The 1960 United States presidential election in South Dakota took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election. Voters chose four[2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
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South Dakota was won by incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon (R–California), running with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. of Massachusetts, with 58.21% of the popular vote, against Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy (D), running with Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, with 41.79% of the popular vote.[3][4]
As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the last election in which majority Native American Todd County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[5] With 58.21% of the popular vote, South Dakota would prove to be Nixon's fifth strongest state in the 1960 election after Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Vermont.[6]
Primaries
Both the Republican and Democratic parties held primaries on June 7.[7][8]
Democratic primary
Hubert Humphrey was unopposed on the Democratic primary ballot.[7] Kennedy had decided against competing in the state because he recognized that Humphrey, who had grown up in the state, had a distinct advantage there.[7]
| 1960 South Dakota Democratic Presidential Primary Results[8] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |||
| Democratic | Hubert Humphrey | 24,773 | 100.00% | |||
| Totals | 24,773 | 100% | ||||
Republican primary
No candidates ran in the Republican primary.
| 1960 South Dakota Republican Presidential Primary Results[8] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |||
| Republican | Unpledged delegates | 48,461 | 100% | |||
| Totals | 48,461 | 100% | ||||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Nixon | 178,417 | 58.21% | |
| Democratic | John F. Kennedy | 128,070 | 41.79% | |
| Total votes | 306,487 | 100% | ||
Results by county
| County[9] | Richard Milhous Nixon Republican | John Fitzgerald Kennedy Democratic | Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Aurora | 1,267 | 49.94% | 1,270 | 50.06% | -3 | -0.12% | 2,537 |
| Beadle | 5,911 | 59.17% | 4,079 | 40.83% | 1,832 | 18.34% | 9,990 |
| Bennett | 779 | 56.20% | 607 | 43.80% | 172 | 12.41% | 1,386 |
| Bon Homme | 2,730 | 57.09% | 2,052 | 42.91% | 678 | 14.18% | 4,782 |
| Brookings | 5,710 | 65.75% | 2,974 | 34.25% | 2,736 | 31.51% | 8,684 |
| Brown | 8,037 | 50.45% | 7,893 | 49.55% | 144 | 0.90% | 15,930 |
| Brule | 1,403 | 46.72% | 1,600 | 53.28% | -197 | -6.56% | 3,003 |
| Buffalo | 294 | 46.82% | 334 | 53.18% | -40 | -6.37% | 628 |
| Butte | 2,496 | 65.44% | 1,318 | 34.56% | 1,178 | 30.89% | 3,814 |
| Campbell | 1,330 | 78.61% | 362 | 21.39% | 968 | 57.21% | 1,692 |
| Charles Mix | 2,446 | 47.04% | 2,754 | 52.96% | -308 | -5.92% | 5,200 |
| Clark | 2,204 | 61.05% | 1,406 | 38.95% | 798 | 22.11% | 3,610 |
| Clay | 2,772 | 59.61% | 1,878 | 40.39% | 894 | 19.23% | 4,650 |
| Codington | 5,309 | 55.23% | 4,304 | 44.77% | 1,005 | 10.45% | 9,613 |
| Corson | 1,290 | 54.13% | 1,093 | 45.87% | 197 | 8.27% | 2,383 |
| Custer | 1,533 | 63.58% | 878 | 36.42% | 655 | 27.17% | 2,411 |
| Davison | 4,105 | 49.98% | 4,108 | 50.02% | -3 | -0.04% | 8,213 |
| Day | 2,626 | 48.09% | 2,835 | 51.91% | -209 | -3.83% | 5,461 |
| Deuel | 1,907 | 61.92% | 1,173 | 38.08% | 734 | 23.83% | 3,080 |
| Dewey | 1,168 | 52.80% | 1,044 | 47.20% | 124 | 5.61% | 2,212 |
| Douglas | 2,002 | 78.73% | 541 | 21.27% | 1,461 | 57.45% | 2,543 |
| Edmunds | 1,728 | 51.78% | 1,609 | 48.22% | 119 | 3.57% | 3,337 |
| Fall River | 2,492 | 63.60% | 1,426 | 36.40% | 1,066 | 27.21% | 3,918 |
| Faulk | 1,240 | 54.31% | 1,043 | 45.69% | 197 | 8.63% | 2,283 |
| Grant | 2,611 | 55.26% | 2,114 | 44.74% | 497 | 10.52% | 4,725 |
| Gregory | 2,063 | 53.71% | 1,778 | 46.29% | 285 | 7.42% | 3,841 |
| Haakon | 980 | 62.22% | 595 | 37.78% | 385 | 24.44% | 1,575 |
| Hamlin | 2,139 | 63.49% | 1,230 | 36.51% | 909 | 26.98% | 3,369 |
| Hand | 1,872 | 57.27% | 1,397 | 42.73% | 475 | 14.53% | 3,269 |
| Hanson | 1,087 | 48.53% | 1,153 | 51.47% | -66 | -2.95% | 2,240 |
| Harding | 676 | 63.89% | 382 | 36.11% | 294 | 27.79% | 1,058 |
| Hughes | 3,320 | 61.99% | 2,036 | 38.01% | 1,284 | 23.97% | 5,356 |
| Hutchinson | 3,948 | 71.72% | 1,557 | 28.28% | 2,391 | 43.43% | 5,505 |
| Hyde | 773 | 53.94% | 660 | 46.06% | 113 | 7.89% | 1,433 |
| Jackson | 581 | 61.35% | 366 | 38.65% | 215 | 22.70% | 947 |
| Jerauld | 1,165 | 57.45% | 863 | 42.55% | 302 | 14.89% | 2,028 |
| Jones | 644 | 60.36% | 423 | 39.64% | 221 | 20.71% | 1,067 |
| Kingsbury | 2,887 | 63.26% | 1,677 | 36.74% | 1,210 | 26.51% | 4,564 |
| Lake | 3,520 | 61.28% | 2,224 | 38.72% | 1,296 | 22.56% | 5,744 |
| Lawrence | 5,083 | 66.06% | 2,612 | 33.94% | 2,471 | 32.11% | 7,695 |
| Lincoln | 3,553 | 64.16% | 1,985 | 35.84% | 1,568 | 28.31% | 5,538 |
| Lyman | 1,166 | 57.78% | 852 | 42.22% | 314 | 15.56% | 2,018 |
| Marshall | 1,704 | 50.44% | 1,674 | 49.56% | 30 | 0.89% | 3,378 |
| McCook | 2,375 | 56.93% | 1,797 | 43.07% | 578 | 13.85% | 4,172 |
| McPherson | 2,354 | 79.26% | 616 | 20.74% | 1,738 | 58.52% | 2,970 |
| Meade | 2,644 | 57.89% | 1,923 | 42.11% | 721 | 15.79% | 4,567 |
| Mellette | 774 | 60.28% | 510 | 39.72% | 264 | 20.56% | 1,284 |
| Miner | 1,377 | 51.13% | 1,316 | 48.87% | 61 | 2.27% | 2,693 |
| Minnehaha | 23,238 | 60.53% | 15,152 | 39.47% | 8,086 | 21.06% | 38,390 |
| Moody | 2,119 | 52.49% | 1,918 | 47.51% | 201 | 4.98% | 4,037 |
| Pennington | 11,364 | 60.31% | 7,478 | 39.69% | 3,886 | 20.62% | 18,842 |
| Perkins | 1,767 | 60.29% | 1,164 | 39.71% | 603 | 20.57% | 2,931 |
| Potter | 1,326 | 56.91% | 1,004 | 43.09% | 322 | 13.82% | 2,330 |
| Roberts | 2,857 | 48.05% | 3,089 | 51.95% | -232 | -3.90% | 5,946 |
| Sanborn | 1,254 | 50.10% | 1,249 | 49.90% | 5 | 0.20% | 2,503 |
| Shannon | 655 | 36.59% | 1,135 | 63.41% | -480 | -26.82% | 1,790 |
| Spink | 2,738 | 51.65% | 2,563 | 48.35% | 175 | 3.30% | 5,301 |
| Stanley | 678 | 48.15% | 730 | 51.85% | -52 | -3.69% | 1,408 |
| Sully | 864 | 64.14% | 483 | 35.86% | 381 | 28.29% | 1,347 |
| Todd | 909 | 50.14% | 904 | 49.86% | 5 | 0.28% | 1,813 |
| Tripp | 2,466 | 58.52% | 1,748 | 41.48% | 718 | 17.04% | 4,214 |
| Turner | 4,120 | 72.70% | 1,547 | 27.30% | 2,573 | 45.40% | 5,667 |
| Union | 2,688 | 53.56% | 2,331 | 46.44% | 357 | 7.11% | 5,019 |
| Walworth | 2,406 | 62.11% | 1,468 | 37.89% | 938 | 24.21% | 3,874 |
| Washabaugh | 260 | 54.97% | 213 | 45.03% | 47 | 9.94% | 473 |
| Yankton | 4,065 | 57.04% | 3,061 | 42.96% | 1,004 | 14.09% | 7,126 |
| Ziebach | 568 | 52.59% | 512 | 47.41% | 56 | 5.19% | 1,080 |
| Totals | 178,417 | 58.21% | 128,070 | 41.79% | 50,347 | 16.43% | 306,487 |