From March 8 to June 7, 1960, voters of the Republican Party elected delegates to the 1960 Republican National Convention, in part to choose the party nominee for president in the 1960 United States presidential election.
Incumbent vice president Richard Nixon faced no formidable opposition for the nomination. There were significant efforts by liberals to draft New York governor Nelson Rockefeller as a candidate. Although Rockefeller embarked on a national speaking tour and received some write-in votes in primary elections, he did not declare a campaign for the presidency, and Nixon swept the primaries without difficulty. Rockefeller endorsed Nixon after struggling in the polls and extracting compromises on the party platform.
The 1960 Republican National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois from July 25 to 28. Nixon was nominated for president and United Nations ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge was nominated for vice president. Nixon and Lodge were defeated in the general election by the Democratic Party ticket of Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy and Texas senator Lyndon B. Johnson.
The following political leaders were candidates for the 1960 Republican presidential nomination:
These candidates participated in multiple state primaries or were included in multiple major national polls.
The following candidates ran only in their home state's primary or caucus for the purpose of controlling its delegate slate at the convention and did not appear to be considered national candidates by the media.
The following persons were listed in two or more major national polls or were the subject of media speculation surrounding their potential candidacy, but declined to actively seek the nomination.
Primaries total popular vote results