The 1960 United States presidential election in Idaho took place on November 8, 1960, as part of the 1960 United States presidential election . State voters chose four[ 2] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College , who voted for president and vice president .
Idaho was won by incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon (R –California ), running with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. , with 53.78 percent of the popular vote, against Senator John F. Kennedy (D –Massachusetts ), running with Senator Lyndon B. Johnson , with 46.22 percent of the popular vote.[ 3] [ 4] As of the 2020 presidential election [update] , this is the last election in which Custer County and Camas County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[ 5]
Nixon won Idaho by 22,744 votes, or 7.6%, which was significantly less than fellow Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 , who won the state by a margin of 22.4%, or 61,111 votes. This marked the first time since its admission to the union in 1890 that Idaho would back a losing Republican in a presidential election. This was also the first time since 1900 that the state failed to back the winning candidate in a presidential election. 4 years later, Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson would win the state by a margin of 1.83%, or 5,363 votes, which as of the 2020 presidential election , is the last time a Democratic presidential candidate has carried the state, or even broken 40% of the total vote. As of the 2020 presidential election , this is the last time a Democratic presidential candidate has lost Idaho by a single-digit margin.
County Richard Nixon Republican John F. Kennedy Democratic Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Ada 27,703 61.95% 17,017 38.05% 10,686 23.90% 44,720 Adams 799 52.46% 724 47.54% 75 4.92% 1,523 Bannock 9,157 42.11% 12,586 57.89% -3,429 -15.78% 21,743 Bear Lake 1,963 55.67% 1,563 44.33% 400 11.34% 3,526 Benewah 1,274 42.05% 1,756 57.95% -482 -15.90% 3,030 Bingham 5,934 55.06% 4,843 44.94% 1,091 10.12% 10,777 Blaine 1,216 49.27% 1,252 50.73% -36 -1.46% 2,468 Boise 456 51.35% 432 48.65% 24 2.70% 888 Bonner 3,575 46.80% 4,064 53.20% -489 -6.40% 7,639 Bonneville 11,111 55.68% 8,845 44.32% 2,266 11.36% 19,956 Boundary 1,237 45.18% 1,501 54.82% -264 -9.64% 2,738 Butte 680 40.45% 1,001 59.55% -321 -19.10% 1,681 Camas 284 46.86% 322 53.14% -38 -6.28% 606 Canyon 15,865 62.10% 9,681 37.90% 6,184 24.20% 25,546 Caribou 1,544 54.42% 1,293 45.58% 251 8.84% 2,837 Cassia 4,297 63.73% 2,445 36.27% 1,852 27.46% 6,742 Clark 283 61.66% 176 38.34% 107 23.32% 459 Clearwater 1,193 33.14% 2,407 66.86% -1,214 -33.72% 3,600 Custer 651 43.72% 838 56.28% -187 -12.56% 1,489 Elmore 2,226 47.71% 2,440 52.29% -214 -4.58% 4,666 Franklin 2,633 66.07% 1,352 33.93% 1,281 32.14% 3,985 Fremont 2,230 54.17% 1,887 45.83% 343 8.34% 4,117 Gem 2,428 55.13% 1,976 44.87% 452 10.26% 4,404 Gooding 2,523 55.72% 2,005 44.28% 518 11.44% 4,528 Idaho 2,248 40.84% 3,256 59.16% -1,008 -18.32% 5,504 Jefferson 2,625 52.51% 2,374 47.49% 251 5.02% 4,999 Jerome 3,031 58.49% 2,151 41.51% 880 16.98% 5,182 Kootenai 6,704 46.40% 7,744 53.60% -1,040 -7.20% 14,448 Latah 4,789 50.81% 4,636 49.19% 153 1.62% 9,425 Lemhi 1,355 51.36% 1,283 48.64% 72 2.72% 2,638 Lewis 781 35.29% 1,432 64.71% -651 -29.42% 2,213 Lincoln 970 55.33% 783 44.67% 187 10.66% 1,753 Madison 2,374 58.59% 1,678 41.41% 696 17.18% 4,052 Minidoka 3,360 57.66% 2,467 42.34% 893 15.32% 5,827 Nez Perce 5,203 39.58% 7,944 60.42% -2,741 -20.84% 13,147 Oneida 1,111 58.17% 799 41.83% 312 16.34% 1,910 Owyhee 1,500 57.06% 1,129 42.94% 371 14.12% 2,629 Payette 3,472 61.94% 2,133 38.06% 1,339 23.88% 5,605 Power 1,065 52.59% 960 47.41% 105 5.18% 2,025 Shoshone 3,432 40.70% 5,001 59.30% -1,569 -18.60% 8,433 Teton 714 55.65% 569 44.35% 145 11.30% 1,283 Twin Falls 12,171 62.15% 7,413 37.85% 4,758 24.30% 19,584 Valley 1,179 56.28% 916 43.72% 263 12.56% 2,095 Washington 2,251 55.86% 1,779 44.14% 472 11.72% 4,030 Totals 161,597 53.78% 138,853 46.22% 22,744 7.56% 300,450