George McGovern, a Democratic Party politician from South Dakota, was first elected to the United States House of Representatives to represent South Dakota's 1st congressional district in 1956. He was re-elected in 1958, before making an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate in 1960 against Republican incumbent Karl Earl Mundt. After serving in the John F. Kennedy administration as director of the Food for Peace program, McGovern ran again for the Senate and narrowly prevailed over appointed Senator Joseph H. Bottum. In 1968, McGovern unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party's presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention and was re-elected to the Senate over former Governor of South Dakota Archie M. Gubbrud. In 1972, McGovern was successful in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, but lost the election in a landslide to incumbent President Richard Nixon. McGovern was re-elected to the Senate in 1974 over Vietnam War veteran Leo K. Thorsness, but lost re-election in 1980 to then-U.S. Representative James Abdnor. McGovern made a final unsuccessful run for president in 1984 United States presidential election. United States House of Representatives (1956–1958) South Dakota's 1st congressional district, 1956: George McGovern (D) – 116,516 (52.40%) Harold O. Lovre (R) (inc.) – 105,835 (47.60%) South Dakota's 1st congressional district, 1958: George McGovern (D) (inc.) – 107,133 (53.44%) Joseph Jacob "Joe" Foss (R) – 93,358 (46.56%) United States Senate (1960–1968) and 1968 Democratic National Convention South Dakota United States Senate election, 1960: Karl E. Mundt (R) (inc.) – 178,417 (55.12%) George McGovern (D) – 145,261 (44.88%) South Dakota United States Senate election, 1962: George McGovern (D) – 127,458 (50.15%) Joe H. Bottum (R) (inc.) – 126,681 (49.85%) 1968 Democratic National Convention (presidential tally): Hubert Humphrey – 1,760 (67.43%) Eugene McCarthy – 601 (23.03%) George McGovern – 147 (5.63%) Channing Phillips – 68 (2.61%) Daniel K. Moore – 18 (0.69%) Ted Kennedy – 13 (0.50%) Paul Bryant – 1 (0.04%) James H. Gray – 1 (0.04%) George Wallace – 1 (0.04%) 1968 Democratic National Convention (vice presidential tally): Edmund Muskie – 1,945 (74.01%) Abstaining – 605 (23.02%) Julian Bond – 49 (1.87%) David C. Hoeh – 4 (0.15%) Ted Kennedy – 4 (0.15%) Eugene McCarthy – 3 (0.11%) Richard J. Daley – 2 (0.08%) Don Edwards – 2 (0.08%) George McGovern – 2 (0.08%) Robert McNair – 2 (0.08%) Abraham A. Ribicoff – 2 (0.08%) James Tate – 2 (0.08%) Allard Lowenstein – 1