November 5, 1972
Richard Nixon Wins 1972
Richard Nixon defeats George McGovern with 524 electoral votes, winning 49 states.
George McGovern
14 EV
270 to win
Richard Nixon
524 EV
524
270
Richard Nixon wins
524
Electoral Votes
60.7%
Popular Vote
49
States Carried
77,747,571
Total Votes Cast
Richard Nixon won the 1972 presidential election with 524 electoral votes to George McGovern's 14. Richard Nixon received 60.7% of the popular vote and carried 49 states. Compared to the previous election, 980 counties changed parties—964 flipped Republican and 16 flipped Democratic.
1972 National Results
Electoral College
270 needed to winDemocrat
George McGovern
14
electoral votes
Republican
Richard Nixon
524
electoral votes
524
270
Popular Vote
77,747,571 total votesGeorge McGovern37.5%
29,174,930 votes
Richard Nixon60.7%
47,175,840 votes
R+23.2% margin
(18,000,910 vote difference)
Source: Official state election returnsRichard Nixon elected president
State Results
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Recent Presidential Elections
State-by-State Results
2 Dem49 Rep
| State | EV | 1972 |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 3 | D+56.5 |
| Massachusetts | 11 | D+9.0 |
| Minnesota | 10 | R+5.5 |
| Rhode Island | 4 | R+6.2 |
| South Dakota | 3 | R+8.6 |
| Wisconsin | 10 | R+9.7 |
| Oregon | 8 | R+10.1 |
| California | 54 | R+13.5 |
| Michigan | 15 | R+14.4 |
| Iowa | 6 | R+17.1 |
| New York | 28 | R+17.3 |
| Washington | 12 | R+18.3 |
| Connecticut | 7 | R+18.4 |
| Illinois | 19 | R+18.5 |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | R+20.0 |
| Montana | 4 | R+20.1 |
| Delaware | 3 | R+20.4 |
| Ohio | 17 | R+21.6 |
| Maine | 4 | R+23.0 |
| Alaska | 3 | R+23.5 |
| Maryland | 10 | R+23.9 |
| New Mexico | 5 | R+24.5 |
| Missouri | 10 | R+24.7 |
| New Jersey | 14 | R+24.8 |
| Hawaii | 4 | R+25.0 |
| Vermont | 3 | R+26.2 |
| North Dakota | 3 | R+26.3 |
| West Virginia | 4 | R+27.2 |
| Nevada | 6 | R+27.4 |
| Colorado | 10 | R+28.0 |
| Kentucky | 8 | R+28.6 |
| New Hampshire | 4 | R+29.1 |
| Arizona | 11 | R+31.3 |
| Indiana | 11 | R+32.8 |
| Texas | 40 | R+33.0 |
| Louisiana | 8 | R+37.0 |
| Virginia | 13 | R+37.7 |
| Tennessee | 11 | R+38.0 |
| Arkansas | 6 | R+38.1 |
| Kansas | 6 | R+38.1 |
| Idaho | 4 | R+38.2 |
| Wyoming | 3 | R+38.5 |
| North Carolina | 16 | R+40.6 |
| Nebraska | 5 | R+41.0 |
| Utah | 6 | R+41.3 |
| South Carolina | 9 | R+42.7 |
| Florida | 30 | R+44.1 |
| Alabama | 9 | R+46.9 |
| Oklahoma | 7 | R+49.7 |
| Georgia | 16 | R+50.5 |
| Mississippi | 6 | R+58.6 |