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1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina

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Main article: 1972 United States presidential election
1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina
← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 13 0
Popular vote 1,054,889 438,705
Percentage 69.46% 28.89%
President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elections in North Carolina
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The 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Amidst a nationwide landslide defeat especially felt in the South, McGovern won only two counties in North Carolina, neither of which have voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the Fourth Party System era: Orange County in the Research Triangle region, home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and majority-Black Northampton County in the northeast of the state.[1] Even in these counties, where most Democratic candidates receive over sixty percent of the vote (and where Walter Mondale in 1984 would still win by double digits), McGovern won by less than five points.[2] 78% of white voters supported Nixon, while only 20% supported McGovern.[3][4]

1972 was the first election in which a presidential candidate received more than one million votes in North Carolina, and remains the best Republican presidential performance in its history. As of the 2024 presidential election, this is also the last election in which Bertie, Durham, Edgecombe, Halifax, Hertford, Hoke, Warren, or Washington counties voted for the Republican candidate.[5]

Primaries

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Democratic

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1972 North Carolina Democratic Party presidential primary
← 1968 May 6, 1972 1976 →
 
Candidate George Wallace Terry Sanford Shirley Chisholm
Home state Alabama North Carolina New York
Popular vote 413,518 306,014 61,723
Percentage 50.34% 37.26% 7.51%
County Results

Alabama Governor, George Wallace, would defeat favorite son candidate, Terry Sanford.[6]

Democratic Primary – May 6, 1972
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George Wallace 413,518 50.34%
Democratic Terry Sanford 306,014 37.26%
Democratic Shirley Chisholm 61,723 7.51%
Democratic Edmund Muskie 30,739 3.74%
Democratic Henry M. Jackson 9,416 1.15%
Total votes 821,410 100

Republican

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Campaign

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Polls

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Source Rating As of
Corvallis Gazette-Times[7] Safe R September 19, 1972
The Bradenton Herald[8] Certain R October 9, 1972
The Austin American[9] Certain R November 1, 1972
Sun Herald[10] Certain R November 5, 1972

Results

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1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina[11]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 1,054,889 69.46% 13
Democratic George McGovern 438,705 28.89% 0
American Independent John G. Schmitz 25,018 1.65% 0
Write-ins[a] Various candidates 162 0.01% 0
Totals 1,518,774 100.0% 13
Voter turnout 44.35% —

By county

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County[12] Richard Nixon
Republican 		George McGovern
Democratic 		John G. Schmitz
American 		Margin Total
# % # % # % # %
Alamance 22,046 74.61% 6,833 23.12% 670 2.27% 15,213 51.49% 29,549
Alexander 5,865 68.95% 2,468 29.01% 173 2.04% 3,397 39.94% 8,506
Alleghany 2,158 61.29% 1,304 37.03% 59 1.68% 854 24.26% 3,521
Anson 3,551 60.88% 2,188 37.51% 94 1.61% 1,363 23.37% 5,833
Ashe 5,784 62.95% 3,313 36.06% 91 0.99% 2,471 26.89% 9,188
Avery 3,510 83.99% 627 15.00% 42 1.01% 2,883 68.99% 4,179
Beaufort 6,915 69.65% 2,901 29.22% 112 1.13% 4,014 40.43% 9,928
Bertie 2,874 60.54% 1,819 38.32% 54 1.14% 1,055 22.22% 4,747
Bladen 4,205 64.72% 2,201 33.88% 91 1.40% 2,004 30.84% 6,497
Brunswick 6,153 69.06% 2,500 28.06% 256 2.88% 3,653 41.00% 8,909
Buncombe 32,091 70.38% 12,626 27.69% 877 1.93% 19,465 42.69% 45,594
Burke 14,447 68.96% 6,197 29.58% 306 1.46% 8,250 39.38% 20,950
Cabarrus 18,384 76.45% 5,336 22.19% 328 1.36% 13,048 54.26% 24,048
Caldwell 12,976 71.41% 4,886 26.89% 309 1.70% 8,090 44.52% 18,171
Camden 909 60.20% 556 36.82% 45 2.98% 353 23.38% 1,510
Carteret 8,463 74.14% 2,805 24.57% 147 1.29% 5,658 49.57% 11,415
Caswell 2,983 59.65% 1,922 38.43% 96 1.92% 1,061 21.22% 5,001
Catawba 24,106 74.46% 7,744 23.92% 525 1.62% 16,362 50.54% 32,375
Chatham 6,175 62.12% 3,624 36.46% 142 1.42% 2,551 25.66% 9,941
Cherokee 4,113 62.28% 2,411 36.51% 80 1.21% 1,702 25.77% 6,604
Chowan 1,906 66.39% 936 32.60% 29 1.01% 970 33.79% 2,871
Clay 1,545 65.19% 797 33.63% 28 1.18% 748 31.56% 2,370
Cleveland 13,726 72.06% 4,994 26.22% 328 1.72% 8,732 45.84% 19,048
Columbus 8,468 70.64% 3,305 27.57% 214 1.79% 5,163 43.07% 11,987
Craven 9,372 78.74% 2,384 20.03% 147 1.23% 6,988 58.71% 11,903
Cumberland 24,376 70.46% 9,853 28.48% 366 1.06% 14,523 41.98% 34,595
Currituck 1,578 66.67% 718 30.33% 71 3.00% 860 36.34% 2,367
Dare 1,986 75.20% 634 24.01% 21 0.79% 1,352 51.19% 2,641
Davidson 24,875 74.79% 7,691 23.12% 696 2.09% 17,184 51.67% 33,262
Davie 5,613 75.69% 1,578 21.28% 225 3.03% 4,035 54.41% 7,416
Duplin 7,153 70.61% 2,857 28.20% 120 1.19% 4,296 42.41% 10,130
Durham 25,576 61.38% 15,566 37.36% 525 1.26% 10,010 24.02% 41,667
Edgecombe 8,244 62.53% 4,635 35.16% 305 2.31% 3,609 27.37% 13,184
Forsyth 46,415 67.69% 20,928 30.52% 1,226 1.79% 25,487 37.17% 68,569
Franklin 5,431 68.37% 2,341 29.47% 172 2.16% 3,090 38.90% 7,944
Gaston 27,956 75.76% 8,462 22.93% 483 1.31% 19,494 52.83% 36,901
Gates 1,264 51.01% 1,177 47.50% 37 1.49% 87 3.51% 2,478
Graham 1,699 61.05% 1,057 37.98% 27 0.97% 642 23.07% 2,783
Granville 6,037 66.82% 2,918 32.30% 80 0.88% 3,119 34.52% 9,035
Greene 2,788 75.68% 847 22.99% 49 1.33% 1,941 52.69% 3,684
Guilford 61,381 69.46% 25,800 29.20% 1,185 1.34% 35,581 40.26% 88,366
Halifax 8,908 66.60% 4,241 31.71% 226 1.69% 4,667 34.89% 13,375
Harnett 10,259 74.64% 3,347 24.35% 138 1.01% 6,912 50.29% 13,744
Haywood 8,903 64.84% 4,515 32.88% 313 2.28% 4,388 31.96% 13,731
Henderson 12,134 80.17% 2,701 17.85% 300 1.98% 9,433 62.32% 15,135
Hertford 2,794 58.34% 1,928 40.26% 67 1.40% 866 18.08% 4,789
Hoke 1,927 56.25% 1,466 42.79% 33 0.96% 461 13.46% 3,426
Hyde 1,112 69.28% 403 25.11% 90 5.61% 709 44.17% 1,605
Iredell 16,736 73.79% 5,088 22.43% 858 3.78% 11,648 51.36% 22,682
Jackson 4,709 59.11% 3,169 39.78% 89 1.11% 1,540 19.33% 7,967
Johnston 14,272 79.24% 3,488 19.37% 251 1.39% 10,784 59.87% 18,011
Jones 1,650 58.93% 1,093 39.04% 57 2.03% 557 19.89% 2,800
Lee 5,836 72.71% 2,024 25.22% 166 2.07% 3,812 47.49% 8,026
Lenoir 11,065 73.89% 3,672 24.52% 238 1.59% 7,393 49.37% 14,975
Lincoln 8,597 61.88% 5,100 36.71% 195 1.41% 3,497 25.17% 13,892
Macon 4,134 69.20% 1,749 29.28% 91 1.52% 2,385 39.92% 5,974
Madison 3,273 61.18% 2,039 38.11% 38 0.71% 1,234 23.07% 5,350
Martin 4,188 68.76% 1,840 30.21% 63 1.03% 2,348 38.55% 6,091
McDowell 6,570 72.09% 2,348 25.76% 196 2.15% 4,222 46.33% 9,114
Mecklenburg 77,546 68.52% 33,730 29.80% 1,900 1.68% 43,816 38.72% 113,176
Mitchell 4,240 83.45% 800 15.74% 41 0.81% 3,440 67.71% 5,081
Montgomery 4,417 65.67% 2,175 32.34% 134 1.99% 2,242 33.33% 6,726
Moore 9,406 70.68% 3,627 27.25% 275 2.07% 5,779 43.43% 13,308
Nash 12,679 71.39% 4,503 25.35% 579 3.26% 8,176 46.04% 17,761
New Hanover 19,060 74.41% 5,894 23.01% 661 2.58% 13,166 51.40% 25,615
Northampton 2,997 47.71% 3,233 51.46% 52 0.83% −236 −3.75% 6,282
Onslow 10,343 80.05% 2,424 18.76% 154 1.19% 7,919 61.29% 12,921
Orange 11,632 47.66% 12,634 51.76% 142 0.58% −1,002 −4.10% 24,408
Pamlico 1,847 66.11% 919 32.89% 28 1.00% 928 33.22% 2,794
Pasquotank 3,906 63.07% 2,115 34.15% 172 2.78% 1,791 28.92% 6,193
Pender 3,327 68.90% 1,415 29.30% 87 1.80% 1,912 39.60% 4,829
Perquimans 1,299 62.57% 723 34.83% 54 2.60% 576 27.74% 2,076
Person 5,941 71.89% 2,246 27.18% 77 0.93% 3,695 44.71% 8,264
Pitt 14,406 70.41% 5,858 28.63% 195 0.96% 8,548 41.78% 20,459
Polk 3,121 67.31% 1,416 30.54% 100 2.15% 1,705 36.77% 4,637
Randolph 18,724 76.02% 5,346 21.71% 559 2.27% 13,378 54.31% 24,629
Richmond 5,692 60.84% 3,508 37.49% 156 1.67% 2,184 23.35% 9,356
Robeson 11,362 59.99% 7,391 39.02% 188 0.99% 3,971 20.97% 18,941
Rockingham 14,519 71.15% 5,530 27.10% 358 1.75% 8,989 44.05% 20,407
Rowan 20,735 73.34% 6,834 24.17% 705 2.49% 13,901 49.17% 28,274
Rutherford 9,506 68.80% 4,140 29.97% 170 1.23% 5,366 38.83% 13,816
Sampson 9,684 65.76% 4,888 33.19% 154 1.05% 4,796 32.57% 14,726
Scotland 3,485 63.69% 1,938 35.42% 49 0.89% 1,547 28.27% 5,472
Stanly 12,459 69.32% 5,218 29.03% 295 1.65% 7,241 40.29% 17,972
Stokes 7,118 66.86% 3,254 30.57% 274 2.57% 3,864 36.29% 10,646
Surry 10,497 67.78% 4,706 30.39% 284 1.83% 5,791 37.39% 15,487
Swain 2,052 64.45% 1,101 34.58% 31 0.97% 951 29.87% 3,184
Transylvania 5,860 69.73% 2,321 27.62% 223 2.65% 3,539 42.11% 8,404
Tyrrell 676 59.30% 459 40.26% 5 0.44% 217 19.04% 1,140
Union 10,264 71.60% 3,886 27.11% 186 1.29% 6,378 44.49% 14,336
Vance 6,491 66.85% 3,117 32.10% 102 1.05% 3,374 34.75% 9,710
Wake 56,808 70.32% 22,807 28.23% 1,174 1.45% 34,001 42.09% 80,789
Warren 2,603 59.62% 1,698 38.89% 65 1.49% 905 20.73% 4,366
Washington 2,559 61.65% 1,546 37.24% 46 1.11% 1,013 24.41% 4,151
Watauga 6,017 62.85% 3,451 36.05% 105 1.10% 2,566 26.80% 9,573
Wayne 14,352 72.33% 5,234 26.38% 256 1.29% 9,118 45.95% 19,842
Wilkes 13,105 72.83% 4,634 25.75% 255 1.42% 8,471 47.08% 17,994
Wilson 12,060 73.04% 4,166 25.23% 286 1.73% 7,894 47.81% 16,512
Yadkin 6,824 79.16% 1,592 18.47% 205 2.37% 5,232 60.69% 8,621
Yancey 3,106 57.10% 2,278 41.88% 56 1.02% 828 15.22% 5,440
Totals 1,054,889 69.46% 438,705 28.89% 25,018 1.65% 616,184 40.57% 1,518,612

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

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Notes

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  1. ^ These write-in votes were not separated by county but given only as a state-wide total.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016.
  2. ^ David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; 1984 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina
  3. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  4. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  5. ^ "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – North Carolina". David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
  6. ^ "Our Campaigns - NC US President - D Primary Race - May 06, 1972".
  7. ^ "Nixon May Sweep Dixie States". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Corvallis, Oregon. September 19, 1972. p. 24.
  8. ^ Phillips, Kevin P. (October 9, 1972). "Dixie May Swing Political Future". The Bradenton Herald. Bradenton, Florida. p. 7-B.
  9. ^ Furgursson, Ernest B. (October 25, 1972). "By Democrats in South — National Issues Ignored". The Austin American. Austin, Texas. p. 4.
  10. ^ "Nixon Expected To Sweep South". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. November 5, 1972. p. C-9.
  11. ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina". David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
  12. ^ a b Our Campaigns; NC US President Race, November 07, 1972

Works cited

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