The front page of the West Schuylkill Herald, November 11, 1960, told area residents of the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States. The headline on the article reads, “Kennedy Elected President, Area Strongly Republican.” The article gave some information about the election and the vote totals in key races.
KENNEDY ELECTED PRESIDENT, AREA STRONGLY REPUBLICAN
John F. Kennedy, junior Democratic U. S. Senator from Massachusetts, was elected the 35th President of the United States in the closest national election since 1916 when another Democrat, Woodrow Wilson, won over Charles Evans Hughes.
In defeating Richard M. Nixon, the Republican candidate, Kennedy at 43 became he youngest man ever to be elected President and also the first Roman Catholic to be voted to that high office.
The final result was not determined until late Wednesday morning when Nixon’s home state of California, Illinois, and Minnesota, definitely swung into the Kennedy column. On the final count, Kennedy had 50.4 percent of the popular vote, but had a wider margin in the electoral standing with 300 votes, to 231 for Nixon, and 6 unpledged.
The Kennedy-Johnson ticket carried 242 of the 50 states, while Nixon and Lodge carried 26 states. Kennedy, however, carried the high populated states with the larger electoral votes.
Nearly 73,000,000 people cast a ballot to set a new record for elections in this country.
Pennsylvania, aided by a sensational Democratic landslide victory in Philadelphia, went to Kennedy. Schuylkill County followed the nationwide pattern by giving the Democratic Presidential candidate a slim edge of only 249 votes. This was the first time since 1940 that the county has voted Democratic in a Presidential election.
Southern Schuylkill County, however, turned in an overwhelming vote in favor of the Republican candidates, and insured the reelection of Paul Wagner as State Senator, Dr. Ivor D. Fenton as U. S. Congressman, and George Heffner and W. K. Knecht as members of the State Legislature from the second district.
Early returns from the northern part of the county had the Democratic candidates for these offices in the lead, but when the southern and western Schuylkill County votes began rolling in, the Democratic lead was wiped out and the Republicans went on to win by pluralities as high as 5,000 votes.
Senator Paul G. Wagner, in the most hotly contested battle, defeated Michael Close, Pottsville mayor, for State Senator by 4,690 votes.
Dr. Ivor D. Fenton, trailing in early returns in both Schuylkill and Northumberland counties, picked up Republican strength to carry both counties by leads of 3800 and 2500 over William Deitman of Pottsville for the office of U. S. Congressman.
Tables were also given to show the vote in the first and second wards of Tower City Borough and the six districts of Porter Township (North, Seibert, Orwin, Muir, Reinerton, and West).
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Front page, article and tables from Newspapers.com.
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