# 1964 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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vte :
The 1964 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1964, as part of 1964 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Politics in Wisconsin since the Populist movement had been dominated by the Republican Party, as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, fled from William Jennings Bryan's agrarian and free silver sympathies. Competition between the "League" under Robert M. La Follette, and the conservative "Regular" faction would develop into the Wisconsin Progressive Party in the late 1930s, which was opposed to the conservative German Democrats and to the national Republican Party, and allied with Franklin D. Roosevelt at the federal level. During the two wartime elections, the formerly Democratic German counties in the east of the state – which had been powerfully opposed to the Civil War because they saw it as a "Yankee" war and opposed the military draft instituted during it – viewed Communism as a much greater threat to America than Nazism and consequently opposed President Roosevelt's war effort. Consequently, these historically Democratic counties became virtually the most Republican in the entire state, and became a major support base for populist conservative Senator Joe McCarthy, who became notorious for his investigations into Communists inside the American government. The state's populace's opposition to Communism and the Korean War turned Wisconsin strongly to Republican nominee Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections.
The 1958 midterm elections, however, saw a major change in Wisconsin politics, as Gaylord A. Nelson became only the state's second Democratic Governor since 1895, and the state also elected Democrats to the position of treasurer and Senator, besides that party gaining a majority in the State Assembly for only the second time since the middle 1890s. They maintained a close balance in the early 1960s, signaling the state's transition to a swing state. During the Republican primaries, Wisconsin supported favorite son John W. Byrnes but no other state joined him. Ultimate Republican nominee Barry Goldwater considered Wisconsin a useful state to combine with his Southern and Western strategy for winning the presidency and directing the GOP away from the declining Yankee Northeast. The Republican would campaign in Wisconsin late in September, but met with severe hostility at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Signs saying "Bring the Bomb—Back Barry" were common in Madison.

## Background

In the 1958 election, Gaylord A. Nelson was elected as Wisconsin's second Democratic governor since 1895, and the state also elected Democrats to the position of treasurer and U.S. Senator, besides that party gaining a majority in the State Assembly for only the second time since the middle 1890s. They maintained a close balance in the early 1960s, signaling the state's transition to a swing state. The Republican would campaign in Wisconsin late in September, but met with severe hostility at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

## Campaign

George Wallace ran in the Democratic primary, but was defeated by Governor John W. Reynolds Jr., who served as a surrogate for Johnson.

## Results

1964 United States presidential election in Wisconsin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Democratic | Lyndon B. Johnson (incumbent) | 1,050,424 | 62.09% | 12 |
| | Republican | Barry Goldwater | 638,495 | 37.74% | 0 |
| | Socialist Workers | Clifton DeBerry | 1,692 | 0.10% | 0 |
| | Socialist Labor | Eric Hass | 1,204 | 0.07% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 1,691,815 | 100.00% | 12 |

### Results by county

| County | Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic | Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic | Barry Goldwater Republican | Barry Goldwater Republican | Clifton DeBerry Socialist Workers | Clifton DeBerry Socialist Workers | Eric Hass Socialist Labor | Eric Hass Socialist Labor | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 2,262 | 64.83% | 1,219 | 34.94% | 3 | 0.09% | 5 | 0.14% | 1,043 | 29.89% | 3,489 |
| Ashland | 5,383 | 70.91% | 2,198 | 28.96% | 6 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.05% | 3,185 | 41.95% | 7,591 |
| Barron | 8,332 | 59.28% | 5,701 | 40.56% | 17 | 0.12% | 6 | 0.04% | 2,631 | 18.72% | 14,056 |
| Bayfield | 3,875 | 67.08% | 1,886 | 32.65% | 14 | 0.24% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,989 | 34.43% | 5,777 |
| Brown | 30,851 | 59.26% | 21,134 | 40.59% | 61 | 0.12% | 18 | 0.03% | 9,717 | 18.67% | 52,064 |
| Buffalo | 3,663 | 63.60% | 2,091 | 36.31% | 5 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,572 | 27.29% | 5,759 |
| Burnett | 2,921 | 65.45% | 1,536 | 34.42% | 5 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,385 | 31.03% | 4,463 |
| Calumet | 5,356 | 57.75% | 3,905 | 42.11% | 10 | 0.11% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,451 | 15.64% | 9,274 |
| Chippewa | 10,911 | 63.38% | 6,277 | 36.46% | 18 | 0.10% | 8 | 0.05% | 4,634 | 26.92% | 17,214 |
| Clark | 7,781 | 61.25% | 4,897 | 38.55% | 16 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.08% | 2,884 | 22.70% | 12,704 |
| Columbia | 10,093 | 61.66% | 6,253 | 38.20% | 17 | 0.10% | 7 | 0.04% | 3,840 | 23.46% | 16,370 |
| Crawford | 3,930 | 58.98% | 2,726 | 40.91% | 4 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.05% | 1,204 | 18.07% | 6,663 |
| Dane | 68,118 | 71.38% | 27,124 | 28.42% | 83 | 0.09% | 101 | 0.11% | 40,994 | 42.96% | 95,426 |
| Dodge | 15,497 | 58.91% | 10,772 | 40.95% | 30 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.03% | 4,725 | 17.96% | 26,308 |
| Door | 4,416 | 50.68% | 4,289 | 49.22% | 8 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.01% | 127 | 1.46% | 8,714 |
| Douglas | 15,237 | 76.80% | 4,579 | 23.08% | 12 | 0.06% | 11 | 0.06% | 10,658 | 53.72% | 19,839 |
| Dunn | 6,475 | 61.91% | 3,964 | 37.90% | 14 | 0.13% | 5 | 0.05% | 2,511 | 24.01% | 10,458 |
| Eau Claire | 15,775 | 64.33% | 8,700 | 35.48% | 34 | 0.14% | 12 | 0.05% | 7,075 | 28.85% | 24,521 |
| Florence | 1,029 | 63.25% | 596 | 36.63% | 1 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.06% | 433 | 26.62% | 1,627 |
| Fond du Lac | 18,040 | 58.61% | 12,708 | 41.29% | 26 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.01% | 5,332 | 17.32% | 30,778 |
| Forest | 2,479 | 69.79% | 1,069 | 30.10% | 3 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,410 | 39.69% | 3,552 |
| Grant | 9,309 | 54.09% | 7,872 | 45.74% | 16 | 0.09% | 14 | 0.08% | 1,437 | 8.35% | 17,211 |
| Green | 5,548 | 50.76% | 5,364 | 49.08% | 14 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.03% | 184 | 1.68% | 10,929 |
| Green Lake | 3,893 | 50.12% | 3,871 | 49.83% | 2 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.03% | 22 | 0.29% | 7,768 |
| Iowa | 4,620 | 58.43% | 3,275 | 41.42% | 9 | 0.11% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,345 | 17.01% | 7,907 |
| Iron | 2,514 | 72.24% | 963 | 27.67% | 2 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,551 | 44.57% | 3,480 |
| Jackson | 3,818 | 60.06% | 2,532 | 39.83% | 6 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,286 | 20.23% | 6,357 |
| Jefferson | 13,295 | 60.20% | 8,741 | 39.58% | 28 | 0.13% | 20 | 0.09% | 4,554 | 20.62% | 22,084 |
| Juneau | 4,583 | 60.57% | 2,976 | 39.33% | 5 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,607 | 21.24% | 7,567 |
| Kenosha | 30,522 | 67.29% | 14,764 | 32.55% | 40 | 0.09% | 30 | 0.07% | 15,758 | 34.74% | 45,356 |
| Kewaunee | 4,792 | 61.59% | 2,980 | 38.30% | 6 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,812 | 23.29% | 7,780 |
| La Crosse | 16,625 | 55.78% | 13,135 | 44.07% | 26 | 0.09% | 17 | 0.06% | 3,490 | 11.71% | 29,803 |
| Lafayette | 4,471 | 58.28% | 3,194 | 41.64% | 4 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,277 | 16.64% | 7,671 |
| Langlade | 5,077 | 62.83% | 2,994 | 37.05% | 8 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,083 | 25.78% | 8,081 |
| Lincoln | 5,883 | 60.06% | 3,894 | 39.75% | 10 | 0.10% | 9 | 0.09% | 1,989 | 20.31% | 9,796 |
| Manitowoc | 21,927 | 68.92% | 9,849 | 30.96% | 24 | 0.08% | 15 | 0.05% | 12,078 | 37.96% | 31,815 |
| Marathon | 24,603 | 65.74% | 12,766 | 34.11% | 38 | 0.10% | 19 | 0.05% | 11,837 | 31.63% | 37,426 |
| Marinette | 9,657 | 64.32% | 5,332 | 35.52% | 12 | 0.08% | 12 | 0.08% | 4,325 | 28.80% | 15,013 |
| Marquette | 1,927 | 50.50% | 1,881 | 49.29% | 8 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 46 | 1.21% | 3,816 |
| Menominee | 647 | 89.12% | 78 | 10.74% | 1 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 569 | 78.38% | 726 |
| Milwaukee | 288,577 | 65.67% | 149,962 | 34.12% | 401 | 0.09% | 519 | 0.12% | 138,615 | 31.55% | 439,459 |
| Monroe | 6,385 | 55.41% | 5,126 | 44.48% | 7 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.05% | 1,259 | 10.93% | 11,524 |
| Oconto | 6,360 | 58.92% | 4,420 | 40.94% | 11 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.04% | 1,940 | 17.98% | 10,795 |
| Oneida | 6,431 | 62.11% | 3,909 | 37.75% | 10 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.05% | 2,522 | 24.36% | 10,355 |
| Outagamie | 21,556 | 53.62% | 18,595 | 46.26% | 35 | 0.09% | 12 | 0.03% | 2,961 | 7.36% | 40,198 |
| Ozaukee | 9,517 | 52.51% | 8,581 | 47.35% | 15 | 0.08% | 10 | 0.06% | 936 | 5.16% | 18,123 |
| Pepin | 2,154 | 66.71% | 1,069 | 33.11% | 4 | 0.12% | 2 | 0.06% | 1,085 | 33.60% | 3,229 |
| Pierce | 6,351 | 65.70% | 3,291 | 34.05% | 14 | 0.14% | 10 | 0.10% | 3,060 | 31.65% | 9,666 |
| Polk | 7,215 | 65.57% | 3,754 | 34.12% | 18 | 0.16% | 16 | 0.15% | 3,461 | 31.45% | 11,003 |
| Portage | 11,887 | 72.05% | 4,579 | 27.75% | 21 | 0.13% | 11 | 0.07% | 7,308 | 44.30% | 16,498 |
| Price | 4,289 | 63.97% | 2,406 | 35.88% | 7 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,883 | 28.09% | 6,705 |
| Racine | 37,785 | 63.71% | 21,434 | 36.14% | 52 | 0.09% | 35 | 0.06% | 16,351 | 27.57% | 59,306 |
| Richland | 4,315 | 57.17% | 3,224 | 42.71% | 6 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,091 | 14.46% | 7,548 |
| Rock | 28,257 | 58.04% | 20,372 | 41.85% | 44 | 0.09% | 11 | 0.02% | 7,885 | 16.19% | 48,684 |
| Rusk | 4,176 | 65.20% | 2,214 | 34.57% | 7 | 0.11% | 8 | 0.12% | 1,962 | 30.63% | 6,405 |
| Sauk | 9,288 | 59.33% | 6,345 | 40.53% | 12 | 0.08% | 11 | 0.07% | 2,943 | 18.80% | 15,656 |
| Sawyer | 2,591 | 56.17% | 2,012 | 43.62% | 7 | 0.15% | 3 | 0.07% | 579 | 12.55% | 4,613 |
| Shawano | 6,560 | 50.06% | 6,519 | 49.74% | 18 | 0.14% | 8 | 0.06% | 41 | 0.32% | 13,105 |
| Sheboygan | 26,410 | 66.95% | 12,968 | 32.88% | 48 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.05% | 13,442 | 34.07% | 39,445 |
| St. Croix | 8,864 | 65.86% | 4,565 | 33.92% | 16 | 0.12% | 13 | 0.10% | 4,299 | 31.94% | 13,458 |
| Taylor | 4,624 | 67.03% | 2,261 | 32.78% | 10 | 0.14% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,363 | 34.25% | 6,898 |
| Trempealeau | 6,320 | 65.91% | 3,264 | 34.04% | 3 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.02% | 3,056 | 31.87% | 9,589 |
| Vernon | 6,242 | 57.28% | 4,640 | 42.58% | 11 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.05% | 1,602 | 14.70% | 10,898 |
| Vilas | 2,841 | 50.03% | 2,827 | 49.78% | 3 | 0.05% | 8 | 0.14% | 14 | 0.25% | 5,679 |
| Walworth | 11,746 | 48.92% | 12,225 | 50.92% | 30 | 0.12% | 8 | 0.03% | −479 | −2.00% | 24,009 |
| Washburn | 3,181 | 62.84% | 1,865 | 36.84% | 8 | 0.16% | 8 | 0.16% | 1,316 | 26.00% | 5,062 |
| Washington | 11,563 | 55.62% | 9,191 | 44.21% | 27 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.05% | 2,372 | 11.41% | 20,791 |
| Waukesha | 39,796 | 52.76% | 35,502 | 47.07% | 85 | 0.11% | 46 | 0.06% | 4,294 | 5.69% | 75,429 |
| Waupaca | 6,990 | 45.42% | 8,381 | 54.46% | 15 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.02% | −1,391 | −9.04% | 15,389 |
| Waushara | 3,004 | 46.64% | 3,437 | 53.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | −433 | −6.72% | 6,441 |
| Winnebago | 23,636 | 52.72% | 21,084 | 47.03% | 85 | 0.19% | 30 | 0.07% | 2,552 | 5.69% | 44,835 |
| Wood | 15,378 | 64.65% | 8,388 | 35.26% | 16 | 0.07% | 5 | 0.02% | 6,990 | 29.39% | 23,787 |
| Totals | 1,050,424 | 62.09% | 638,495 | 37.74% | 1,692 | 0.10% | 1,204 | 0.07% | 411,929 | 24.35% | 1,691,815 |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Adams
* Barron
* Buffalo
* Burnett
* Calumet
* Clark
* Columbia
* Crawford
* Dodge
* Door
* Dunn
* Eau Claire
* Florence
* Fond du Lac
* Grant
* Green
* Green Lake
* Iowa
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Juneau
* La Crosse
* Lafayette
* Langlade
* Lincoln
* Marathon
* Marinette
* Marquette
* Monroe
* Oconto
* Oneida
* Outagamie
* Ozaukee
* Pierce
* Polk
* Price
* Richland
* Rock
* Sauk
* Sawyer
* Shawano
* Sheboygan
* St. Croix
* Trempealeau
* Vernon
* Vilas
* Washburn
* Washington
* Waukesha
* Winnebago
* Wood

## Analysis

Early polls nevertheless showed incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson leading Goldwater comfortably, despite predictions of a severe backlash to the Civil Rights Act from Wisconsin's anti-black German-American and Polish-American populations. Extreme fears of financial loss for farmers accounted for a 66–28 lead for Johnson in September, while fear of Goldwater's policy of strategic use of nuclear weapons, rather than enthusiasm for the domestic and foreign policies of President Johnson, was cited as the cause of the President's continuing strong lead one month later.
Johnson won Wisconsin by a margin of 24.35 percent. Goldwater held up slightly better in the German areas where conservative Republicanism had been established by anti-World War II sentiment, whilst he lost heavily in the Yankee counties of the south. As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last election in which Dodge County, Fond du Lac County, Green Lake County, Ozaukee County, Vilas County, Washington County, and Waukesha County (and by that extension, any of the WOW counties) voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.

## Electors

These were the names of the electors on each ticket.
| Lyndon B. Johnson & Hubert Humphrey Democratic Party | Barry Goldwater & William E. Miller Republican Party | Clifton DeBerry & Ed Shaw Socialist Workers Party | Eric Hass & Henning A. Blomen Socialist Labor Party |
| George MolinaroFred A. RisserTheodore J. GriswoldKenneth DunlapRobert ErtlKenneth KundeThomas MartinJohn C. MooreEdward MertzArthur DeBardelebenJ. Louis HansonPatrick L. Lucey | Warren P. KnowlesJack B. OlsonWilliam R. MerriamFrank E. PanzerGeorge ThompsonErvin KingRobert HeckelLucius ChaseClifford W. KruegerJohn W. ByrnesJerris LeonardWillis J. Hutnik | James E. BoultonWayne LeverenzAlbert StergarTed OdellMyrtle C. KastnerBetsy StergarFlorence KirklandEarl PlasterElaine GoodreauJames EymanDuane WitkowskiLorraine Fons | Pauline AdolpheArtemio CozziniGeorgia CozziniMarko GolubichSamuel MunekHenry A. OchsnerWilliam SchlingmanStella SemrauWalter SemrauThomas VidakovichArthur WepferAgnes Wiggert |