Segregationist Governor George C. Wallace entered several 1964 Democratic presidential primaries , taking a large share of the vote in several states before announcing that he would seek the presidency as an independent or member of a third party . Meanwhile , the Republican Party saw a contested series of primaries between conservative Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona and liberal Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York . Rockefeller had appeared to be the front-runner at one point , but a divorce badly damaged his candidacy . Goldwater emerged as the prohibitive favorite in June 1964 , and he was formally nominated at the July 1964 Republican National Convention . After the nomination of Goldwater , Wallace heeded the requests of Southern conservatives to withdraw from the race . The 1964 Democratic National Convention re-nominated Johnson and celebrated his accomplishments after less than one year in office . Early in the campaign , Robert F. Kennedy was a widely popular choice to run as Johnson 's vice presidential running mate , but Johnson and Kennedy had never liked one another . Hubert Humphrey was ultimately selected as Johnson 's running mate , as the Johnson campaign hoped that Humphrey would strengthen the ticket in the Midwest and industrial Northeast . Johnson , knowing full well the degree of frustration inherent in the office of vice president , put Humphrey through a gauntlet of interviews to guarantee his absolute loyalty and having made the decision , he kept the announcement from the press until the last moment to maximize media speculation and coverage . At the end of the Democratic Convention , polls showed Johnson in a comfortable position to obtain re-election
1964 Democratic National Convention
1964 Democratic National Convention
Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson