Elections / 1972 · President · PA
Pennsylvania — 1972 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1972 presidential electionPennsylvania · PresidentNixonR+20.0
How it voted
Share of the 1972 vote
| Richard Nixon ✓Republican | 59.1% | 2,714,521 |
|---|---|---|
| George McGovernDemocratic | 39.1% | 1,796,951 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 1.8% | 80,634 |
1972presidential margin
D+60R+60
67 counties, each filled by 1972 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
Pennsylvania cast 27 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (67 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County, PA | Republican | R+41.6 |
| Allegheny County, PA | Republican | R+13.3 |
| Armstrong County, PA | Republican | R+24.8 |
| Beaver County, PA | Republican | R+15.6 |
| Bedford County, PA | Republican | R+48.3 |
| Berks County, PA | Republican | R+27.9 |
| Blair County, PA | Republican | R+52.4 |
| Bradford County, PA | Republican | R+48.1 |
| Bucks County, PA | Republican | R+26.8 |
| Butler County, PA | Republican | R+32.8 |
| Cambria County, PA | Republican | R+21.8 |
| Cameron County, PA | Republican | R+39.2 |
| Carbon County, PA | Republican | R+19.6 |
| Centre County, PA | Republican | R+21.9 |
| Chester County, PA | Republican | R+39.2 |
| Clarion County, PA | Republican | R+37.5 |
| Clearfield County, PA | Republican | R+28.5 |
| Clinton County, PA | Republican | R+26.2 |
| Columbia County, PA | Republican | R+31.2 |
| Crawford County, PA | Republican | R+31.6 |
| Cumberland County, PA | Republican | R+47.7 |
| Dauphin County, PA | Republican | R+40.5 |
| Delaware County, PA | Republican | R+29.6 |
| Elk County, PA | Republican | R+24.7 |
| Erie County, PA | Republican | R+18.5 |
| Fayette County, PA | Republican | R+9.5 |
| Forest County, PA | Republican | R+45.2 |
| Franklin County, PA | Republican | R+42.5 |
| Fulton County, PA | Republican | R+34.8 |
| Greene County, PA | Republican | R+16.5 |
| Huntingdon County, PA | Republican | R+47.0 |
| Indiana County, PA | Republican | R+24.9 |
| Jefferson County, PA | Republican | R+39.2 |
| Juniata County, PA | Republican | R+33.9 |
| Lackawanna County, PA | Republican | R+12.8 |
| Lancaster County, PA | Republican | R+53.0 |
| Lawrence County, PA | Republican | R+14.5 |
| Lebanon County, PA | Republican | R+56.7 |
| Lehigh County, PA | Republican | R+26.6 |
| Luzerne County, PA | Republican | R+22.6 |
| Lycoming County, PA | Republican | R+40.2 |
| McKean County, PA | Republican | R+44.7 |
| Mercer County, PA | Republican | R+21.0 |
| Mifflin County, PA | Republican | R+45.6 |
| Monroe County, PA | Republican | R+37.6 |
| Montgomery County, PA | Republican | R+30.3 |
| Montour County, PA | Republican | R+41.8 |
| Northampton County, PA | Republican | R+12.8 |
| Northumberland County, PA | Republican | R+29.8 |
| Perry County, PA | Republican | R+48.5 |
| Philadelphia County, PA | Democratic | D+11.2 |
| Pike County, PA | Republican | R+52.1 |
| Potter County, PA | Republican | R+43.5 |
| Schuylkill County, PA | Republican | R+25.1 |
| Snyder County, PA | Republican | R+58.6 |
| Somerset County, PA | Republican | R+38.1 |
| Sullivan County, PA | Republican | R+35.6 |
| Susquehanna County, PA | Republican | R+38.1 |
| Tioga County, PA | Republican | R+45.2 |
| Union County, PA | Republican | R+49.3 |
| Venango County, PA | Republican | R+37.0 |
| Warren County, PA | Republican | R+33.9 |
| Washington County, PA | Republican | R+9.9 |
| Wayne County, PA | Republican | R+51.8 |
| Westmoreland County, PA | Republican | R+11.5 |
| Wyoming County, PA | Republican | R+49.9 |
| York County, PA | Republican | R+38.7 |
Nominees: George McGovern (D) · Richard Nixon (R)
Pennsylvania's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1972 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −6.4% |
| 1896 | −24.7% |
| 1900 | −24.6% |
| 1904 | −40.7% |
| 1908 | −23.4% |
| 1912 | +10.0% |
| 1916 | −14.0% |
| 1920 | −38.6% |
| 1924 | −46.3% |
| 1928 | −31.4% |
| 1932 | −5.5% |
| 1936 | +16.0% |
| 1940 | +6.9% |
| 1944 | +2.8% |
| 1948 | −4.0% |
| 1952 | −5.9% |
| 1956 | −13.2% |
| 1960 | +2.3% |
| 1964 | +30.2% |
| 1968 | +3.6% |
| 1972 | −20.0% |
| 1976 | +2.7% |
| 1980 | −7.1% |
| 1984 | −7.4% |
| 1988 | −2.3% |
| 1992 | +9.0% |
| 1996 | +9.2% |
| 2000 | +4.2% |
| 2004 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | +10.3% |
| 2012 | +5.4% |
| 2016 | −0.7% |
| 2020 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | −1.7% |
County-by-county results — 67 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | R | 5,529 | 13,593 | 19,365 | |
| Allegheny County | R | 282,496 | 371,737 | 668,535 | |
| Armstrong County | R | 10,490 | 17,557 | 28,498 | |
| Beaver County | R | 31,570 | 43,637 | 77,337 | |
| Bedford County | R | 3,836 | 11,243 | 15,338 | |
| Berks County | R | 36,563 | 66,172 | 106,127 | |
| Blair County | R | 10,023 | 33,126 | 44,110 | |
| Bradford County | R | 5,204 | 15,050 | 20,458 | |
| Bucks County | R | 56,784 | 99,684 | 160,059 | |
| Butler County | R | 14,695 | 29,665 | 45,574 | |
| Cambria County | R | 27,950 | 43,825 | 72,975 | |
| Cameron County | R | 828 | 1,935 | 2,827 | |
| Carbon County | R | 7,774 | 11,639 | 19,712 | |
| Centre County | R | 13,194 | 20,683 | 34,197 | |
| Chester County | R | 31,118 | 72,726 | 106,259 | |
| Clarion County | R | 4,509 | 10,073 | 14,821 | |
| Clearfield County | R | 9,246 | 16,780 | 26,409 | |
| Clinton County | R | 4,772 | 8,205 | 13,119 | |
| Columbia County | R | 7,222 | 14,187 | 22,309 | |
| Crawford County | R | 9,371 | 18,393 | 28,569 | |
| Cumberland County | R | 14,562 | 42,099 | 57,775 | |
| Dauphin County | R | 22,587 | 54,307 | 78,270 | |
| Delaware County | R | 94,144 | 175,414 | 274,451 | |
| Elk County | R | 4,710 | 7,900 | 12,908 | |
| Erie County | R | 42,022 | 61,542 | 105,713 | |
| Fayette County | R | 22,475 | 27,288 | 50,479 | |
| Forest County | R | 509 | 1,374 | 1,915 | |
| Franklin County | R | 9,456 | 24,093 | 34,415 | |
| Fulton County | R | 1,192 | 2,515 | 3,797 | |
| Greene County | R | 5,562 | 7,790 | 13,543 | |
| Huntingdon County | R | 3,394 | 9,606 | 13,216 | |
| Indiana County | R | 10,833 | 18,122 | 29,274 | |
| Jefferson County | R | 5,024 | 11,631 | 16,876 | |
| Juniata County | R | 2,156 | 4,412 | 6,653 | |
| Lackawanna County | R | 45,465 | 58,838 | 104,869 | |
| Lancaster County | R | 24,223 | 81,036 | 107,138 | |
| Lawrence County | R | 17,595 | 23,712 | 42,297 | |
| Lebanon County | R | 6,683 | 25,008 | 32,320 | |
| Lehigh County | R | 33,325 | 58,023 | 93,002 | |
| Luzerne County | R | 51,128 | 81,358 | 133,606 | |
| Lycoming County | R | 11,999 | 28,913 | 42,087 | |
| McKean County | R | 4,513 | 11,958 | 16,673 | |
| Mercer County | R | 18,087 | 27,961 | 47,100 | |
| Mifflin County | R | 3,667 | 9,989 | 13,855 | |
| Monroe County | R | 5,619 | 12,701 | 18,814 | |
| Montgomery County | R | 91,959 | 173,662 | 270,018 | |
| Montour County | R | 1,755 | 4,386 | 6,298 | |
| Northampton County | R | 32,335 | 41,822 | 74,281 | |
| Northumberland County | R | 13,885 | 25,912 | 40,385 | |
| Perry County | R | 2,731 | 8,082 | 11,025 | |
| Philadelphia County | D | 431,736 | 344,096 | 783,970 | |
| Pike County | R | 1,385 | 4,568 | 6,108 | |
| Potter County | R | 1,710 | 4,422 | 6,236 | |
| Schuylkill County | R | 26,077 | 44,071 | 71,595 | |
| Snyder County | R | 1,834 | 7,308 | 9,345 | |
| Somerset County | R | 8,743 | 19,739 | 28,841 | |
| Sullivan County | R | 885 | 1,886 | 2,808 | |
| Susquehanna County | R | 4,154 | 9,476 | 13,979 | |
| Tioga County | R | 3,733 | 10,028 | 13,918 | |
| Union County | R | 2,278 | 6,905 | 9,385 | |
| Venango County | R | 6,302 | 13,991 | 20,794 | |
| Warren County | R | 4,877 | 10,018 | 15,167 | |
| Washington County | R | 34,781 | 42,587 | 78,862 | |
| Wayne County | R | 2,733 | 8,948 | 12,009 | |
| Westmoreland County | R | 59,322 | 75,085 | 137,527 | |
| Wyoming County | R | 2,112 | 6,423 | 8,631 | |
| York County | R | 27,520 | 63,606 | 93,280 |
Source. Compiled historical county records — 1972 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.