May 19, 1964 - Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Md.) (left), standing in for President Johnson, narrowly beat Alabama Governor George Wallace today in a savagely fought Maryland Democratic Presidential primary.
The latest tally gave Brewster 53.2% of the vote to Wallace’s 42.7%.
Trailing in the early returns, Brewster did not catch Wallace until more than 180,000 votes had been counted. Then he pushed slowly ahead.
But the Alabama Governor gave the regular Democratic organization and the Johnson Administration a bad fright in his appeal for help in “shocking the liberals.”
He had waged a blitz campaign the like of which Maryland had never seen, pleading for a big vote to register opposition to the civil rights bill pending in the Senate.
The jubilant Alabama Governor hailed the results as a major victory. He had received 34% in the Wisconsin Democratic primary and 29% in Indiana.
“I’m really surprised,” Wallace said. “I’m very pleased with the fine vote we are getting so far. It is greater than I had expected. This battle is not sectional any longer. This is an indication that the battle is nationwide. This is a victory for states’ rights and local government.”
A happy and obviously relieved Brewster, receiving congratulations at his headquarters, said: “We have won. Maryland’s 48 convention votes will be cast for Lyndon Johnson. It makes no difference on the percentages.”
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