Richard Nixon carried West Virginia R+27.2.

George McGovern (D) vs Richard Nixon (R) in West Virginia, 1972. The state ran 4.1 points more Republican than the nation (R+23.2 nationally).

Nominees: George McGovern (D) · Richard Nixon (R)

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West Virginia result

762,399 votes counted

McGovern (D)

277,435

36.4%

Nixon (R)

484,964

63.6%

All others

0

0.0%

Margin

R+27.2

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1972 presidential election

West Virginia, 1972

NixonR+27.2

How it voted

Share of the 1972 vote

Richard Nixon ✓Republican	63.6%	484,964
George McGovernDemocratic	36.4%	277,435
OtherAll other candidates	0.0%	0

D+60

R+60

55 counties, each filled by 1972 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.

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West Virginia's presidential margins

1892–2024, the 1972 contest in context

West Virginia's presidential margins

Year	Margin (D minus R)
1892	+2.4%
1896	−5.4%
1900	−9.5%
1904	−13.2%
1908	−10.2%
1912	+21.3%
1916	−0.9%
1920	−12.0%
1924	−5.4%
1928	−17.4%
1932	+10.0%
1936	+21.4%
1940	+14.2%
1944	+9.8%
1948	+15.1%
1952	+3.8%
1956	−8.2%
1960	+5.5%
1964	+35.9%
1968	+8.8%
1972	−27.2%
1976	+16.1%
1980	+4.5%
1984	−10.5%
1988	+4.7%
1992	+13.0%
1996	+14.7%
2000	−6.3%
2004	−12.9%
2008	−13.1%
2012	−26.7%
2016	−41.7%
2020	−38.9%
2024	−41.9%

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County results — 1972

55 counties; every row links to the county's full page.

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County	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
Barbour County	R	−32.5%	2,258	4,432	6,690
Berkeley County	R	−41.6%	4,523	10,954	15,477
Boone County	R	−5.7%	5,342	5,985	11,327
Braxton County	R	−6.5%	2,771	3,155	5,926
Brooke County	R	−18.2%	5,226	7,544	12,770
Cabell County	R	−34.8%	14,312	29,582	43,894
Calhoun County	R	−13.2%	1,528	1,992	3,520
Clay County	R	−8.5%	1,830	2,168	3,998
Doddridge County	R	−56.0%	645	2,284	2,929
Fayette County	R	−8.7%	9,966	11,876	21,842
Gilmer County	R	−20.4%	1,359	2,056	3,415
Grant County	R	−70.6%	614	3,556	4,170
Greenbrier County	R	−33.2%	4,423	8,827	13,250
Hampshire County	R	−30.7%	1,637	3,084	4,721
Hancock County	R	−22.5%	6,727	10,634	17,361
Hardy County	R	−26.7%	1,510	2,609	4,119
Harrison County	R	−26.5%	12,910	22,196	35,106
Jackson County	R	−41.2%	3,007	7,226	10,233
Jefferson County	R	−26.8%	2,782	4,822	7,604
Kanawha County	R	−26.2%	38,032	65,021	103,053
Lewis County	R	−47.4%	2,062	5,778	7,840
Lincoln County	R	−9.3%	3,876	4,673	8,549
Logan County	D	+2.6%	10,045	9,533	19,578
Marion County	R	−15.1%	11,864	16,095	27,959
Marshall County	R	−26.5%	6,378	10,966	17,344
Mason County	R	−28.0%	4,008	7,129	11,137
McDowell County	R	−13.5%	6,811	8,942	15,753
Mercer County	R	−39.0%	7,826	17,846	25,672
Mineral County	R	−37.2%	3,276	7,157	10,433
Mingo County	R	−14.5%	5,585	7,484	13,069
Monongalia County	R	−22.0%	10,721	16,758	27,479
Monroe County	R	−27.5%	2,114	3,716	5,830
Morgan County	R	−45.9%	1,118	3,014	4,132
Nicholas County	R	−23.9%	3,628	5,907	9,535
Ohio County	R	−27.5%	10,491	18,435	28,926
Pendleton County	R	−27.8%	1,248	2,207	3,455
Pleasants County	R	−25.3%	1,207	2,025	3,232
Pocahontas County	R	−18.8%	1,635	2,391	4,026
Preston County	R	−44.8%	2,977	7,807	10,784
Putnam County	R	−26.8%	4,771	8,265	13,036
Raleigh County	R	−28.8%	10,586	19,150	29,736
Randolph County	R	−29.0%	3,809	6,923	10,732
Ritchie County	R	−57.2%	990	3,635	4,625
Roane County	R	−28.1%	2,386	4,253	6,639
Summers County	R	−21.5%	2,518	3,895	6,413
Taylor County	R	−35.5%	2,085	4,385	6,470
Tucker County	R	−19.5%	1,457	2,163	3,620
Tyler County	R	−49.9%	1,125	3,362	4,487
Upshur County	R	−56.5%	1,795	6,449	8,244
Wayne County	R	−22.0%	6,251	9,775	16,026
Webster County	R	−1.1%	2,069	2,114	4,183
Wetzel County	R	−29.7%	3,276	6,046	9,322
Wirt County	R	−35.2%	691	1,442	2,133
Wood County	R	−43.0%	10,886	27,315	38,201
Wyoming County	R	−27.9%	4,468	7,926	12,394