--- title: "1960 U.S. Presidential Election" year: 1960 country: "United States" canonical: "https://recap.at/1960/1960-us-election" slug: "1960-us-election" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "1960-11-08" --- # 1960 U.S. Presidential Election > Kennedy's narrow victory over Nixon marked the first televised presidential debates and shifted American politics into the media age. On November 8, 1960, American voters elected Democrat John F. Kennedy president, narrowly defeating Republican Vice President Richard Nixon in one of the closest elections in U.S. history. Kennedy's victory marked a generational shift in American politics and raised questions about electoral integrity that would reverberate for decades. ## Summary Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 1960. The Democratic ticket of Senator John F. Kennedy and his running mate, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, narrowly defeated the Republican ticket of incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon and his running mate, U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. This was the first election in which 50 states participated, marking the first participation of Alaska and Hawaii, and the last in which the District of Columbia did not. It was also the first election in which an incumbent president—in this case, Dwight D. Eisenhower—was ineligible to run for a third term because of the term limits established by the 22nd Amendment. ## Key facts - **Popular Vote Margin**: Kennedy won by 118,574 votes out of 68.8 million cast (0.17%) - **Electoral College**: Kennedy 303, Nixon 219 - **Election Date**: November 8, 1960 - **Kennedy's Age**: 43—youngest elected president at the time - **First Kennedy-Nixon Debate**: September 26, 1960, with 66-70 million viewers - **Running Mate**: Lyndon B. Johnson, Senate Majority Leader - **Key Swing State**: Illinois—Kennedy won by 8,858 votes with 27 electoral votes - **Turnout**: 63.8% of eligible voters ## Timeline - **1960-01-02** - Kennedy Announces Candidacy Senator John F. Kennedy declares his intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, positioning himself as a moderate Cold War liberal. - **1960-07-13** - Democratic Convention Kennedy secures the Democratic nomination on the first ballot at the Los Angeles Convention. He selects Lyndon B. Johnson as running mate to balance the ticket geographically and ideologically. - **1960-07-28** - Republican Convention Richard Nixon accepts the Republican nomination in Chicago. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., U.N. Ambassador, becomes his running mate. - **1960-09-26** - First Kennedy-Nixon Debate The first televised presidential debate airs live from Chicago. Kennedy appears composed and tanned; Nixon appears pale and uneasy. Viewers who watched on television favored Kennedy; radio listeners favored Nixon. - **1960-10-21** - Fourth Kennedy-Nixon Debate The final televised debate takes place. Kennedy and Nixon debate foreign policy, with Kennedy attacking the Eisenhower-Nixon administration's record on Cuba and the Soviet Union. - **1960-11-08** - Election Day Kennedy defeats Nixon in one of the closest elections in American history. Kennedy wins 303 electoral votes to Nixon's 219, with a popular vote margin of just 118,574 votes. - **1960-11-09** - Transition Begins Kennedy begins the presidential transition. He meets with President Eisenhower and is briefed on classified national security matters, including the CIA's Bay of Pigs plan. - **1961-01-20** - Kennedy Inauguration John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States. Chief Justice Earl Warren administers the oath. Kennedy delivers his famous 'Ask not what your country can do for you' address. ## Voices - **Richard Nixon, Republican Vice President and defeated candidate** (official, supportive) - Public statement, November 9, 1960 > I want Senator Kennedy to know - and I want all of you to know - that I have no complaints about the outcome of the election. The decision of the voters has been made, as it should be. - **Walter Cronkite, CBS News anchor and political correspondent** (media, predictive) - CBS Evening News broadcast, November 9, 1960 > Kennedy's triumph is razor-thin - fewer than 120,000 votes separate him from defeat. This is no mandate, but it is a victory, and the youngest president in American history takes office. - **James Reston, political analyst and New York Times columnist** (analyst, skeptical) - The New York Times column, November 11, 1960 > Kennedy won, but he did not win big. He will assume office without the overwhelming mandate that would make his task easier. The nation is divided, almost evenly. - **Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights leader** (expert, skeptical) - Statement to press, November 1960 > Senator Kennedy has made pledges to the Negro community. We shall watch with keen interest to see if these pledges will be implemented in deeds as well as words. - **Harold Macmillan, British Prime Minister** (official, supportive) - Official statement from 10 Downing Street, November 9, 1960 > The election of Senator Kennedy is welcome news. We look forward to the closest cooperation with the new administration in addressing the challenges before the free world. ## Impact Kennedy's win by 0.17 percentage points in the popular vote established the template for modern American presidential campaigns, particularly the strategic use of television and targeted regional organizing. His victory also intensified Cold War competition, as his campaign had criticized the Eisenhower administration for alleged strategic vulnerabilities. ## Sources - [1960 U.S. Presidential election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_United_States_presidential_election) - Wikipedia --- Canonical: https://recap.at/1960/1960-us-election