Withdrawal of Lyndon B. Johnson from the 1968 United States presidential election

On March 31, 1968, incumbent U.S. presidentLyndon B. Johnson made a surprise announcement during a televised address to the nation that began around 9 p.m., declaring that he would not seek re-election for another term and was withdrawing from the 1968 United States presidential election. Johnson stated: "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."

At first, Johnson's only significant challenger in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries was Eugene McCarthy, an anti-war U.S. senator from Minnesota. Johnson's announcement that he himself would drop out of the race came after McCarthy nearly won the New Hampshire primary and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, another critic of the war and the brother of the late president John F. Kennedy, entered the race. Johnson's decision and the assassination of Kennedy opened the door for Vice PresidentHubert Humphrey to become the Democratic Party's nominee. The 1968 Democratic National Convention, held in Chicago, was marked by significant protests and clashes between demonstrators and police, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation.

The 1968 election saw Republican Party candidate Richard Nixon emerge victorious, defeating Humphrey and third-party candidate George Wallace. Nixon's campaign capitalized on themes of law and order and a promise to end the Vietnam War conflict and United States involvement, which resonated with many voters who were fed up with Johnson’s mishandling of the war.