Pat Nixon

== Her husband's campaigns—1960, 1962 and 1968 ==
In [[1960 United States presidential election|the 1960 election]], Vice President Nixon ran for president of the United States against Democratic opponent Senator [[John F. Kennedy]]. Pat was featured prominently in the effort; an entire advertising campaign was built around the slogan "Pat for First Lady".<ref name="First Lady Pat Nixon"/> Nixon conceded the election to Kennedy, although the race was very close and there were allegations of voter fraud. Pat had urged her husband to demand a recount of votes, though Nixon declined.<ref name="os234">{{harvp|O'Brien|Suteski|2005|p=234}}</ref> Pat was most upset about the television cameras, which recorded her reaction when her husband lost—"millions of television viewers witnessed her desperate fight to hold a smile upon her lips as her face came apart and the bitter tears flowed from her eyes", as one reporter put it.<ref name="PN is the Ultimate Good Sport"/> This permanently dimmed Pat Nixon's view of politics.<ref name="First Lady Pat Nixon"/>

In 1962, the Nixons [[1962 California gubernatorial election|embarked on another campaign]], this time for [[Governor of California]]. Prior to Richard Nixon's announcement of his candidacy, Pat's brother Tom Ryan said, "Pat told me that if Dick ran for governor she was going to take her shoe to him."<ref name="Eisenhower, Julie Nixon (1986), p. 205-206">{{harvp|Eisenhower|1986|pp=205–206}}</ref> She eventually agreed to another run, citing that it meant a great deal to her husband,<ref name="Eisenhower, Julie Nixon (1986), p. 205-206" /> but Richard Nixon lost the gubernatorial election to [[Pat Brown]].

Six years later, Richard Nixon ran again for the presidency. Pat was reluctant to face another campaign, her eighth since 1946.<ref name="jne235237">{{harvp|Eisenhower|1986|pp=235, 237}}</ref> Her husband was a deeply controversial figure in American politics,<ref>{{cite book | last=Mason |first=Robert |title=Richard Nixon and the Quest for a New Majority | url=https://archive.org/details/richardnixonques00maso | url-access=limited |publisher=UNC Press |year=2004 |isbn=0-8078-2905-6| page=[https://archive.org/details/richardnixonques00maso/page/n37 25]}}</ref> and Pat had witnessed and shared the praise and vilification he had received without having established an independent public identity for herself.<ref name="steinem"/>  Although she supported him in his career, she feared another "1960", when Nixon lost to Kennedy.<ref name="jne235237"/> She consented, however, and participated in the campaign by traveling on campaign trips with her husband.{{sfnp|Eisenhower|1986|p=236}} Richard Nixon made a political comeback with his narrow [[1968 United States presidential election|presidential victory of 1968]] over Vice-President [[Hubert Humphrey]]—and the country had a new First Lady.