This Week in Canton History

Canton Herald – Nov. 10, 1960:  Democrats Win With Kennedy And Johnson Team

Democrat John F. Kennedy Tuesday night won an exciting struggle for the presidency.

The 43-year-old Massachusetts Senator and war hero won the election on a platform calling for America to face and conquer “new frontiers.”

His smashing victory over President Eisenhower’s choice for a successor, Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon, means that the Democrats will return to full power in Washington to put through a promised liberal program. The Democrats were recaptured the White House after eight years of Republican tenancy, and retained the control they now have in the Congress.

Kennedy’s victory also proved that an American of Catholic faith can be elected to the highest office in the land.

Shortly before midnight, Kennedy was leading in 21 states with 325 Electoral College votes, Nixon had in 28 states with 198. It takes 269 electoral votes to win. The Kennedy popular vote was 16,876,798; Nixon with 15,450,109.

Riding the victory wave with Kennedy was his running mate, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, who would become the second man of his state to be vice president.

Kennedy’s first good news of the evening, after Nixon had taken a brief lead  of scattered returns at the very first, came from Connecticut with the Democrat ticket scored a smashing victory. At Hyannis Port, Mass., Kennedy was reported to have “jumped for joy.”

Then returns show Kennedy leading in New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan and Pennsylvania – states with large Electoral College votes. Kennedy also took an early lead in Nixon’s home state of California.

There was disappointing news for Nixon in the South. He had counted on South Carolina, but went for Kennedy.

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