 In an election won by Preston Smith, Locke placed fifth out of 10 candidates in the Democratic primary despite having one of the most notable and easy to sing campaign songs.After his death, a Dallas Morning News editorial called Locke "one of the most distinguished civic and political figures" of Dallas and noted his receipt of the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.The medal’s citation, from President Johson, states that Locke "served with enormous skill" while he was ambassador to Pakistan and that he "brought impressive energy, high intelligence, integrity, understanding and wisdom" to his post as deputy ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam.