Election of 1972
LINKS
| 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 |