South Dakota — 1972 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1972 presidential electionSouth Dakota · PresidentNixonR+8.6
How it voted
Share of the 1972 vote
| Richard Nixon ✓Republican | 54.2% | 166,476 |
|---|---|---|
| George McGovernDemocratic | 45.5% | 139,945 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 0.3% | 994 |
1972presidential margin
D+60R+60
66 counties, each filled by 1972 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
South Dakota cast 4 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (66 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora County, SD | Democratic | D+7.8 |
| Beadle County, SD | Republican | R+15.9 |
| Bennett County, SD | Republican | R+25.8 |
| Bon Homme County, SD | Democratic | D+5.6 |
| Brookings County, SD | Republican | R+4.9 |
| Brown County, SD | Democratic | D+0.5 |
| Brule County, SD | Democratic | D+7.9 |
| Buffalo County, SD | Democratic | D+10.9 |
| Butte County, SD | Republican | R+38.4 |
| Campbell County, SD | Republican | R+52.6 |
| Charles Mix County, SD | Democratic | D+14.2 |
| Clark County, SD | Republican | R+9.5 |
| Clay County, SD | Democratic | D+5.7 |
| Codington County, SD | Republican | R+3.5 |
| Corson County, SD | Republican | R+17.1 |
| Custer County, SD | Republican | R+29.6 |
| Davison County, SD | Democratic | D+10.7 |
| Day County, SD | Democratic | D+15.9 |
| Deuel County, SD | Democratic | D+0.5 |
| Dewey County, SD | Republican | R+18.0 |
| Douglas County, SD | Republican | R+23.5 |
| Edmunds County, SD | Democratic | D+2.5 |
| Fall River County, SD | Republican | R+36.2 |
| Faulk County, SD | Republican | R+0.9 |
| Grant County, SD | Republican | R+0.4 |
| Gregory County, SD | Republican | R+3.6 |
| Haakon County, SD | Republican | R+46.9 |
| Hamlin County, SD | Republican | R+14.0 |
| Hand County, SD | Republican | R+16.0 |
| Hanson County, SD | Democratic | D+7.7 |
| Harding County, SD | Republican | R+43.1 |
| Hughes County, SD | Republican | R+34.9 |
| Hutchinson County, SD | Republican | R+15.8 |
| Hyde County, SD | Republican | R+19.3 |
| Jackson County, SD | Republican | R+27.2 |
| Jerauld County, SD | Republican | R+8.7 |
| Jones County, SD | Republican | R+29.7 |
| Kingsbury County, SD | Republican | R+17.4 |
| Lake County, SD | Republican | R+0.6 |
| Lawrence County, SD | Republican | R+30.8 |
| Lincoln County, SD | Republican | R+10.0 |
| Lyman County, SD | Republican | R+20.2 |
| Marshall County, SD | Democratic | D+4.6 |
| McCook County, SD | Democratic | D+0.8 |
| McPherson County, SD | Republican | R+54.1 |
| Meade County, SD | Republican | R+35.1 |
| Mellette County, SD | Republican | R+19.0 |
| Miner County, SD | Democratic | D+11.6 |
| Minnehaha County, SD | Republican | R+0.1 |
| Moody County, SD | Democratic | D+6.9 |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | Democratic | D+55.2 |
| Pennington County, SD | Republican | R+22.7 |
| Perkins County, SD | Republican | R+30.4 |
| Potter County, SD | Republican | R+23.6 |
| Roberts County, SD | Democratic | D+15.3 |
| Sanborn County, SD | Democratic | D+0.5 |
| Spink County, SD | Republican | R+4.6 |
| Stanley County, SD | Republican | R+22.5 |
| Sully County, SD | Republican | R+30.1 |
| Todd County, SD | Democratic | D+5.9 |
| Tripp County, SD | Republican | R+25.5 |
| Turner County, SD | Republican | R+20.2 |
| Union County, SD | Democratic | D+5.8 |
| Walworth County, SD | Republican | R+30.4 |
| Yankton County, SD | Republican | R+6.5 |
| Ziebach County, SD | Republican | R+12.4 |
South Dakota results by county
66 counties. Third-party and independent votes are reported by the county source as one combined figure; every named candidate is listed in the complete result below.
| Led by | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora County | George McGovern+182 | 1,07546.0% | 1,25753.7% | 70.3% | 2,339 |
| Beadle County | Richard Nixon+1,625 | 5,92257.8% | 4,29741.9% | 250.2% | 10,244 |
| Bennett County | Richard Nixon+332 | 80862.8% | 47637.0% | 20.2% | 1,286 |
| Bon Homme County | George McGovern+252 | 2,11647.1% | 2,36852.7% | 90.2% | 4,493 |
| Brookings County | Richard Nixon+481 | 5,18252.3% | 4,70147.4% | 330.3% | 9,916 |
| Brown County | George McGovern+82 | 8,13449.4% | 8,21649.9% | 1010.6% | 16,451 |
| Brule County | George McGovern+244 | 1,42145.9% | 1,66553.8% | 110.4% | 3,097 |
| Buffalo County | George McGovern+54 | 22144.5% | 27555.3% | 10.2% | 497 |
| Butte County | Richard Nixon+1,367 | 2,45268.8% | 1,08530.5% | 260.7% | 3,563 |
| Campbell County | Richard Nixon+808 | 1,16976.1% | 36123.5% | 70.5% | 1,537 |
| Charles Mix County | George McGovern+671 | 2,02042.8% | 2,69157.0% | 100.2% | 4,721 |
| Clark County | Richard Nixon+281 | 1,61754.6% | 1,33645.1% | 90.3% | 2,962 |
| Clay County | George McGovern+303 | 2,51847.0% | 2,82152.7% | 130.2% | 5,352 |
| Codington County | Richard Nixon+335 | 4,93651.6% | 4,60148.1% | 270.3% | 9,564 |
| Corson County | Richard Nixon+286 | 97558.3% | 68941.2% | 90.5% | 1,673 |
| Custer County | Richard Nixon+678 | 1,47664.5% | 79834.9% | 150.7% | 2,289 |
| Davison County | George McGovern+914 | 3,79644.5% | 4,71055.2% | 250.3% | 8,531 |
| Day County | George McGovern+748 | 1,97141.9% | 2,71957.9% | 90.2% | 4,699 |
| Deuel County | George McGovern+13 | 1,35749.6% | 1,37050.1% | 90.3% | 2,736 |
| Dewey County | Richard Nixon+309 | 1,00858.9% | 69940.8% | 50.3% | 1,712 |
| Douglas County | Richard Nixon+547 | 1,43461.7% | 88738.2% | 40.2% | 2,325 |
| Edmunds County | George McGovern+79 | 1,56748.7% | 1,64651.2% | 30.1% | 3,216 |
| Fall River County | Richard Nixon+1,267 | 2,37467.9% | 1,10731.7% | 160.5% | 3,497 |
| Faulk County | Richard Nixon+18 | 1,00450.1% | 98649.2% | 150.7% | 2,005 |
| Grant County | Richard Nixon+16 | 2,24750.0% | 2,23149.7% | 120.3% | 4,490 |
| Gregory County | Richard Nixon+115 | 1,67051.6% | 1,55548.0% | 120.4% | 3,237 |
| Haakon County | Richard Nixon+655 | 1,02173.1% | 36626.2% | 90.6% | 1,396 |
| Hamlin County | Richard Nixon+417 | 1,69356.9% | 1,27642.8% | 90.3% | 2,978 |
| Hand County | Richard Nixon+499 | 1,80657.9% | 1,30741.9% | 60.2% | 3,119 |
| Hanson County | George McGovern+146 | 87646.0% | 1,02253.6% | 80.4% | 1,906 |
| Harding County | Richard Nixon+384 | 63771.6% | 25328.4% | 00.0% | 890 |
| Hughes County | Richard Nixon+2,194 | 4,23167.4% | 2,03732.4% | 140.2% | 6,282 |
| Hutchinson County | Richard Nixon+844 | 3,09257.8% | 2,24842.0% | 80.1% | 5,348 |
| Hyde County | Richard Nixon+256 | 78959.5% | 53340.2% | 40.3% | 1,326 |
| Jackson County | Richard Nixon+354 | 82663.4% | 47236.3% | 40.3% | 1,302 |
| Jerauld County | Richard Nixon+159 | 98854.3% | 82945.5% | 30.2% | 1,820 |
| Jones County | Richard Nixon+296 | 64264.4% | 34634.7% | 90.9% | 997 |
| Kingsbury County | Richard Nixon+688 | 2,32058.6% | 1,63241.2% | 60.2% | 3,958 |
| Lake County | Richard Nixon+33 | 2,91950.1% | 2,88649.6% | 170.3% | 5,822 |
| Lawrence County | Richard Nixon+2,262 | 4,79565.2% | 2,53334.5% | 240.3% | 7,352 |
| Lincoln County | Richard Nixon+584 | 3,20154.9% | 2,61744.9% | 100.2% | 5,828 |
| Lyman County | Richard Nixon+392 | 1,16660.0% | 77439.8% | 40.2% | 1,944 |
| Marshall County | George McGovern+146 | 1,50047.7% | 1,64652.3% | 10.0% | 3,147 |
| McCook County | George McGovern+30 | 1,96349.5% | 1,99350.3% | 70.2% | 3,963 |
| McPherson County | Richard Nixon+1,371 | 1,95076.9% | 57922.8% | 60.2% | 2,535 |
| Meade County | Richard Nixon+1,783 | 3,41667.2% | 1,63332.1% | 310.6% | 5,080 |
| Mellette County | Richard Nixon+204 | 63759.2% | 43340.2% | 60.6% | 1,076 |
| Miner County | George McGovern+278 | 1,05944.0% | 1,33755.6% | 90.4% | 2,405 |
| Minnehaha County | Richard Nixon+61 | 22,44749.9% | 22,38649.8% | 1550.3% | 44,988 |
| Moody County | George McGovern+247 | 1,64846.4% | 1,89553.3% | 110.3% | 3,554 |
| Oglala Lakota County | George McGovern+890 | 35622.1% | 1,24677.3% | 90.6% | 1,611 |
| Pennington County | Richard Nixon+5,062 | 13,65461.2% | 8,59238.5% | 800.4% | 22,326 |
| Perkins County | Richard Nixon+791 | 1,69165.1% | 90034.6% | 70.3% | 2,598 |
| Potter County | Richard Nixon+531 | 1,38961.7% | 85838.1% | 60.3% | 2,253 |
| Roberts County | George McGovern+789 | 2,18742.3% | 2,97657.5% | 90.2% | 5,172 |
| Sanborn County | George McGovern+10 | 1,06449.6% | 1,07450.1% | 70.3% | 2,145 |
| Spink County | Richard Nixon+226 | 2,54752.2% | 2,32147.6% | 120.2% | 4,880 |
| Stanley County | Richard Nixon+287 | 77961.0% | 49238.5% | 70.5% | 1,278 |
| Sully County | Richard Nixon+359 | 77364.9% | 41434.8% | 40.3% | 1,191 |
| Todd County | George McGovern+101 | 80646.8% | 90752.6% | 100.6% | 1,723 |
| Tripp County | Richard Nixon+1,054 | 2,59262.7% | 1,53837.2% | 20.0% | 4,132 |
| Turner County | Richard Nixon+1,014 | 3,00760.0% | 1,99339.8% | 100.2% | 5,010 |
| Union County | George McGovern+283 | 2,27146.9% | 2,55452.7% | 170.4% | 4,842 |
| Walworth County | Richard Nixon+1,129 | 2,41665.1% | 1,28734.7% | 80.2% | 3,711 |
| Yankton County | Richard Nixon+531 | 4,36653.1% | 3,83546.6% | 240.3% | 8,225 |
| Ziebach County | Richard Nixon+108 | 48655.9% | 37843.4% | 60.7% | 870 |
Nominees: George McGovern (D) · Richard Nixon (R)
South Dakota's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1972 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −36.5% |
| 1896 | +0.2% |
| 1900 | −15.6% |
| 1904 | −49.4% |
| 1908 | −23.8% |
| 1912 | +42.1% |
| 1916 | −3.9% |
| 1920 | −41.0% |
| 1924 | −36.3% |
| 1928 | −21.0% |
| 1932 | +29.2% |
| 1936 | +11.5% |
| 1940 | −14.8% |
| 1944 | −16.7% |
| 1948 | −4.8% |
| 1952 | −38.5% |
| 1956 | −16.8% |
| 1960 | −16.4% |
| 1964 | +11.2% |
| 1968 | −11.3% |
| 1972 | −8.6% |
| 1976 | −1.5% |
| 1980 | −28.8% |
| 1984 | −26.5% |
| 1988 | −6.3% |
| 1992 | −3.5% |
| 1996 | −3.5% |
| 2000 | −22.7% |
| 2004 | −21.3% |
| 2008 | −8.4% |
| 2012 | −18.0% |
| 2016 | −29.8% |
| 2020 | −26.2% |
| 2024 | −29.2% |
Source. Compiled historical county records — 1972 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.