Richard Nixon carried California R+13.5.

George McGovern (D) vs Richard Nixon (R) in California, 1972. The state ran 9.7 points more Democratic than the nation (R+23.2 nationally).

Nominees: George McGovern (D) · Richard Nixon (R)

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California result

8,367,862 votes counted

McGovern (D)

3,475,847

41.5%

Nixon (R)

4,602,096

55.0%

All others

289,919

3.5%

Margin

R+13.5

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1972 presidential election

California, 1972

NixonR+13.5

How it voted

Share of the 1972 vote

Richard Nixon ✓Republican	55.0%	4,602,096
George McGovernDemocratic	41.5%	3,475,847
OtherAll other candidates	3.5%	289,919

D+60

R+60

58 counties, each filled by 1972 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.

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California's presidential margins

1876–2024, the 1972 contest in context

California's presidential margins

Year	Margin (D minus R)
1876	−1.8%
1880	+0.1%
1884	−6.7%
1888	−2.8%
1892	+1.2%
1896	−0.6%
1900	−13.1%
1904	−34.9%
1908	−22.5%
1912	+41.8%
1916	+0.4%
1920	−41.9%
1924	−49.0%
1928	−30.5%
1932	+21.0%
1936	+35.3%
1940	+16.1%
1944	+13.5%
1948	+0.4%
1952	−13.6%
1956	−11.1%
1960	−0.5%
1964	+18.3%
1968	−3.1%
1972	−13.5%
1976	−1.8%
1980	−16.8%
1984	−16.2%
1988	−3.6%
1992	+13.4%
1996	+12.9%
2000	+11.8%
2004	+9.9%
2008	+24.0%
2012	+23.1%
2016	+30.0%
2020	+29.1%
2024	+20.1%

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County results — 1972

58 counties; every row links to the county's full page.

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County	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
Alameda County	D	+12.2%	259,254	201,862	471,195
Alpine County	R	−29.7%	195	366	576
Amador County	R	−12.5%	2,705	3,533	6,616
Butte County	R	−20.8%	18,401	28,819	50,028
Calaveras County	R	−27.3%	2,268	4,119	6,779
Colusa County	R	−19.2%	1,810	2,715	4,717
Contra Costa County	R	−10.6%	111,718	139,044	256,884
Del Norte County	R	−13.7%	2,156	2,927	5,648
El Dorado County	R	−12.8%	8,654	11,330	20,905
Fresno County	R	−4.1%	72,682	79,051	156,719
Glenn County	R	−24.4%	2,681	4,569	7,743
Humboldt County	R	−2.7%	21,132	22,345	45,763
Imperial County	R	−27.1%	7,982	14,178	22,849
Inyo County	R	−40.0%	2,006	4,873	7,159
Kern County	R	−25.0%	41,937	71,686	119,193
Kings County	R	−17.4%	7,274	10,509	18,595
Lake County	R	−15.0%	4,715	6,477	11,750
Lassen County	R	−6.8%	3,134	3,618	7,122
Los Angeles County	R	−12.7%	1,189,977	1,549,717	2,830,370
Madera County	R	−8.4%	6,580	7,835	14,892
Marin County	R	−6.5%	47,414	54,123	103,883
Mariposa County	R	−16.8%	1,487	2,122	3,779
Mendocino County	R	−7.8%	9,435	11,128	21,814
Merced County	R	−11.7%	13,914	17,737	32,648
Modoc County	R	−22.8%	1,271	2,085	3,565
Mono County	R	−37.3%	828	1,872	2,799
Monterey County	R	−17.5%	32,545	47,004	82,408
Napa County	R	−22.6%	14,529	23,403	39,261
Nevada County	R	−15.8%	5,693	8,004	14,638
Orange County	R	−41.3%	176,847	448,291	656,653
Placer County	R	−4.6%	16,911	18,597	36,945
Plumas County	D	+1.7%	3,057	2,952	6,360
Riverside County	R	−19.6%	71,591	108,120	186,404
Sacramento County	R	−1.4%	137,287	141,218	288,221
San Benito County	R	−20.0%	2,582	3,961	6,881
San Bernardino County	R	−24.2%	85,986	144,689	242,256
San Diego County	R	−27.5%	206,455	371,627	601,137
San Francisco County	D	+14.2%	170,882	127,461	304,770
San Joaquin County	R	−15.8%	44,062	61,646	111,469
San Luis Obispo County	R	−15.3%	20,779	28,566	51,033
San Mateo County	R	−10.0%	109,745	135,377	256,297
Santa Barbara County	R	−13.5%	50,609	67,075	121,541
Santa Clara County	R	−6.3%	208,506	237,334	457,293
Santa Cruz County	R	−3.5%	32,336	34,799	69,759
Shasta County	D	+1.7%	17,214	16,618	35,603
Sierra County	D	+2.2%	658	629	1,324
Siskiyou County	R	−7.7%	6,434	7,563	14,696
Solano County	R	−11.3%	24,766	31,314	57,965
Sonoma County	R	−13.2%	43,746	57,697	105,434
Stanislaus County	R	−5.9%	35,005	39,521	76,867
Sutter County	R	−29.4%	5,409	10,224	16,372
Tehama County	R	−7.1%	5,175	6,054	12,424
Trinity County	R	−6.7%	1,621	1,868	3,681
Tulare County	R	−23.7%	21,775	36,048	60,150
Tuolumne County	R	−12.0%	4,596	5,894	10,856
Ventura County	R	−30.5%	49,307	95,310	150,805
Yolo County	D	+13.4%	23,694	17,969	42,738
Yuba County	R	−18.8%	4,435	6,623	11,630