Pedzisa mutsara unotevera:
Musangano Wenyika Yose weDemocratic wa1956. Mushure mokunge mutungamiri weRepublican Dwight D. Eisenhower asarudzwazve pamusoro paAdlai Stevenson musarudzo yemutungamiri wenyika ya1956, Kennedy akatanga kugadzirira kukwikwidza musarudzo yemutungamiri wenyika ya1960. Muna January 1960, Kennedy akazivisa zviri pamutemo kukwikwidza kwake musarudzo dzegore iroro dzomutungamiri wenyika. Seneta Hubert Humphrey weMinnesota akabuda semupikisi mukuru waKennedy mumakwikwi eDemocratic ekutanga a1960, asi kukunda kwaKennedy mudunhu reWest Virginia raive nechiPurotesitendi kwakakurudzira Humphrey kuti abve munhangemutange. PaDemocratic National Convention ya1960, Kennedy akakunda Stevenson naSenator Lyndon B. Johnson weTexas kuti akunde kusarudzwa kwemutungamiri wenyika pavhoti yekutanga yekokorodzano. Kennedy akasarudza Johnson kuti ave mutevedzeri wemutungamiri wenyika, pasinei nekushorwa kubva kune vakawanda vanobva kune dzimwe nyika uye vashandi veKennedy, kusanganisira munun'una wake Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy aidavira kuti kuvapo kwaJohnson pachigaro kwaizokwezva vavhoti vokuSouth, uye aifunga kuti Johnson aigona kushanda sechinhu chinokosha chokukurukura neSeneti.