Elections / 1972 · President · SC
South Carolina — 1972 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1972 presidential electionSouth Carolina · PresidentNixonR+42.7
How it voted
Share of the 1972 vote
| Richard Nixon ✓Republican | 70.6% | 478,427 |
|---|---|---|
| George McGovernDemocratic | 27.9% | 189,270 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 1.5% | 10,166 |
1972presidential margin
D+60R+60
46 counties, each filled by 1972 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
South Carolina cast 8 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (46 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County, SC | Republican | R+40.5 |
| Aiken County, SC | Republican | R+56.1 |
| Allendale County, SC | Republican | R+11.3 |
| Anderson County, SC | Republican | R+52.7 |
| Bamberg County, SC | Republican | R+20.2 |
| Barnwell County, SC | Republican | R+43.4 |
| Beaufort County, SC | Republican | R+29.1 |
| Berkeley County, SC | Republican | R+34.6 |
| Calhoun County, SC | Republican | R+23.5 |
| Charleston County, SC | Republican | R+39.7 |
| Cherokee County, SC | Republican | R+55.7 |
| Chester County, SC | Republican | R+33.2 |
| Chesterfield County, SC | Republican | R+27.9 |
| Clarendon County, SC | Republican | R+9.4 |
| Colleton County, SC | Republican | R+40.7 |
| Darlington County, SC | Republican | R+45.0 |
| Dillon County, SC | Republican | R+45.7 |
| Dorchester County, SC | Republican | R+37.8 |
| Edgefield County, SC | Republican | R+35.2 |
| Fairfield County, SC | Republican | R+2.3 |
| Florence County, SC | Republican | R+31.2 |
| Georgetown County, SC | Republican | R+15.6 |
| Greenville County, SC | Republican | R+62.2 |
| Greenwood County, SC | Republican | R+46.0 |
| Hampton County, SC | Republican | R+16.0 |
| Horry County, SC | Republican | R+54.6 |
| Jasper County, SC | Republican | R+15.5 |
| Kershaw County, SC | Republican | R+51.2 |
| Lancaster County, SC | Republican | R+56.6 |
| Laurens County, SC | Republican | R+50.2 |
| Lee County, SC | Republican | R+21.2 |
| Lexington County, SC | Republican | R+71.1 |
| Marion County, SC | Republican | R+29.8 |
| Marlboro County, SC | Republican | R+31.4 |
| McCormick County, SC | Republican | R+21.2 |
| Newberry County, SC | Republican | R+55.6 |
| Oconee County, SC | Republican | R+58.2 |
| Orangeburg County, SC | Republican | R+20.6 |
| Pickens County, SC | Republican | R+66.6 |
| Richland County, SC | Republican | R+29.5 |
| Saluda County, SC | Republican | R+49.5 |
| Spartanburg County, SC | Republican | R+52.3 |
| Sumter County, SC | Republican | R+30.3 |
| Union County, SC | Republican | R+51.2 |
| Williamsburg County, SC | Republican | R+4.7 |
| York County, SC | Republican | R+38.4 |
Nominees: George McGovern (D) · Richard Nixon (R)
South Carolina's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1972 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +58.6% |
| 1896 | +71.8% |
| 1900 | +86.0% |
| 1904 | +90.8% |
| 1908 | +87.8% |
| 1912 | +95.9% |
| 1916 | +94.3% |
| 1920 | +92.1% |
| 1924 | +94.3% |
| 1928 | +82.9% |
| 1932 | +98.0% |
| 1936 | +98.6% |
| 1940 | +91.3% |
| 1944 | +83.2% |
| 1948 | +20.4% |
| 1952 | +1.4% |
| 1956 | +20.2% |
| 1960 | +2.5% |
| 1964 | −17.8% |
| 1968 | −8.5% |
| 1972 | −42.7% |
| 1976 | +13.1% |
| 1980 | −1.5% |
| 1984 | −28.0% |
| 1988 | −23.9% |
| 1992 | −8.1% |
| 1996 | −6.0% |
| 2000 | −15.9% |
| 2004 | −17.1% |
| 2008 | −9.0% |
| 2012 | −10.5% |
| 2016 | −14.3% |
| 2020 | −11.7% |
| 2024 | −17.9% |
County-by-county results — 46 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County | R | 1,349 | 3,266 | 4,737 | |
| Aiken County | R | 5,745 | 21,117 | 27,407 | |
| Allendale County | R | 1,386 | 1,741 | 3,146 | |
| Anderson County | R | 5,241 | 17,514 | 23,292 | |
| Bamberg County | R | 1,680 | 2,537 | 4,253 | |
| Barnwell County | R | 1,560 | 3,955 | 5,515 | |
| Beaufort County | R | 3,237 | 5,929 | 9,247 | |
| Berkeley County | R | 4,497 | 9,345 | 14,019 | |
| Calhoun County | R | 1,148 | 1,867 | 3,065 | |
| Charleston County | R | 16,855 | 39,863 | 57,947 | |
| Cherokee County | R | 2,107 | 7,570 | 9,800 | |
| Chester County | R | 2,352 | 4,724 | 7,136 | |
| Chesterfield County | R | 2,938 | 5,230 | 8,229 | |
| Clarendon County | R | 3,276 | 3,958 | 7,284 | |
| Colleton County | R | 2,376 | 5,723 | 8,233 | |
| Darlington County | R | 4,414 | 11,756 | 16,319 | |
| Dillon County | R | 1,604 | 4,364 | 6,034 | |
| Dorchester County | R | 3,606 | 8,095 | 11,886 | |
| Edgefield County | R | 1,326 | 2,812 | 4,218 | |
| Fairfield County | R | 2,492 | 2,608 | 5,146 | |
| Florence County | R | 9,455 | 18,106 | 27,726 | |
| Georgetown County | R | 4,446 | 6,114 | 10,676 | |
| Greenville County | R | 10,143 | 46,360 | 58,229 | |
| Greenwood County | R | 3,400 | 9,370 | 12,975 | |
| Hampton County | R | 2,086 | 2,891 | 5,023 | |
| Horry County | R | 4,437 | 15,324 | 19,944 | |
| Jasper County | R | 1,203 | 1,650 | 2,884 | |
| Kershaw County | R | 2,531 | 8,035 | 10,744 | |
| Lancaster County | R | 2,461 | 9,016 | 11,580 | |
| Laurens County | R | 2,650 | 8,141 | 10,933 | |
| Lee County | R | 1,996 | 3,076 | 5,100 | |
| Lexington County | R | 4,069 | 25,327 | 29,886 | |
| Marion County | R | 2,545 | 4,719 | 7,298 | |
| Marlboro County | R | 1,999 | 3,838 | 5,852 | |
| McCormick County | R | 844 | 1,302 | 2,162 | |
| Newberry County | R | 2,035 | 7,325 | 9,521 | |
| Oconee County | R | 1,740 | 6,824 | 8,728 | |
| Orangeburg County | R | 7,652 | 11,711 | 19,745 | |
| Pickens County | R | 2,255 | 11,776 | 14,296 | |
| Richland County | R | 21,462 | 39,746 | 61,995 | |
| Saluda County | R | 1,022 | 3,095 | 4,191 | |
| Spartanburg County | R | 9,586 | 31,308 | 41,556 | |
| Sumter County | R | 5,801 | 10,892 | 16,800 | |
| Union County | R | 2,676 | 8,337 | 11,065 | |
| Williamsburg County | R | 5,213 | 5,729 | 11,015 | |
| York County | R | 6,374 | 14,441 | 21,026 |
Source. Compiled historical county records — 1972 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.