In March 1968 , Johnson made his surprise announcement that he would not seek reelection , and Humphrey launched his campaign for the presidency . He was loyal to the Johnson administration 's policies on the Vietnam War , but he saw opposition from many within his own party . He therefore avoided the primaries to focus on winning the delegates of non-primary states at the 1968 Democratic National Convention . His delegate strategy succeeded in clinching the nomination , and he chose Senator Edmund Muskie as his running mate . In the general election , he nearly matched Nixon 's tally in the popular vote but lost the electoral vote by a wide margin . After the defeat , he returned to the Senate until his death in 1978
1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
Hubert Humphrey