Elections / 1972 · President · NC
North Carolina — 1972 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1972 presidential electionNorth Carolina · PresidentNixonR+40.6
How it voted
Share of the 1972 vote
| Richard Nixon ✓Republican | 69.5% | 1,054,889 |
|---|---|---|
| George McGovernDemocratic | 28.9% | 438,705 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 1.6% | 25,018 |
1972presidential margin
D+60R+60
100 counties, each filled by 1972 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
North Carolina cast 13 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (100 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Alamance County, NC | Republican | R+51.5 |
| Alexander County, NC | Republican | R+39.9 |
| Alleghany County, NC | Republican | R+24.3 |
| Anson County, NC | Republican | R+23.4 |
| Ashe County, NC | Republican | R+26.9 |
| Avery County, NC | Republican | R+69.0 |
| Beaufort County, NC | Republican | R+40.4 |
| Bertie County, NC | Republican | R+22.2 |
| Bladen County, NC | Republican | R+30.8 |
| Brunswick County, NC | Republican | R+41.0 |
| Buncombe County, NC | Republican | R+42.7 |
| Burke County, NC | Republican | R+39.4 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | Republican | R+54.3 |
| Caldwell County, NC | Republican | R+44.5 |
| Camden County, NC | Republican | R+23.4 |
| Carteret County, NC | Republican | R+49.6 |
| Caswell County, NC | Republican | R+21.2 |
| Catawba County, NC | Republican | R+50.5 |
| Chatham County, NC | Republican | R+25.7 |
| Cherokee County, NC | Republican | R+25.8 |
| Chowan County, NC | Republican | R+33.8 |
| Clay County, NC | Republican | R+31.6 |
| Cleveland County, NC | Republican | R+45.8 |
| Columbus County, NC | Republican | R+43.1 |
| Craven County, NC | Republican | R+58.7 |
| Cumberland County, NC | Republican | R+42.0 |
| Currituck County, NC | Republican | R+36.3 |
| Dare County, NC | Republican | R+51.2 |
| Davidson County, NC | Republican | R+51.7 |
| Davie County, NC | Republican | R+54.4 |
| Duplin County, NC | Republican | R+42.4 |
| Durham County, NC | Republican | R+24.0 |
| Edgecombe County, NC | Republican | R+27.4 |
| Forsyth County, NC | Republican | R+37.2 |
| Franklin County, NC | Republican | R+38.9 |
| Gaston County, NC | Republican | R+52.8 |
| Gates County, NC | Republican | R+3.5 |
| Graham County, NC | Republican | R+23.1 |
| Granville County, NC | Republican | R+34.5 |
| Greene County, NC | Republican | R+52.7 |
| Guilford County, NC | Republican | R+40.3 |
| Halifax County, NC | Republican | R+34.9 |
| Harnett County, NC | Republican | R+50.3 |
| Haywood County, NC | Republican | R+32.0 |
| Henderson County, NC | Republican | R+62.3 |
| Hertford County, NC | Republican | R+18.1 |
| Hoke County, NC | Republican | R+13.5 |
| Hyde County, NC | Republican | R+45.9 |
| Iredell County, NC | Republican | R+51.4 |
| Jackson County, NC | Republican | R+19.3 |
| Johnston County, NC | Republican | R+59.9 |
| Jones County, NC | Republican | R+19.9 |
| Lee County, NC | Republican | R+47.5 |
| Lenoir County, NC | Republican | R+49.4 |
| Lincoln County, NC | Republican | R+25.2 |
| Macon County, NC | Republican | R+39.9 |
| Madison County, NC | Republican | R+23.1 |
| Martin County, NC | Republican | R+38.5 |
| McDowell County, NC | Republican | R+46.3 |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | Republican | R+38.7 |
| Mitchell County, NC | Republican | R+67.7 |
| Montgomery County, NC | Republican | R+33.3 |
| Moore County, NC | Republican | R+43.4 |
| Nash County, NC | Republican | R+46.0 |
| New Hanover County, NC | Republican | R+51.4 |
| Northampton County, NC | Democratic | D+3.8 |
| Onslow County, NC | Republican | R+61.3 |
| Orange County, NC | Democratic | D+4.1 |
| Pamlico County, NC | Republican | R+33.2 |
| Pasquotank County, NC | Republican | R+28.9 |
| Pender County, NC | Republican | R+39.6 |
| Perquimans County, NC | Republican | R+27.7 |
| Person County, NC | Republican | R+44.7 |
| Pitt County, NC | Republican | R+41.8 |
| Polk County, NC | Republican | R+36.8 |
| Randolph County, NC | Republican | R+54.3 |
| Richmond County, NC | Republican | R+23.3 |
| Robeson County, NC | Republican | R+21.0 |
| Rockingham County, NC | Republican | R+44.0 |
| Rowan County, NC | Republican | R+49.2 |
| Rutherford County, NC | Republican | R+38.8 |
| Sampson County, NC | Republican | R+32.6 |
| Scotland County, NC | Republican | R+28.3 |
| Stanly County, NC | Republican | R+40.3 |
| Stokes County, NC | Republican | R+36.3 |
| Surry County, NC | Republican | R+37.4 |
| Swain County, NC | Republican | R+29.9 |
| Transylvania County, NC | Republican | R+42.1 |
| Tyrrell County, NC | Republican | R+19.0 |
| Union County, NC | Republican | R+44.5 |
| Vance County, NC | Republican | R+34.7 |
| Wake County, NC | Republican | R+42.1 |
| Warren County, NC | Republican | R+20.7 |
| Washington County, NC | Republican | R+24.4 |
| Watauga County, NC | Republican | R+26.8 |
| Wayne County, NC | Republican | R+46.0 |
| Wilkes County, NC | Republican | R+47.1 |
| Wilson County, NC | Republican | R+47.8 |
| Yadkin County, NC | Republican | R+60.7 |
| Yancey County, NC | Republican | R+15.2 |
Nominees: George McGovern (D) · Richard Nixon (R)
North Carolina's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1972 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +11.6% |
| 1896 | +5.8% |
| 1900 | +8.5% |
| 1904 | +20.1% |
| 1908 | +8.7% |
| 1912 | +47.3% |
| 1916 | +16.4% |
| 1920 | +13.5% |
| 1924 | +19.4% |
| 1928 | −9.9% |
| 1932 | +40.6% |
| 1936 | +46.8% |
| 1940 | +48.1% |
| 1944 | +33.4% |
| 1948 | +25.3% |
| 1952 | +7.8% |
| 1956 | +1.3% |
| 1960 | +4.2% |
| 1964 | +12.3% |
| 1968 | −10.3% |
| 1972 | −40.6% |
| 1976 | +11.0% |
| 1980 | −2.1% |
| 1984 | −24.0% |
| 1988 | −16.3% |
| 1992 | −0.8% |
| 1996 | −4.7% |
| 2000 | −12.8% |
| 2004 | −12.4% |
| 2008 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | −2.0% |
| 2016 | −3.7% |
| 2020 | −1.3% |
| 2024 | −3.2% |
County-by-county results — 100 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | R | 6,833 | 22,046 | 29,549 | |
| Alexander County | R | 2,468 | 5,865 | 8,506 | |
| Alleghany County | R | 1,304 | 2,158 | 3,521 | |
| Anson County | R | 2,188 | 3,551 | 5,833 | |
| Ashe County | R | 3,313 | 5,784 | 9,188 | |
| Avery County | R | 627 | 3,510 | 4,179 | |
| Beaufort County | R | 2,901 | 6,915 | 9,928 | |
| Bertie County | R | 1,819 | 2,874 | 4,747 | |
| Bladen County | R | 2,201 | 4,205 | 6,497 | |
| Brunswick County | R | 2,500 | 6,153 | 8,909 | |
| Buncombe County | R | 12,626 | 32,091 | 45,594 | |
| Burke County | R | 6,197 | 14,447 | 20,950 | |
| Cabarrus County | R | 5,336 | 18,384 | 24,048 | |
| Caldwell County | R | 4,886 | 12,976 | 18,171 | |
| Camden County | R | 556 | 909 | 1,510 | |
| Carteret County | R | 2,805 | 8,463 | 11,415 | |
| Caswell County | R | 1,922 | 2,983 | 5,001 | |
| Catawba County | R | 7,744 | 24,106 | 32,375 | |
| Chatham County | R | 3,624 | 6,175 | 9,941 | |
| Cherokee County | R | 2,411 | 4,113 | 6,604 | |
| Chowan County | R | 936 | 1,906 | 2,871 | |
| Clay County | R | 797 | 1,545 | 2,370 | |
| Cleveland County | R | 4,994 | 13,726 | 19,048 | |
| Columbus County | R | 3,305 | 8,468 | 11,987 | |
| Craven County | R | 2,384 | 9,372 | 11,903 | |
| Cumberland County | R | 9,853 | 24,376 | 34,595 | |
| Currituck County | R | 718 | 1,578 | 2,367 | |
| Dare County | R | 634 | 1,986 | 2,641 | |
| Davidson County | R | 7,691 | 24,875 | 33,262 | |
| Davie County | R | 1,578 | 5,613 | 7,416 | |
| Duplin County | R | 2,857 | 7,153 | 10,130 | |
| Durham County | R | 15,566 | 25,576 | 41,667 | |
| Edgecombe County | R | 4,635 | 8,244 | 13,184 | |
| Forsyth County | R | 20,928 | 46,415 | 68,569 | |
| Franklin County | R | 2,341 | 5,431 | 7,944 | |
| Gaston County | R | 8,462 | 27,956 | 36,901 | |
| Gates County | R | 1,177 | 1,264 | 2,478 | |
| Graham County | R | 1,057 | 1,699 | 2,783 | |
| Granville County | R | 2,918 | 6,037 | 9,035 | |
| Greene County | R | 847 | 2,788 | 3,684 | |
| Guilford County | R | 25,800 | 61,381 | 88,366 | |
| Halifax County | R | 4,241 | 8,908 | 13,375 | |
| Harnett County | R | 3,347 | 10,259 | 13,744 | |
| Haywood County | R | 4,515 | 8,903 | 13,731 | |
| Henderson County | R | 2,701 | 12,134 | 15,135 | |
| Hertford County | R | 1,928 | 2,794 | 4,789 | |
| Hoke County | R | 1,466 | 1,927 | 3,426 | |
| Hyde County | R | 403 | 1,112 | 1,545 | |
| Iredell County | R | 5,088 | 16,736 | 22,682 | |
| Jackson County | R | 3,169 | 4,709 | 7,967 | |
| Johnston County | R | 3,488 | 14,272 | 18,011 | |
| Jones County | R | 1,093 | 1,650 | 2,800 | |
| Lee County | R | 2,024 | 5,836 | 8,026 | |
| Lenoir County | R | 3,672 | 11,065 | 14,975 | |
| Lincoln County | R | 5,100 | 8,597 | 13,892 | |
| Macon County | R | 1,749 | 4,134 | 5,974 | |
| Madison County | R | 2,039 | 3,273 | 5,350 | |
| Martin County | R | 1,840 | 4,188 | 6,091 | |
| McDowell County | R | 2,348 | 6,570 | 9,114 | |
| Mecklenburg County | R | 33,730 | 77,546 | 113,176 | |
| Mitchell County | R | 800 | 4,240 | 5,081 | |
| Montgomery County | R | 2,175 | 4,417 | 6,726 | |
| Moore County | R | 3,627 | 9,406 | 13,308 | |
| Nash County | R | 4,503 | 12,679 | 17,761 | |
| New Hanover County | R | 5,894 | 19,060 | 25,615 | |
| Northampton County | D | 3,233 | 2,997 | 6,282 | |
| Onslow County | R | 2,424 | 10,343 | 12,921 | |
| Orange County | D | 12,634 | 11,632 | 24,408 | |
| Pamlico County | R | 919 | 1,847 | 2,794 | |
| Pasquotank County | R | 2,115 | 3,906 | 6,193 | |
| Pender County | R | 1,415 | 3,327 | 4,829 | |
| Perquimans County | R | 723 | 1,299 | 2,076 | |
| Person County | R | 2,246 | 5,941 | 8,264 | |
| Pitt County | R | 5,858 | 14,406 | 20,459 | |
| Polk County | R | 1,416 | 3,121 | 4,637 | |
| Randolph County | R | 5,346 | 18,724 | 24,629 | |
| Richmond County | R | 3,508 | 5,692 | 9,356 | |
| Robeson County | R | 7,391 | 11,362 | 18,941 | |
| Rockingham County | R | 5,530 | 14,519 | 20,407 | |
| Rowan County | R | 6,834 | 20,735 | 28,274 | |
| Rutherford County | R | 4,140 | 9,506 | 13,816 | |
| Sampson County | R | 4,888 | 9,684 | 14,726 | |
| Scotland County | R | 1,938 | 3,485 | 5,472 | |
| Stanly County | R | 5,218 | 12,459 | 17,972 | |
| Stokes County | R | 3,254 | 7,118 | 10,646 | |
| Surry County | R | 4,706 | 10,497 | 15,487 | |
| Swain County | R | 1,101 | 2,052 | 3,184 | |
| Transylvania County | R | 2,321 | 5,860 | 8,404 | |
| Tyrrell County | R | 459 | 676 | 1,140 | |
| Union County | R | 3,886 | 10,264 | 14,336 | |
| Vance County | R | 3,117 | 6,491 | 9,710 | |
| Wake County | R | 22,807 | 56,808 | 80,789 | |
| Warren County | R | 1,698 | 2,603 | 4,366 | |
| Washington County | R | 1,546 | 2,559 | 4,151 | |
| Watauga County | R | 3,451 | 6,017 | 9,573 | |
| Wayne County | R | 5,234 | 14,352 | 19,842 | |
| Wilkes County | R | 4,634 | 13,105 | 17,994 | |
| Wilson County | R | 4,166 | 12,060 | 16,512 | |
| Yadkin County | R | 1,592 | 6,824 | 8,621 | |
| Yancey County | R | 2,278 | 3,106 | 5,440 |
Source. Compiled historical county records — 1972 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.