Richard Nixon carried California R+0.5.

John F. Kennedy (D) vs Richard Nixon (R) in California, 1960. The state ran 0.7 points more Republican than the nation (D+0.2 nationally).

Nominees: John F. Kennedy (D) · Richard Nixon (R) · Unpledged Democratic electors (Harry F. Byrd) (Unpledged)

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California result

6,506,578 votes counted

Kennedy (D)

3,224,099

49.6%

Nixon (R)

3,259,722

50.1%

Byrd) + others

22,757

0.3%

Margin

R+0.5

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1960 presidential election

California, 1960

NixonR+0.5

How it voted

Share of the 1960 vote

Richard Nixon ✓Republican	50.1%	3,259,722
John F. KennedyDemocratic	49.6%	3,224,099
OtherAll other candidates	0.3%	22,757

D+60

R+60

58 counties, each filled by 1960 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.

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California's presidential margins

1876–2024, the 1960 contest in context

California's presidential margins

Year	Margin (D minus R)
1876	−1.8%
1880	+0.1%
1884	−6.7%
1888	−2.8%
1892	+1.2%
1896	−0.6%
1900	−13.1%
1904	−34.9%
1908	−22.5%
1912	+41.8%
1916	+0.4%
1920	−41.9%
1924	−49.0%
1928	−30.5%
1932	+21.0%
1936	+35.3%
1940	+16.1%
1944	+13.5%
1948	+0.4%
1952	−13.6%
1956	−11.1%
1960	−0.5%
1964	+18.3%
1968	−3.1%
1972	−13.5%
1976	−1.8%
1980	−16.8%
1984	−16.2%
1988	−3.6%
1992	+13.4%
1996	+12.9%
2000	+11.8%
2004	+9.9%
2008	+24.0%
2012	+23.1%
2016	+30.0%
2020	+29.1%
2024	+20.1%

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County results — 1960

58 counties; every row links to the county's full page.

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County	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
Alameda County	D	+8.4%	217,172	183,354	402,000
Alpine County	R	−53.5%	40	132	172
Amador County	D	+10.5%	2,690	2,175	4,887
Butte County	R	−15.7%	15,163	20,838	36,175
Calaveras County	R	−5.8%	2,509	2,820	5,361
Colusa County	R	−3.1%	2,348	2,497	4,861
Contra Costa County	D	+6.0%	93,622	82,922	177,123
Del Norte County	D	+3.2%	3,225	3,024	6,294
El Dorado County	D	+0.9%	6,175	6,065	12,337
Fresno County	D	+10.9%	72,164	57,930	130,702
Glenn County	R	−6.8%	3,410	3,911	7,356
Humboldt County	D	+6.0%	20,391	18,074	38,691
Imperial County	R	−7.5%	9,119	10,606	19,806
Inyo County	R	−9.6%	2,443	2,962	5,420
Kern County	R	−1.3%	51,440	52,800	104,705
Kings County	D	+14.8%	9,439	6,991	16,522
Lake County	R	−18.0%	2,897	4,176	7,109
Lassen County	D	+18.8%	3,472	2,365	5,877
Los Angeles County	D	+0.8%	1,323,818	1,302,661	2,634,499
Madera County	D	+16.1%	8,126	5,869	14,057
Marin County	R	−14.8%	27,888	37,620	65,665
Mariposa County	R	−8.8%	1,338	1,599	2,963
Mendocino County	D	+0.9%	9,476	9,301	18,871
Merced County	D	+12.9%	15,545	11,990	27,646
Modoc County	R	−4.2%	1,691	1,839	3,550
Mono County	R	−33.1%	457	912	1,375
Monterey County	R	−12.8%	25,805	33,428	59,413
Napa County	R	−5.7%	13,499	15,125	28,778
Nevada County	R	−7.8%	4,633	5,419	10,141
Orange County	R	−21.9%	112,007	174,891	287,599
Placer County	D	+12.0%	13,304	10,439	23,863
Plumas County	D	+24.5%	3,333	2,015	5,378
Riverside County	R	−12.8%	50,877	65,855	117,276
Sacramento County	D	+13.1%	109,695	84,252	194,756
San Benito County	R	−3.0%	2,876	3,056	5,945
San Bernardino County	R	−4.5%	90,888	99,481	191,313
San Diego County	R	−13.1%	171,259	223,056	395,421
San Francisco County	D	+16.0%	197,734	143,001	342,219
San Joaquin County	R	−6.1%	42,855	48,441	91,657
San Luis Obispo County	R	−8.7%	14,975	17,862	33,055
San Mateo County	R	−3.7%	97,154	104,570	202,252
Santa Barbara County	R	−13.7%	29,409	38,805	68,402
Santa Clara County	R	−5.6%	117,667	131,735	250,092
Santa Cruz County	R	−19.7%	16,659	24,858	41,704
Shasta County	D	+21.5%	14,691	9,462	24,301
Sierra County	D	+5.8%	647	576	1,231
Siskiyou County	D	+13.4%	8,245	6,279	14,620
Solano County	D	+17.9%	26,977	18,751	45,869
Sonoma County	R	−8.6%	29,147	34,641	64,032
Stanislaus County	D	+0.1%	30,302	30,213	60,890
Sutter County	R	−26.3%	4,379	7,520	11,954
Tehama County	R	−0.4%	5,483	5,522	11,052
Trinity County	D	+22.8%	2,262	1,418	3,698
Tulare County	R	−8.4%	24,887	29,456	54,582
Tuolumne County	D	+1.2%	3,781	3,691	7,516
Ventura County	D	+0.4%	35,334	35,074	70,723
Yolo County	D	+10.1%	12,395	10,104	22,589
Yuba County	R	−4.0%	4,882	5,293	10,233