1960
The 1960 U.S. presidential election was won by John F. Kennedy (Democratic) with 303 of 537 electoral votes, defeating Richard Nixon (Republican). Electoral-vote margin: 84 (303 to 219). Popular-vote margin: 0.2 percentage points. Turnout was 63.8%. The cycle falls in the New Deal Coalition era of American electoral history.
Open the what-if calculator → — flip states and re-count. A toy, not history.
Television-age politics arrives
John F. Kennedy narrowly defeated Vice President Richard Nixon, becoming the first Catholic president and the youngest person elected to the office. The four televised debates were pivotal — Nixon appeared sweaty and haggard against Kennedy's tan, relaxed composure, and those who watched on TV thought Kennedy won while radio listeners called it a draw. Kennedy carried Illinois and Texas by razor-thin margins amid allegations of voter fraud. His popular vote margin was just 112,827 votes.
Cold War; Cuba; civil rights; Kennedy's Catholicism; economic growth
First Catholic president; first televised debate transformed campaigning; won by just 112,827 popular votes
This summary was drafted with AI tools and has not yet been checked sentence by sentence. The vote table and the National Archives note on this page come from named sources; where they differ from the summary, rely on them. Tell us about an error.
Byrd received electoral votes for President from Alabama (6), Mississippi (8) and Oklahoma (1).
Thurmond received electoral votes for Vice President from Alabama (6) and Mississippi (8).
Goldwater received 1 electoral vote for Vice President from Oklahoma.
John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated on November 22, 1963. He was succeeded by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, who took the oath of office in Dallas, Texas that day.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 1960, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.
States · 50 reporting
State results · 1960
- Hawaii Kennedy by 115 · 0.06 pts
- Illinois Kennedy by 8,858 · 0.2 pts
- Missouri Kennedy by 9,980 · 0.5 pts
- California Nixon by 35,623 · 0.5 pts
- New Mexico Kennedy by 2,294 · 0.7 pts
MissouriKennedy won it by 0.5 points; its electoral votes took the total to 273, past the 269 needed.
Line up the states the winner carried from widest margin to narrowest and add up their electoral votes: the tipping point is the state that takes the total past a majority.
Scroll the table sideways for every column.
| State | Electoral votes | Richard Nixon Rep | John F. Kennedy Dem | Also named | Margin | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama1,2 | 11 EV Byrd 6 (unpledged electors), Kennedy 5 | 237,9811 41.7% | Not named | Democratic electors (5 for Kennedy, 6 unpledged) 324,050 · 56.8%1 | 86,069 15.1 pts | unpledged) Dem |
| Alaska | 3 EV | 30,953 50.9% | 29,809 49.1% | None | 1,144 1.9 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Arizona | 4 EV | 221,241 55.5% | 176,781 44.4% | None | 44,460 11.2 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Arkansas | 8 EV | 184,508 43.1% | 215,049 50.2% | Orval Faubus 28,952 · 6.8% | 30,541 7.1 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| California | 32 EV | 3,259,722 50.1% | 3,224,099 49.6% | None | 35,623 0.5 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Colorado | 6 EV | 402,242 54.6% | 330,629 44.9% | None | 71,613 9.7 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Connecticut | 8 EV | 565,813 46.3% | 657,055 53.7% | None | 91,242 7.5 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Delaware | 3 EV | 96,373 49.2% | 99,590 50.8% | None | 3,217 1.6 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Florida3 | 10 EV | 795,4763 51.5% | 748,7003 48.5% | None | 46,776 3.0 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Georgia | 12 EV | 274,472 37.4% | 458,638 62.5% | None | 184,166 25.1 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Hawaii | 3 EV | 92,295 50.0% | 92,410 50.0% | None | 115 0.06 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Idaho | 4 EV | 161,597 53.8% | 138,853 46.2% | None | 22,744 7.6 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Illinois | 27 EV | 2,368,988 49.8% | 2,377,846 50.0% | None | 8,858 0.2 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Indiana | 13 EV | 1,175,120 55.0% | 952,358 44.6% | None | 222,762 10.4 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Iowa | 10 EV | 722,381 56.7% | 550,565 43.2% | None | 171,816 13.5 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Kansas | 8 EV | 561,474 60.4% | 363,213 39.1% | None | 198,261 21.3 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Kentucky | 10 EV | 602,607 53.6% | 521,855 46.4% | None | 80,752 7.2 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Louisiana4 | 10 EV | 230,9804 28.6% | 407,3394 50.4% | Orval Faubus 169,572 · 21.0%4 | 176,359 21.8 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Maine | 5 EV | 240,608 57.0% | 181,159 43.0% | None | 59,449 14.1 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Maryland | 9 EV | 489,538 46.4% | 565,808 53.6% | None | 76,270 7.2 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Massachusetts | 16 EV | 976,750 39.6% | 1,487,174 60.2% | None | 510,424 20.7 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Michigan5 | 20 EV | 1,620,4285 48.8% | 1,687,2695 50.9% | None | 66,841 2.0 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Minnesota6 | 11 EV | 757,9156 49.2% | 779,9336 50.6% | None | 22,018 1.4 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Mississippi7,8 | 8 EV | 73,5617 24.7% | 108,3627 36.3% | Unpledged electors (later voted for Harry F. Byrd) 116,248 · 39.0%7 | 7,886 2.6 pts | Byrd) Ind |
| Missouri | 13 EV | 962,221 49.7% | 972,201 50.3% | None | 9,980 0.5 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Montana | 4 EV | 141,841 51.1% | 134,891 48.6% | None | 6,950 2.5 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Nebraska | 6 EV | 380,553 62.1% | 232,542 37.9% | None | 148,011 24.1 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Nevada | 3 EV | 52,387 48.8% | 54,880 51.2% | None | 2,493 2.3 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| New Hampshire | 4 EV | 157,989 53.4% | 137,772 46.6% | None | 20,217 6.8 pts | Nixon Rep |
| New Jersey | 16 EV | 1,363,324 49.2% | 1,385,415 50.0% | None | 22,091 0.8 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| New Mexico | 4 EV | 153,733 49.4% | 156,027 50.2% | None | 2,294 0.7 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| New York9,10 | 45 EV | 3,446,4199 47.3% | 3,830,0859 52.5% | None | 383,666 5.3 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| North Carolina | 14 EV | 655,420 47.9% | 713,136 52.1% | None | 57,716 4.2 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| North Dakota | 4 EV | 154,310 55.4% | 123,963 44.5% | None | 30,347 10.9 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Ohio | 25 EV | 2,217,611 53.3% | 1,944,248 46.7% | None | 273,363 6.6 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Oklahoma | 8 EV Nixon 7, Byrd 1 (faithless elector) | 533,039 59.0% | 370,111 41.0% | None | 162,928 18.0 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Oregon | 6 EV | 408,060 52.6% | 367,402 47.4% | None | 40,658 5.2 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Pennsylvania | 32 EV | 2,439,956 48.7% | 2,556,282 51.1% | None | 116,326 2.3 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Rhode Island | 4 EV | 147,502 36.4% | 258,032 63.6% | None | 110,530 27.3 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| South Carolina | 8 EV | 188,558 48.8% | 198,129 51.2% | None | 9,571 2.5 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| South Dakota | 4 EV | 178,417 58.2% | 128,070 41.8% | None | 50,347 16.4 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Tennessee | 11 EV | 556,577 52.9% | 481,453 45.8% | Orval Faubus 11,304 · 1.1% | 75,124 7.1 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Texas11 | 24 EV | 1,121,69911 48.5% | 1,167,93211 50.5% | None | 46,233 2.0 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Utah | 4 EV | 205,361 54.8% | 169,248 45.2% | None | 36,113 9.6 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Vermont | 3 EV | 98,131 58.6% | 69,186 41.4% | None | 28,945 17.3 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Virginia | 12 EV | 404,521 52.4% | 362,327 47.0% | None | 42,194 5.5 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Washington12 | 9 EV | 629,27312 50.7% | 599,29812 48.3% | None | 29,975 2.4 pts | Nixon Rep |
| West Virginia | 8 EV | 395,995 47.3% | 441,786 52.7% | None | 45,791 5.5 pts | Kennedy Dem |
| Wisconsin | 12 EV | 895,175 51.8% | 830,805 48.0% | None | 64,370 3.7 pts | Nixon Rep |
| Wyoming | 3 EV | 76,551 54.7% | 63,331 45.3% | None | 13,220 9.5 pts | Nixon Rep |
Shares are of each state’s total vote for president. “Not named”: the figures do not give that candidate a line of their own in that state — for example under 1% of the vote, not on the ballot there, or counted on an unnamed line (see the state’s note). Margin is the leader’s lead over the second-placed candidate.
Notes on the figures
- Alabama Alabama's Democratic slate had 11 electors: 5 pledged to Kennedy and 6 unpledged, who later voted for Harry F. Byrd. The figure is the vote for that slate, which the official table does not split.
- Alabama The official table notes: Alabama's Democratic column is the vote for the Democratic slate of 11 electors, of whom 5 were pledged to Kennedy and 6 were unpledged (the 6 later voted for Harry F. Byrd). The table gives one figure for the slate and does not split it. Others column: 1,485 Independent Afro-American Party (footnote 1).
- Florida The official table's state total (1,544,180) is 4 more than the tickets it lists; the difference is counted under other candidates.
- Louisiana The official table notes: Louisiana's 169,572 is printed in the National States Rights column (the Louisiana States' Rights slate pledged to Orval Faubus), but the printed column totals count it under Others; see exceptions.
- Michigan The official table notes: Others figure 2,306 marked footnote 2: 'Includes 539 votes for Independent American Party and 1,767 votes from Tax Cut Party.'
- Minnesota The official table notes: Others figure 962 marked footnote 3: 'Industrial Government Party.'
- Mississippi Mississippi chose a slate of unpledged Democratic electors, who later voted for Harry F. Byrd.
- Mississippi The official table notes: The Others column, 116,248, is the 'Unpledged Democratic elector vote, who later agreed to support Senator Byrd' (footnote 4). Stored in its own column 'Unpledged' (printedIn Others).
- New York The official table prints a state total of 7,380,075, which does not agree with its own figures (they add up to 7,291,079); their sum is used.
- New York The official table notes: Democrat figure marked footnote 5: 'Includes 406,176 vote for Liberal Party.'
- Texas The official table notes: Others figure 18,169 marked footnote 6: 'Constitution Party.'
- Washington The official table notes: Others figure 1,401 marked footnote 6: 'Constitution Party.'
SourceStatistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1960 . How these figures were compiled
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