mormon and Catholic vote in traditionally Democratic Clark County,[4] which was becoming the center of the state's rapid demographic growth. This Republican trend was aided by a fall in demand for construction work in Las Vegas and several major strikes across the state.[4]
In the earliest polls Nevada's past Republican trend was confirmed, with it being given clearly to Nixon in the second week of September,[7] and confirmed by further polls[8] until the last few days before the election. During this period Humphrey made a brief visit to Nevada[9] and came back substantially nationwide, whilst a strong poll for Wallace made the state doubtful.[10]
Ultimately former Vice PresidentRichard Nixon, with 47.46% of the popular vote,[11] won Nevada more substantially than predicted by the last polls, though by less than thought likely in September and early October. "Independent American" candidate George Wallace finished with 13.25% of the popular vote, close to his national average but his best performance outside the Confederacy and Border States. Wallace's success was largely due to his endorsement by state congressman Walter S. Baring Jr., a conservative "States' Rights Democrat" who consistently managed huge majorities in Nevada's rural 'Cow Counties' (the 14 counties apart from Clark, Washoe, and Carson City).[12]
Results
1968 United States presidential election in Nevada[13]
^Although he was born in California and he served as a U.S. Senator from California, in 1968 Richard Nixon's official state of residence was New York, because he moved there to practice law after his defeat in the 1962 California gubernatorial election. During his first term as president, Nixon re-established his residency in California. Consequently, most reliable reference books list Nixon's home state as New York in the 1968 election and his home state as California in the 1972 (and 1960) election.