Elections / 1972 · President · KY
Kentucky — 1972 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1972 presidential electionKentucky · PresidentNixonR+28.6
How it voted
Share of the 1972 vote
| Richard Nixon ✓Republican | 63.4% | 676,446 |
|---|---|---|
| George McGovernDemocratic | 34.8% | 371,159 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 1.9% | 19,894 |
1972presidential margin
D+60R+60
120 counties, each filled by 1972 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
Kentucky cast 9 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (120 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Adair County, KY | Republican | R+40.7 |
| Allen County, KY | Republican | R+40.8 |
| Anderson County, KY | Republican | R+27.1 |
| Ballard County, KY | Republican | R+4.2 |
| Barren County, KY | Republican | R+27.7 |
| Bath County, KY | Republican | R+17.4 |
| Bell County, KY | Republican | R+33.4 |
| Boone County, KY | Republican | R+46.3 |
| Bourbon County, KY | Republican | R+25.7 |
| Boyd County, KY | Republican | R+32.8 |
| Boyle County, KY | Republican | R+28.3 |
| Bracken County, KY | Republican | R+29.8 |
| Breathitt County, KY | Democratic | D+18.3 |
| Breckinridge County, KY | Republican | R+29.7 |
| Bullitt County, KY | Republican | R+22.4 |
| Butler County, KY | Republican | R+55.2 |
| Caldwell County, KY | Republican | R+36.1 |
| Calloway County, KY | Republican | R+19.5 |
| Campbell County, KY | Republican | R+38.9 |
| Carlisle County, KY | Republican | R+14.2 |
| Carroll County, KY | Democratic | D+3.1 |
| Carter County, KY | Republican | R+22.2 |
| Casey County, KY | Republican | R+59.5 |
| Christian County, KY | Republican | R+28.6 |
| Clark County, KY | Republican | R+37.8 |
| Clay County, KY | Republican | R+40.4 |
| Clinton County, KY | Republican | R+59.7 |
| Crittenden County, KY | Republican | R+44.2 |
| Cumberland County, KY | Republican | R+53.6 |
| Daviess County, KY | Republican | R+34.5 |
| Edmonson County, KY | Republican | R+52.2 |
| Elliott County, KY | Democratic | D+31.2 |
| Estill County, KY | Republican | R+39.4 |
| Fayette County, KY | Republican | R+35.4 |
| Fleming County, KY | Republican | R+25.8 |
| Floyd County, KY | Democratic | D+10.5 |
| Franklin County, KY | Republican | R+15.9 |
| Fulton County, KY | Republican | R+26.6 |
| Gallatin County, KY | Republican | R+7.9 |
| Garrard County, KY | Republican | R+36.5 |
| Grant County, KY | Republican | R+31.7 |
| Graves County, KY | Republican | R+23.7 |
| Grayson County, KY | Republican | R+37.9 |
| Green County, KY | Republican | R+38.6 |
| Greenup County, KY | Republican | R+20.4 |
| Hancock County, KY | Republican | R+32.3 |
| Hardin County, KY | Republican | R+35.3 |
| Harlan County, KY | Republican | R+19.8 |
| Harrison County, KY | Republican | R+20.8 |
| Hart County, KY | Republican | R+21.5 |
| Henderson County, KY | Republican | R+22.8 |
| Henry County, KY | Republican | R+6.3 |
| Hickman County, KY | Republican | R+18.0 |
| Hopkins County, KY | Republican | R+38.5 |
| Jackson County, KY | Republican | R+84.6 |
| Jefferson County, KY | Republican | R+23.0 |
| Jessamine County, KY | Republican | R+48.7 |
| Johnson County, KY | Republican | R+45.2 |
| Kenton County, KY | Republican | R+36.1 |
| Knott County, KY | Democratic | D+30.2 |
| Knox County, KY | Republican | R+46.7 |
| Larue County, KY | Republican | R+24.3 |
| Laurel County, KY | Republican | R+52.0 |
| Lawrence County, KY | Republican | R+21.8 |
| Lee County, KY | Republican | R+37.1 |
| Leslie County, KY | Republican | R+56.3 |
| Letcher County, KY | Republican | R+18.1 |
| Lewis County, KY | Republican | R+44.1 |
| Lincoln County, KY | Republican | R+31.3 |
| Livingston County, KY | Republican | R+21.8 |
| Logan County, KY | Republican | R+18.0 |
| Lyon County, KY | Republican | R+19.5 |
| Madison County, KY | Republican | R+32.8 |
| Magoffin County, KY | Republican | R+5.1 |
| Marion County, KY | Republican | R+0.4 |
| Marshall County, KY | Republican | R+20.5 |
| Martin County, KY | Republican | R+57.2 |
| Mason County, KY | Republican | R+17.7 |
| McCracken County, KY | Republican | R+18.9 |
| McCreary County, KY | Republican | R+63.4 |
| McLean County, KY | Republican | R+31.4 |
| Meade County, KY | Republican | R+23.3 |
| Menifee County, KY | Democratic | D+10.0 |
| Mercer County, KY | Republican | R+34.5 |
| Metcalfe County, KY | Republican | R+18.2 |
| Monroe County, KY | Republican | R+65.7 |
| Montgomery County, KY | Republican | R+26.4 |
| Morgan County, KY | Democratic | D+8.3 |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | Republican | R+26.2 |
| Nelson County, KY | Republican | R+10.2 |
| Nicholas County, KY | Republican | R+14.2 |
| Ohio County, KY | Republican | R+44.6 |
| Oldham County, KY | Republican | R+38.7 |
| Owen County, KY | Republican | R+11.1 |
| Owsley County, KY | Republican | R+67.9 |
| Pendleton County, KY | Republican | R+36.2 |
| Perry County, KY | Republican | R+19.6 |
| Pike County, KY | Republican | R+13.6 |
| Powell County, KY | Republican | R+17.7 |
| Pulaski County, KY | Republican | R+54.6 |
| Robertson County, KY | Republican | R+3.9 |
| Rockcastle County, KY | Republican | R+55.5 |
| Rowan County, KY | Republican | R+19.7 |
| Russell County, KY | Republican | R+54.1 |
| Scott County, KY | Republican | R+32.1 |
| Shelby County, KY | Republican | R+30.0 |
| Simpson County, KY | Republican | R+26.3 |
| Spencer County, KY | Republican | R+39.2 |
| Taylor County, KY | Republican | R+36.6 |
| Todd County, KY | Republican | R+22.4 |
| Trigg County, KY | Republican | R+7.6 |
| Trimble County, KY | Republican | R+10.4 |
| Union County, KY | Republican | R+18.4 |
| Warren County, KY | Republican | R+35.0 |
| Washington County, KY | Republican | R+20.4 |
| Wayne County, KY | Republican | R+30.6 |
| Webster County, KY | Republican | R+16.4 |
| Whitley County, KY | Republican | R+50.6 |
| Wolfe County, KY | Democratic | D+1.1 |
| Woodford County, KY | Republican | R+43.8 |
Nominees: George McGovern (D) · Richard Nixon (R)
Kentucky's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1972 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +11.7% |
| 1896 | −0.1% |
| 1900 | +1.7% |
| 1904 | +2.7% |
| 1908 | +1.7% |
| 1912 | +23.2% |
| 1916 | +5.4% |
| 1920 | +0.4% |
| 1924 | −2.9% |
| 1928 | −18.9% |
| 1932 | +18.9% |
| 1936 | +18.6% |
| 1940 | +15.1% |
| 1944 | +9.2% |
| 1948 | +15.3% |
| 1952 | +0.1% |
| 1956 | −9.1% |
| 1960 | −7.2% |
| 1964 | +28.4% |
| 1968 | −6.1% |
| 1972 | −28.6% |
| 1976 | +7.2% |
| 1980 | −1.5% |
| 1984 | −20.7% |
| 1988 | −11.6% |
| 1992 | +3.2% |
| 1996 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | −15.1% |
| 2004 | −19.9% |
| 2008 | −16.2% |
| 2012 | −22.7% |
| 2016 | −29.8% |
| 2020 | −25.9% |
| 2024 | −30.5% |
County-by-county results — 120 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | R | 1,610 | 3,859 | 5,531 | |
| Allen County | R | 1,259 | 3,025 | 4,332 | |
| Anderson County | R | 1,302 | 2,298 | 3,670 | |
| Ballard County | R | 1,411 | 1,542 | 3,089 | |
| Barren County | R | 3,384 | 6,070 | 9,696 | |
| Bath County | R | 1,347 | 1,919 | 3,282 | |
| Bell County | R | 3,219 | 6,518 | 9,867 | |
| Boone County | R | 2,595 | 7,355 | 10,280 | |
| Bourbon County | R | 1,860 | 3,180 | 5,127 | |
| Boyd County | R | 6,434 | 12,812 | 19,437 | |
| Boyle County | R | 2,395 | 4,317 | 6,781 | |
| Bracken County | R | 873 | 1,628 | 2,532 | |
| Breathitt County | D | 2,677 | 1,846 | 4,541 | |
| Breckinridge County | R | 1,921 | 3,574 | 5,563 | |
| Bullitt County | R | 2,827 | 4,517 | 7,553 | |
| Butler County | R | 835 | 2,941 | 3,818 | |
| Caldwell County | R | 1,345 | 2,952 | 4,451 | |
| Calloway County | R | 3,468 | 5,167 | 8,732 | |
| Campbell County | R | 8,585 | 20,025 | 29,445 | |
| Carlisle County | R | 872 | 1,169 | 2,097 | |
| Carroll County | D | 1,308 | 1,228 | 2,574 | |
| Carter County | R | 2,591 | 4,082 | 6,727 | |
| Casey County | R | 913 | 3,727 | 4,728 | |
| Christian County | R | 4,063 | 7,414 | 11,705 | |
| Clark County | R | 2,020 | 4,506 | 6,585 | |
| Clay County | R | 1,709 | 4,046 | 5,781 | |
| Clinton County | R | 659 | 2,632 | 3,307 | |
| Crittenden County | R | 859 | 2,248 | 3,143 | |
| Cumberland County | R | 686 | 2,294 | 3,002 | |
| Daviess County | R | 8,168 | 17,234 | 26,256 | |
| Edmonson County | R | 722 | 2,327 | 3,074 | |
| Elliott County | D | 1,499 | 782 | 2,297 | |
| Estill County | R | 1,322 | 3,054 | 4,399 | |
| Fayette County | R | 19,828 | 42,362 | 63,666 | |
| Fleming County | R | 1,455 | 2,484 | 3,982 | |
| Floyd County | D | 7,544 | 6,099 | 13,800 | |
| Franklin County | R | 5,601 | 7,781 | 13,679 | |
| Fulton County | R | 1,024 | 1,807 | 2,947 | |
| Gallatin County | R | 612 | 719 | 1,347 | |
| Garrard County | R | 1,441 | 3,143 | 4,657 | |
| Grant County | R | 1,054 | 2,086 | 3,258 | |
| Graves County | R | 3,701 | 6,098 | 10,100 | |
| Grayson County | R | 1,839 | 4,155 | 6,111 | |
| Green County | R | 1,209 | 2,755 | 4,003 | |
| Greenup County | R | 4,491 | 6,828 | 11,437 | |
| Hancock County | R | 791 | 1,583 | 2,450 | |
| Hardin County | R | 4,060 | 8,740 | 13,256 | |
| Harlan County | R | 4,349 | 6,527 | 10,985 | |
| Harrison County | R | 1,780 | 2,732 | 4,576 | |
| Hart County | R | 2,307 | 3,582 | 5,939 | |
| Henderson County | R | 3,889 | 6,231 | 10,269 | |
| Henry County | R | 1,688 | 1,919 | 3,656 | |
| Hickman County | R | 976 | 1,430 | 2,524 | |
| Hopkins County | R | 3,129 | 7,133 | 10,388 | |
| Jackson County | R | 436 | 5,303 | 5,753 | |
| Jefferson County | R | 88,143 | 142,436 | 235,764 | |
| Jessamine County | R | 1,269 | 3,819 | 5,238 | |
| Johnson County | R | 1,840 | 4,907 | 6,792 | |
| Kenton County | R | 12,872 | 28,076 | 42,121 | |
| Knott County | D | 2,774 | 1,479 | 4,287 | |
| Knox County | R | 1,805 | 5,017 | 6,879 | |
| Larue County | R | 1,483 | 2,449 | 3,980 | |
| Laurel County | R | 2,274 | 7,276 | 9,620 | |
| Lawrence County | R | 1,529 | 2,392 | 3,955 | |
| Lee County | R | 744 | 1,629 | 2,388 | |
| Leslie County | R | 913 | 3,299 | 4,236 | |
| Letcher County | R | 2,908 | 4,213 | 7,197 | |
| Lewis County | R | 1,200 | 3,124 | 4,365 | |
| Lincoln County | R | 1,882 | 3,623 | 5,571 | |
| Livingston County | R | 1,065 | 1,673 | 2,790 | |
| Logan County | R | 2,459 | 3,573 | 6,175 | |
| Lyon County | R | 687 | 1,030 | 1,760 | |
| Madison County | R | 4,328 | 8,659 | 13,199 | |
| Magoffin County | R | 2,024 | 2,243 | 4,281 | |
| Marion County | R | 2,351 | 2,370 | 4,765 | |
| Marshall County | R | 2,806 | 4,290 | 7,252 | |
| Martin County | R | 661 | 2,495 | 3,204 | |
| Mason County | R | 2,459 | 3,529 | 6,037 | |
| McCracken County | R | 7,567 | 11,260 | 19,518 | |
| McCreary County | R | 684 | 3,203 | 3,976 | |
| McLean County | R | 1,191 | 2,298 | 3,530 | |
| Meade County | R | 1,541 | 2,492 | 4,090 | |
| Menifee County | D | 732 | 596 | 1,358 | |
| Mercer County | R | 1,707 | 3,575 | 5,410 | |
| Metcalfe County | R | 1,308 | 1,896 | 3,238 | |
| Monroe County | R | 768 | 3,770 | 4,566 | |
| Montgomery County | R | 1,657 | 2,868 | 4,579 | |
| Morgan County | D | 1,815 | 1,535 | 3,369 | |
| Muhlenberg County | R | 3,246 | 5,596 | 8,978 | |
| Nelson County | R | 2,828 | 3,495 | 6,528 | |
| Nicholas County | R | 804 | 1,076 | 1,914 | |
| Ohio County | R | 906 | 2,392 | 3,334 | |
| Oldham County | R | 1,311 | 3,041 | 4,472 | |
| Owen County | R | 1,161 | 1,456 | 2,651 | |
| Owsley County | R | 251 | 1,328 | 1,587 | |
| Pendleton County | R | 909 | 1,966 | 2,922 | |
| Perry County | R | 3,601 | 5,373 | 9,050 | |
| Pike County | R | 9,513 | 12,535 | 22,200 | |
| Powell County | R | 1,230 | 1,766 | 3,024 | |
| Pulaski County | R | 3,080 | 10,602 | 13,770 | |
| Robertson County | R | 421 | 456 | 894 | |
| Rockcastle County | R | 968 | 3,437 | 4,446 | |
| Rowan County | R | 2,169 | 3,245 | 5,458 | |
| Russell County | R | 1,169 | 3,992 | 5,220 | |
| Scott County | R | 1,642 | 3,255 | 5,026 | |
| Shelby County | R | 2,074 | 3,893 | 6,065 | |
| Simpson County | R | 1,325 | 2,285 | 3,652 | |
| Spencer County | R | 481 | 1,120 | 1,629 | |
| Taylor County | R | 1,859 | 4,035 | 5,952 | |
| Todd County | R | 1,222 | 1,964 | 3,315 | |
| Trigg County | R | 1,514 | 1,767 | 3,337 | |
| Trimble County | R | 757 | 935 | 1,712 | |
| Union County | R | 1,855 | 2,701 | 4,604 | |
| Warren County | R | 5,934 | 12,481 | 18,691 | |
| Washington County | R | 1,552 | 2,378 | 4,051 | |
| Wayne County | R | 1,853 | 3,514 | 5,420 | |
| Webster County | R | 1,712 | 2,396 | 4,162 | |
| Whitley County | R | 2,199 | 6,788 | 9,062 | |
| Wolfe County | D | 957 | 936 | 1,917 | |
| Woodford County | R | 1,268 | 3,363 | 4,781 |
Source. Compiled historical county records — 1972 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.