1972 Presidential Election

November 7, 1972 · The Long Realignment · 538 electoral votes, 270 to win

Nixon's 49-state landslide over McGovern was built on the Southern strategy and Democratic disarray; the break-in at the Watergate five months before the election went almost unnoticed by the voters it would ultimately consume.

Elected

Richard Nixon

Republican

Electoral vote

520 of 538

Popular vote

60.7%

47,168,710 votes

Turnout

56.2%

VAP 57.0%

The result

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Richard Nixon

Republican · 60.70% of votes

520

electoral votes

George McGovern

Democratic · 37.50% of votes

electoral votes

John Hospers

Libertarian · 0.00% of votes

electoral votes

John G. Schmitz

American Independent · 1.42% of votes

—

electoral votes

Linda Jenness

Socialist Workers · 0.11% of votes

—

electoral votes

Benjamin Spock

People's Party (United States, 1971) · 0.10% of votes

—

electoral votes

Louis Fisher

Socialist Labor · 0.07% of votes

—

electoral votes


Richard Nixon	Republican	Spiro Agnew	520	47,168,710	60.70%	49
George McGovern	Democratic	Sargent Shriver	17	29,173,222	37.50%	2
John Hospers	Libertarian	Tonie Nathan	1	3,674	0.00%	—
John G. Schmitz	American Independent	Thomas J. Anderson	—	1,100,896	1.42%	—
Linda Jenness	Socialist Workers	Andrew Pulley	—	83,380	0.11%	—
Benjamin Spock	People's Party (United States, 1971)	Julius Hobson	—	78,759	0.10%	—
Louis Fisher	Socialist Labor	Genevieve Gunderson	—	53,814	0.07%	—

77,662,455 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

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Alabama

Richard Nixon · 71.8% · runner-up George McGovern 25.3%

electoral votes

Alaska

Richard Nixon · 58.1% · runner-up George McGovern 34.6%

electoral votes

Arizona

Richard Nixon · 61.6% · runner-up George McGovern 30.4%

electoral votes

Arkansas

Richard Nixon · 68.9% · runner-up George McGovern 30.7%

electoral votes

California

Richard Nixon · 55.0% · runner-up George McGovern 41.5%

electoral votes

Colorado

Richard Nixon · 62.6% · runner-up George McGovern 34.6%

electoral votes

Connecticut

Richard Nixon · 58.6% · runner-up George McGovern 40.1%

electoral votes

Delaware

Richard Nixon · 59.6% · runner-up George McGovern 39.2%

electoral votes

District of Columbia

George McGovern · 78.1% · runner-up Richard Nixon 21.6%

electoral votes

Florida

Richard Nixon · 71.9% · runner-up George McGovern 27.8%

electoral votes

Georgia

Richard Nixon · 75.3% · runner-up George McGovern 24.7%

electoral votes

Hawaii

Richard Nixon · 62.5% · runner-up George McGovern 37.5%

electoral votes


Alabama	Richard Nixon	71.8%	9	George McGovern · 25.3%
Alaska	Richard Nixon	58.1%	3	George McGovern · 34.6%
Arizona	Richard Nixon	61.6%	6	George McGovern · 30.4%
Arkansas	Richard Nixon	68.9%	6	George McGovern · 30.7%
California	Richard Nixon	55.0%	45	George McGovern · 41.5%
Colorado	Richard Nixon	62.6%	7	George McGovern · 34.6%
Connecticut	Richard Nixon	58.6%	8	George McGovern · 40.1%
Delaware	Richard Nixon	59.6%	3	George McGovern · 39.2%
District of Columbia	George McGovern	78.1%	3	Richard Nixon · 21.6%
Florida	Richard Nixon	71.9%	17	George McGovern · 27.8%
Georgia	Richard Nixon	75.3%	12	George McGovern · 24.7%
Hawaii	Richard Nixon	62.5%	4	George McGovern · 37.5%
Idaho	Richard Nixon	64.2%	4	George McGovern · 26.0%
Illinois	Richard Nixon	59.0%	26	George McGovern · 40.5%
Indiana	Richard Nixon	66.1%	13	George McGovern · 33.3%
Iowa	Richard Nixon	57.6%	8	George McGovern · 40.5%
Kansas	Richard Nixon	67.7%	7	George McGovern · 29.5%
Kentucky	Richard Nixon	63.4%	9	George McGovern · 34.8%
Louisiana	Richard Nixon	66.0%	10	George McGovern · 28.6%
Maine	Richard Nixon	61.5%	4	George McGovern · 38.5%
Maryland	Richard Nixon	61.3%	10	George McGovern · 37.4%
Massachusetts	George McGovern	54.2%	14	Richard Nixon · 45.2%
Michigan	Richard Nixon	56.2%	21	George McGovern · 41.8%
Minnesota	Richard Nixon	51.6%	10	George McGovern · 46.1%
Mississippi	Richard Nixon	78.2%	7	George McGovern · 19.6%
Missouri	Richard Nixon	62.3%	12	George McGovern · 37.7%
Montana	Richard Nixon	57.9%	4	George McGovern · 37.9%
Nebraska	Richard Nixon	70.5%	5	George McGovern · 29.5%
Nevada	Richard Nixon	63.7%	3	George McGovern · 36.3%
New Hampshire	Richard Nixon	64.0%	4	George McGovern · 34.9%
New Jersey	Richard Nixon	61.6%	17	George McGovern · 36.8%
New Mexico	Richard Nixon	61.1%	4	George McGovern · 36.6%
New York	Richard Nixon	57.3%	41	George McGovern · 40.3%
North Carolina	Richard Nixon	69.5%	13	George McGovern · 28.9%
North Dakota	Richard Nixon	62.1%	3	George McGovern · 35.8%
Ohio	Richard Nixon	59.6%	25	George McGovern · 38.1%
Oklahoma	Richard Nixon	73.7%	8	George McGovern · 24.0%
Oregon	Richard Nixon	52.5%	6	George McGovern · 42.3%
Pennsylvania	Richard Nixon	59.1%	27	George McGovern · 39.1%
Rhode Island	Richard Nixon	53.0%	4	George McGovern · 46.8%
South Carolina	Richard Nixon	70.8%	8	George McGovern · 27.7%
South Dakota	Richard Nixon	54.2%	4	George McGovern · 45.5%
Tennessee	Richard Nixon	67.7%	10	George McGovern · 29.8%
Texas	Richard Nixon	66.2%	26	George McGovern · 33.3%
Utah	Richard Nixon	67.6%	4	George McGovern · 26.4%
Vermont	Richard Nixon	62.9%	3	George McGovern · 36.6%
Virginia	Richard Nixon	67.8%	11	George McGovern · 30.1%
Washington	Richard Nixon	56.9%	9	George McGovern · 38.6%
West Virginia	Richard Nixon	63.6%	6	George McGovern · 36.4%
Wisconsin	Richard Nixon	53.4%	11	George McGovern · 43.7%
Wyoming	Richard Nixon	69.0%	3	George McGovern · 30.5%

The Congress it seated

93th Congress

1973–1975

Divided government

Senate

56–42 +2

Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +2 independents

House

243–192

Democratic control · Democratic–Republican