Eugene McCarthy 1968 presidential campaign

Eugene McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Minnesota, announced his candidacy in the 1968 Democratic party primaries against incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson in November 1967, on a platform of ending American involvement in the Vietnam War. McCarthy's campaign was popular with young people and hippies who felt disillusioned from the government.

Following McCarthy's second-place finish in the New Hampshire Primary, Senator Robert F. Kennedy entered the race, and President Johnson announced his withdrawal from the race. After Johnson's withdrawal, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey entered the contest but avoided the primaries.

Kennedy fought it out with McCarthy in the primaries, as Humphrey used favorite son stand-ins to help him win delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Kennedy was assassinated, leaving Humphrey as McCarthy's main challenger. However, Humphrey's organization was too strong for McCarthy to overcome, and his anti-war campaign was split after the late entrance of Senator George McGovern of South Dakota just ahead of the Democratic National Convention. Despite winning the popular vote, McCarthy lost to Humphrey at the convention amidst protests and riots.