1968 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary
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March 12, 1968
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 County results Johnson: 40-50% 50-60% McCarthy: 40-50% 50-60% | |||||||||||||||||||
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The 1968 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary was held on March 12, 1968, in New Hampshire as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1968 United States presidential election. Although President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Senator Eugene McCarthy in the non-binding presidential preference primary with 49% of the vote, McCarthy's superior organization allowed him to win twenty of the state's twenty-four pledged delegates; Johnson's poor performance in New Hampshire precipitated his decision not to run for re-election, which he announced on March 31.
As opposition to President Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War grew in 1967, antiwar Democrats led by Allard Lowenstein and Curtis Gans formed the Dump Johnson movement, which sought to challenge the President's re-election. Their first choice was Robert Kennedy, who had sufficiently established himself as a critic of the war and an effective popular campaigner. He declined, as did a series of lesser-known candidates, including Senator George McGovern. Lowenstein finally found a candidate in October 1967, when Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy agreed to challenge the President. At first, McCarthy merely expressed his interest, telling Lowenstein, "Somebody has to raise the flag."[1][2] On November 30, 1967, McCarthy publicly announced his campaign for the nomination.
Kennedy continued to demur, despite pressure from his aides to enter the race and worry that antiwar allies, like George McGovern, would begin to make commitments to McCarthy.[3] On January 30, he again indicated to the press that he had no plans to campaign against Johnson.[4]
In early February 1968, after the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, Kennedy received an anguished letter from writer Pete Hamill, noting that poor people in the Watts area of Los Angeles had hung pictures of Kennedy's brother, President John F. Kennedy, in their homes. Hamill's letter reminded Robert Kennedy that he had an "obligation of staying true to whatever it was that put those pictures on those walls."[4] There were other factors that influenced Kennedy's decision to enter the presidential primary race. On February 29, 1968, the Kerner Commission issued a report on the racial unrest that had affected American cities during the previous summer. The Kerner Commission blamed "white racism" for the violence, but its findings were largely dismissed by the Johnson administration.[4]
On March 10, Kennedy told his aide, Peter Edelman, that he had decided to run and had to "figure out how to get McCarthy out of it."[5][6] However, Kennedy hesitated to enter the race with McCarthy still in and agreed to McCarthy's request to delay an announcement of his intentions until after the New Hampshire primary.[5]
Campaign
Running as an antiwar candidate, McCarthy hoped to pressure the Democrats into publicly opposing the Vietnam War. Trailing badly in national polls and with little chance to influence delegate selection absent primary wins, McCarthy decided to pour most of his resources into New Hampshire. He was boosted by thousands of young college students who volunteered throughout the state, who shaved their beards and cut their hair to "Get Clean for Gene."
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