‹ 1960  1968 ›
| ||||
| United States Presidential election, 1964 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 3, 1964 | ||||
|
|
|||
| Candidate | Richard Van Dyke | Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. | ||
| Party | National | Democrat | ||
| Running mate | Gary Murray | Bob Stone | ||
| Popular vote | 36,788,992 | 35,410,781 | ||
| Percentage | 50.95 | 49.05 | ||
The United States Presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. The election was contested largely over the nascent Cold War and the foreign policy course that would be followed, as well as domestic economic concerns and civil rights. Despite an unpopular Nationalist President, John E. Hoover of Virginia, deciding to forego reelection due to his mixed popularity, the Nationalist Party was able to win the election behind the optimistic, inclusive and savvy campaign of Richard Van Dyke of Missouri against Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. of Massachusetts.
The election, featuring two Governors, was extremely volatile, with neither candidate seeming to have a firm lead until the week before the election. Van Dyke's victory was attributed to the negativity of the Kennedy campaign, Van Dyke's performance in the first-ever televised debate and a disastrous gaffe by Kennedy in regards to Cold War policy.