Election of 1972

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Abbreviations Definitions Sources

BASICS

Category Result
Incumbent Richard Nixon (R)
Prior streak R (1)
Prior five elections R (3), D (2)
Population 209,896,021
States 51
Electoral votes 538
Popular votes 77,718,554
Voter turnout 55.1%

FIELD OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

Candidate Party PI Age State Position Nom Win CS ROP
Richard Nixon R 8.8 59.81 California President X X 95.25 108
George McGovern D 6.4 50.29 South Dakota Senator X 58.46 91
George Wallace D 6.5 53.19 Alabama Governor 26.62 41
Hubert Humphrey D 6.5 61.43 Minnesota Former nominee 25.90 40
Edmund Muskie D 7.2 58.60 Maine Senator 17.06 24
Henry Jackson D 6.3 60.42 Washington Senator 15.37 24
John Ashbrook R 4.2 44.11 Ohio Representative 13.02 31
Shirley Chisholm D 4.5 47.92 New York Representative 12.62 28
Paul McCloskey R 4.7 45.09 California Representative 11.31 24
John Hospers LIB 3.3 54.40 California Movement leader 10.62 32
Wilbur Mills D 4.3 63.44 Arkansas Representative 10.36 24
Sam Yorty D 4.3 63.08 California Mayor 10.30 24

GENERAL ELECTION

Candidate Party SC PV PV% EV EV% PV*EQ EV*EQ
Richard Nixon R 49 47,169,911 60.69% 520 96.65% 60,693,243 520
George McGovern D 2 29,170,383 37.53% 17 3.16% 37,533,358 17
John Hospers LIB 0 3,673 0.01% 1 0.19% 4,726 1

REGIONAL SPLITS

Candidate Party PV% East South Midwest West EV East South Midwest West
Richard Nixon R 60.69% 57.74% 69.45% 59.13% 57.19% 520 127 146 145 102
George McGovern D 37.53% 41.31% 29.00% 39.36% 39.09% 17 17 0 0 0
John Hospers LIB 0.01% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.03% 1 0 1 0 0

PV BY STATES

State Total PV Nixon McGovern Other
Alabama 1,006,111 728,701 256,923 20,487
Alaska 95,219 55,349 32,967 6,903
Arizona 622,926 402,812 198,540 21,574
Arkansas 651,320 448,541 199,892 2,887
California 8,367,862 4,602,096 3,475,847 289,919
Colorado 953,884 597,189 329,980 26,715
Connecticut 1,384,277 810,763 555,498 18,016
Delaware 235,516 140,357 92,283 2,876
District of Columbia 163,421 35,226 127,627 568
Florida 2,583,283 1,857,759 718,117 7,407
Georgia 1,174,772 881,496 289,529 3,747
Hawaii 270,274 168,865 101,409
Idaho 310,379 199,384 80,826 30,169
Illinois 4,723,236 2,788,179 1,913,472 21,585
Indiana 2,125,529 1,405,154 708,568 11,807
Iowa 1,225,944 706,207 496,206 23,531
Kansas 916,095 619,812 270,287 25,996
Kentucky 1,067,499 676,446 371,159 19,894
Louisiana 1,051,491 686,852 298,142 66,497
Maine 417,042 256,458 160,584
Maryland 1,353,812 829,305 505,781 18,726
Massachusetts 2,458,756 1,112,078 1,332,540 14,138
Michigan 3,489,727 1,961,721 1,459,435 68,571
Minnesota 1,741,652 898,269 802,346 41,037
Mississippi 645,963 505,125 126,782 14,056
Missouri 1,855,803 1,153,852 697,147 4,804
Montana 317,603 183,976 120,197 13,430
Nebraska 576,289 406,298 169,991
Nevada 181,766 115,750 66,016
New Hampshire 334,055 213,724 116,435 3,896
New Jersey 2,997,229 1,845,502 1,102,211 49,516
New Mexico 386,241 235,606 141,084 9,551
New York 7,165,919 4,192,778 2,951,084 22,057
North Carolina 1,518,612 1,054,889 438,705 25,018
North Dakota 280,514 174,109 100,384 6,021
Ohio 4,094,787 2,441,827 1,558,889 94,071
Oklahoma 1,029,900 759,025 247,147 23,728
Oregon 927,946 486,686 392,760 48,500
Pennsylvania 4,592,106 2,714,521 1,796,951 80,634
Rhode Island 415,808 220,383 194,645 780
South Carolina 673,960 477,044 186,824 10,092
South Dakota 307,415 166,476 139,945 994
Tennessee 1,201,182 813,147 357,293 30,742
Texas 3,471,281 2,298,896 1,154,289 18,096
Utah 478,476 323,643 126,284 28,549
Vermont 186,947 117,149 68,174 1,624
Virginia 1,457,019 988,493 438,887 29,639
Washington 1,470,847 837,135 568,334 65,378
West Virginia 762,399 484,964 277,435
Wisconsin 1,852,890 989,430 810,174 53,286
Wyoming 145,570 100,464 44,358 748
Total 77,718,554 47,169,911 29,170,383 1,378,260

PV% BY STATES

State PV winner Nixon McGovern Other
Alabama Nixon 72.43% 25.54% 2.04%
Alaska Nixon 58.13% 34.62% 7.25%
Arizona Nixon 64.67% 31.87% 3.46%
Arkansas Nixon 68.87% 30.69% 0.44%
California Nixon 55.00% 41.54% 3.47%
Colorado Nixon 62.61% 34.59% 2.80%
Connecticut Nixon 58.57% 40.13% 1.30%
Delaware Nixon 59.60% 39.18% 1.22%
District of Columbia McGovern 21.56% 78.10% 0.35%
Florida Nixon 71.92% 27.80% 0.29%
Georgia Nixon 75.04% 24.65% 0.32%
Hawaii Nixon 62.48% 37.52%
Idaho Nixon 64.24% 26.04% 9.72%
Illinois Nixon 59.03% 40.51% 0.46%
Indiana Nixon 66.11% 33.34% 0.56%
Iowa Nixon 57.61% 40.48% 1.92%
Kansas Nixon 67.66% 29.50% 2.84%
Kentucky Nixon 63.37% 34.77% 1.86%
Louisiana Nixon 65.32% 28.35% 6.32%
Maine Nixon 61.50% 38.51%
Maryland Nixon 61.26% 37.36% 1.38%
Massachusetts McGovern 45.23% 54.20% 0.58%
Michigan Nixon 56.21% 41.82% 1.97%
Minnesota Nixon 51.58% 46.07% 2.36%
Mississippi Nixon 78.20% 19.63% 2.18%
Missouri Nixon 62.18% 37.57% 0.26%
Montana Nixon 57.93% 37.85% 4.23%
Nebraska Nixon 70.50% 29.50%
Nevada Nixon 63.68% 36.32%
New Hampshire Nixon 63.98% 34.86% 1.17%
New Jersey Nixon 61.57% 36.77% 1.65%
New Mexico Nixon 61.00% 36.53% 2.47%
New York Nixon 58.51% 41.18% 0.31%
North Carolina Nixon 69.46% 28.89% 1.65%
North Dakota Nixon 62.07% 35.79% 2.15%
Ohio Nixon 59.63% 38.07% 2.30%
Oklahoma Nixon 73.70% 24.00% 2.30%
Oregon Nixon 52.45% 42.33% 5.23%
Pennsylvania Nixon 59.11% 39.13% 1.76%
Rhode Island Nixon 53.00% 46.81% 0.19%
South Carolina Nixon 70.78% 27.72% 1.50%
South Dakota Nixon 54.15% 45.52% 0.32%
Tennessee Nixon 67.70% 29.75% 2.56%
Texas Nixon 66.23% 33.25% 0.52%
Utah Nixon 67.64% 26.39% 5.97%
Vermont Nixon 62.66% 36.47% 0.87%
Virginia Nixon 67.84% 30.12% 2.03%
Washington Nixon 56.92% 38.64% 4.45%
West Virginia Nixon 63.61% 36.39%
Wisconsin Nixon 53.40% 43.73% 2.88%
Wyoming Nixon 69.01% 30.47% 0.51%
Total Nixon 60.69% 37.53% 1.77%

EV BY STATES

State Total EV Nixon McGovern Hospers
Alabama 9 9 0 0
Alaska 3 3 0 0
Arizona 6 6 0 0
Arkansas 6 6 0 0
California 45 45 0 0
Colorado 7 7 0 0
Connecticut 8 8 0 0
Delaware 3 3 0 0
District of Columbia 3 0 3 0
Florida 17 17 0 0
Georgia 12 12 0 0
Hawaii 4 4 0 0
Idaho 4 4 0 0
Illinois 26 26 0 0
Indiana 13 13 0 0
Iowa 8 8 0 0
Kansas 7 7 0 0
Kentucky 9 9 0 0
Louisiana 10 10 0 0
Maine 4 4 0 0
Maryland 10 10 0 0
Massachusetts 14 0 14 0
Michigan 21 21 0 0
Minnesota 10 10 0 0
Mississippi 7 7 0 0
Missouri 12 12 0 0
Montana 4 4 0 0
Nebraska 5 5 0 0
Nevada 3 3 0 0
New Hampshire 4 4 0 0
New Jersey 17 17 0 0
New Mexico 4 4 0 0
New York 41 41 0 0
North Carolina 13 13 0 0
North Dakota 3 3 0 0
Ohio 25 25 0 0
Oklahoma 8 8 0 0
Oregon 6 6 0 0
Pennsylvania 27 27 0 0
Rhode Island 4 4 0 0
South Carolina 8 8 0 0
South Dakota 4 4 0 0
Tennessee 10 10 0 0
Texas 26 26 0 0
Utah 4 4 0 0
Vermont 3 3 0 0
Virginia 12 11 0 1
Washington 9 9 0 0
West Virginia 6 6 0 0
Wisconsin 11 11 0 0
Wyoming 3 3 0 0
Total 538 520 17 1

MARGINS AND FLIPS

State PV winner Runnerup Gap (votes) Gap (points) Flip
Alabama Nixon McGovern 471,778 46.89 235,890
Alaska Nixon McGovern 22,382 23.51 11,192
Arizona Nixon McGovern 204,272 32.79 102,137
Arkansas Nixon McGovern 248,649 38.18 124,325
California Nixon McGovern 1,126,249 13.46 563,125
Colorado Nixon McGovern 267,209 28.01 133,605
Connecticut Nixon McGovern 255,265 18.44 127,633
Delaware Nixon McGovern 48,074 20.41 24,038
District of Columbia McGovern Nixon 92,401 56.54 46,201
Florida Nixon McGovern 1,139,642 44.12 569,822
Georgia Nixon McGovern 591,967 50.39 295,984
Hawaii Nixon McGovern 67,456 24.96 33,729
Idaho Nixon McGovern 118,558 38.20 59,280
Illinois Nixon McGovern 874,707 18.52 437,354
Indiana Nixon McGovern 696,586 32.77 348,294
Iowa Nixon McGovern 210,001 17.13 105,001
Kansas Nixon McGovern 349,525 38.15 174,763
Kentucky Nixon McGovern 305,287 28.60 152,644
Louisiana Nixon McGovern 388,710 36.97 194,356
Maine Nixon McGovern 95,874 22.99 47,938
Maryland Nixon McGovern 323,524 23.90 161,763
Massachusetts McGovern Nixon 220,462 8.97 110,232
Michigan Nixon McGovern 502,286 14.39 251,144
Minnesota Nixon McGovern 95,923 5.51 47,962
Mississippi Nixon McGovern 378,343 58.57 189,172
Missouri Nixon McGovern 456,705 24.61 228,353
Montana Nixon McGovern 63,779 20.08 31,890
Nebraska Nixon McGovern 236,307 41.00 118,154
Nevada Nixon McGovern 49,734 27.36 24,868
New Hampshire Nixon McGovern 97,289 29.12 48,645
New Jersey Nixon McGovern 743,291 24.80 371,646
New Mexico Nixon McGovern 94,522 24.47 47,262
New York Nixon McGovern 1,241,694 17.33 620,848
North Carolina Nixon McGovern 616,184 40.58 308,093
North Dakota Nixon McGovern 73,725 26.28 36,863
Ohio Nixon McGovern 882,938 21.56 441,470
Oklahoma Nixon McGovern 511,878 49.70 255,940
Oregon Nixon McGovern 93,926 10.12 46,964
Pennsylvania Nixon McGovern 917,570 19.98 458,786
Rhode Island Nixon McGovern 25,738 6.19 12,870
South Carolina Nixon McGovern 290,220 43.06 145,111
South Dakota Nixon McGovern 26,531 8.63 13,266
Tennessee Nixon McGovern 455,854 37.95 227,928
Texas Nixon McGovern 1,144,607 32.97 572,304
Utah Nixon McGovern 197,359 41.25 98,680
Vermont Nixon McGovern 48,975 26.20 24,488
Virginia Nixon McGovern 549,606 37.72 274,804
Washington Nixon McGovern 268,801 18.28 134,401
West Virginia Nixon McGovern 207,529 27.22 103,765
Wisconsin Nixon McGovern 179,256 9.67 89,629
Wyoming Nixon McGovern 56,106 38.54 28,054
Total Nixon McGovern 17,999,528 23.16 8,999,765
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