# 1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi

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vte :
The 1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent President Nixon won the state of Mississippi with 78.20% of the vote. This was the highest percentage Nixon received in any state in the election. Nixon even received a higher share of the vote in Mississippi than McGovern did in the District of Columbia, making this one of only two elections where Washington, D.C. wasn't the largest margin for either candidate, along with 1964.
In Mississippi, voters voted for electors individually instead of as a slate, as in the other states. McGovern carried only three counties – Claiborne, Holmes, and Jefferson – all of which have overwhelming majority black populations. This was also the first time since 1944 that Mississippi backed the national winner in a presidential election.
As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last election in which the following counties voted for a Republican presidential candidate: Quitman, Bolivar, Sharkey, Wilkinson, Humphreys, Coahoma, Noxubee, and Tunica. Marshall County wouldn't vote Republican again until 2024. The proportion of white voters supporting McGovern was utterly negligible and estimated at maximally three percent. Calculated estimates indicate that 100% of white voters supported Nixon while 0% supported McGovern.

## Results

1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | Richard Nixon (incumbent) | 505,125 | 78.20% | 7 |
| | Democrat | George McGovern | 126,782 | 19.63% | 0 |
| | Independent | John Schmitz | 11,598 | 1.80% | 0 |
| | Independent | Linda Jenness | 2,458 | 0.38% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 645,963 | 100.0% | 7 |

### Results by individual elector

General election results :
| Party | Party | Pledged to | Elector | Votes |
| | Republican Party | Richard Nixon | B. B. McClendon, Jr. | 505,125 |
| | Republican Party | Richard Nixon | H. F. McCarty, Jr. | 500,702 |
| | Republican Party | Richard Nixon | Clyde Q. Sheely | 500,493 |
| | Republican Party | Richard Nixon | Paul V. Lacoste | 500,378 |
| | Republican Party | Richard Nixon | J. B. Bright | 499,990 |
| | Republican Party | Richard Nixon | William Neville, Jr. | 499,194 |
| | Republican Party | Richard Nixon | Joe A. Moore | 497,430 |
| | Democratic Party | George McGovern | Frank A. Riley | 126,782 |
| | Democratic Party | George McGovern | Robert S. Reeves | 126,116 |
| | Democratic Party | George McGovern | Bobby Garraway | 124,922 |
| | Democratic Party | George McGovern | Mathew Page | 124,871 |
| | Democratic Party | George McGovern | Daniel Harvey | 124,037 |
| | Democratic Party | George McGovern | Obie Clark | 123,664 |
| | Democratic Party | George McGovern | William Bruce Guy | 123,080 |
| | Independent | John G. Schmitz | William Hollis Burrow | 11,598 |
| | Independent | John G. Schmitz | Homer Brown Wells | 11,030 |
| | Independent | John G. Schmitz | Robert L. Baker | 10,993 |
| | Independent | John G. Schmitz | Robert W. Schaffer | 10,925 |
| | Independent | John G. Schmitz | Mrs. Robert W. Saul | 10,888 |
| | Independent | John G. Schmitz | Curtis W. Caine | 10,789 |
| | Independent | John G. Schmitz | Andrew Cvitanovich | 10,569 |
| | Independent | Linda Jenness | John Earl Brown | 2,458 |
| | Independent | Linda Jenness | Robert Donnell | 1,478 |
| | Independent | Linda Jenness | Shirley M. Roberts | 1,415 |
| | Independent | Linda Jenness | Delores Buford | 1,386 |
| | Independent | Linda Jenness | James Westley Miggins | 1,359 |
| | Independent | Linda Jenness | Darius Singleton | 1,313 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 645,963 |

### Results by county

| County | Richard Nixon Republican | Richard Nixon Republican | George McGovern Democratic | George McGovern Democratic | John G. Schmitz Independent | John G. Schmitz Independent | Linda Jenness Independent | Linda Jenness Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 8,500 | 67.16% | 3,697 | 29.21% | 255 | 2.01% | 205 | 1.62% | 4,803 | 37.95% | 12,657 |
| Alcorn | 5,732 | 83.28% | 982 | 14.27% | 134 | 1.95% | 35 | 0.51% | 4,750 | 69.01% | 6,883 |
| Amite | 2,846 | 68.94% | 1,185 | 28.71% | 93 | 2.25% | 4 | 0.10% | 1,661 | 40.23% | 4,128 |
| Attala | 4,738 | 79.50% | 1,103 | 18.51% | 116 | 1.95% | 3 | 0.05% | 3,635 | 60.99% | 5,960 |
| Benton | 1,483 | 66.35% | 701 | 31.36% | 51 | 2.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 782 | 34.99% | 2,235 |
| Bolivar | 7,397 | 66.12% | 3,616 | 32.32% | 155 | 1.39% | 19 | 0.17% | 3,781 | 33.80% | 11,187 |
| Calhoun | 3,023 | 90.37% | 245 | 7.32% | 75 | 2.24% | 2 | 0.06% | 2,778 | 83.05% | 3,345 |
| Carroll | 1,777 | 73.31% | 580 | 23.93% | 66 | 2.72% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,197 | 49.38% | 2,424 |
| Chickasaw | 3,753 | 84.66% | 579 | 13.06% | 62 | 1.40% | 39 | 0.88% | 3,174 | 71.60% | 4,433 |
| Choctaw | 2,301 | 86.57% | 326 | 12.26% | 29 | 1.09% | 2 | 0.08% | 1,975 | 74.31% | 2,658 |
| Claiborne | 1,521 | 41.76% | 2,076 | 57.00% | 31 | 0.85% | 14 | 0.38% | -555 | -15.24% | 3,642 |
| Clarke | 4,561 | 81.56% | 954 | 17.06% | 74 | 1.32% | 3 | 0.05% | 3,607 | 64.50% | 5,592 |
| Clay | 4,035 | 71.39% | 1,410 | 24.95% | 116 | 2.05% | 91 | 1.61% | 2,625 | 46.44% | 5,652 |
| Coahoma | 6,602 | 61.56% | 3,708 | 34.57% | 333 | 3.10% | 82 | 0.76% | 2,894 | 26.99% | 10,725 |
| Copiah | 5,498 | 73.11% | 1,803 | 23.98% | 125 | 1.66% | 94 | 1.25% | 3,695 | 49.13% | 7,520 |
| Covington | 3,842 | 84.09% | 642 | 14.05% | 77 | 1.69% | 8 | 0.18% | 3,200 | 70.04% | 4,569 |
| DeSoto | 7,917 | 80.88% | 1,557 | 15.91% | 314 | 3.21% | 1 | 0.01% | 6,360 | 64.97% | 9,789 |
| Forrest | 14,418 | 80.56% | 2,933 | 16.39% | 531 | 2.96% | 16 | 0.09% | 11,485 | 64.17% | 17,898 |
| Franklin | 2,361 | 78.73% | 561 | 18.71% | 63 | 2.10% | 14 | 0.47% | 1,800 | 60.02% | 2,999 |
| George | 3,979 | 92.90% | 270 | 6.30% | 33 | 0.77% | 1 | 0.02% | 3,709 | 86.60% | 4,283 |
| Greene | 2,884 | 83.52% | 513 | 14.86% | 43 | 1.25% | 13 | 0.38% | 2,371 | 68.66% | 3,453 |
| Grenada | 4,800 | 75.09% | 1,471 | 23.01% | 107 | 1.67% | 14 | 0.22% | 3,329 | 52.08% | 6,392 |
| Hancock | 5,133 | 86.28% | 745 | 12.52% | 64 | 1.08% | 7 | 0.12% | 4,388 | 73.76% | 5,949 |
| Harrison | 28,962 | 84.02% | 4,761 | 13.81% | 534 | 1.55% | 213 | 0.62% | 24,201 | 70.21% | 34,470 |
| Hinds | 49,877 | 77.82% | 12,679 | 19.78% | 1,126 | 1.76% | 414 | 0.65% | 37,198 | 58.04% | 64,096 |
| Holmes | 3,158 | 47.23% | 3,459 | 51.73% | 57 | 0.85% | 12 | 0.18% | -301 | -4.50% | 6,686 |
| Humphreys | 2,334 | 69.01% | 892 | 26.37% | 86 | 2.54% | 70 | 2.07% | 1,442 | 42.64% | 3,382 |
| Issaquena | 701 | 60.80% | 395 | 34.26% | 34 | 2.95% | 23 | 1.99% | 306 | 26.54% | 1,153 |
| Itawamba | 4,419 | 89.20% | 509 | 10.27% | 24 | 0.48% | 2 | 0.04% | 3,910 | 78.93% | 4,954 |
| Jackson | 22,204 | 88.68% | 2,534 | 10.12% | 282 | 1.13% | 18 | 0.07% | 19,670 | 78.56% | 25,038 |
| Jasper | 3,597 | 78.47% | 935 | 20.40% | 50 | 1.09% | 2 | 0.04% | 2,662 | 58.07% | 4,584 |
| Jefferson | 1,131 | 43.37% | 1,457 | 55.87% | 16 | 0.61% | 4 | 0.15% | -326 | -12.50% | 2,608 |
| Jefferson Davis | 2,830 | 72.83% | 1,005 | 25.86% | 43 | 1.11% | 8 | 0.21% | 1,825 | 46.97% | 3,886 |
| Jones | 16,489 | 83.79% | 2,790 | 14.18% | 320 | 1.63% | 80 | 0.41% | 13,699 | 69.61% | 19,679 |
| Kemper | 2,748 | 75.25% | 837 | 22.92% | 65 | 1.78% | 2 | 0.05% | 1,911 | 52.33% | 3,652 |
| Lafayette | 5,391 | 76.89% | 1,545 | 22.04% | 67 | 0.96% | 8 | 0.11% | 3,846 | 54.85% | 7,011 |
| Lamar | 5,022 | 88.38% | 493 | 8.68% | 161 | 2.83% | 6 | 0.11% | 4,529 | 79.70% | 5,682 |
| Lauderdale | 18,337 | 81.79% | 3,453 | 15.40% | 613 | 2.73% | 17 | 0.08% | 14,884 | 66.39% | 22,420 |
| Lawrence | 3,394 | 81.70% | 709 | 17.07% | 50 | 1.20% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,685 | 64.63% | 4,154 |
| Leake | 4,217 | 79.13% | 1,053 | 19.76% | 56 | 1.05% | 3 | 0.06% | 3,164 | 59.37% | 5,329 |
| Lee | 10,730 | 82.60% | 1,632 | 12.56% | 520 | 4.00% | 109 | 0.84% | 9,098 | 70.04% | 12,991 |
| Leflore | 6,779 | 75.58% | 2,038 | 22.72% | 148 | 1.65% | 4 | 0.04% | 4,741 | 52.86% | 8,969 |
| Lincoln | 7,593 | 86.01% | 1,070 | 12.12% | 161 | 1.82% | 4 | 0.05% | 6,523 | 73.89% | 8,828 |
| Lowndes | 10,098 | 78.70% | 2,398 | 18.69% | 326 | 2.54% | 9 | 0.07% | 7,700 | 60.01% | 12,831 |
| Madison | 5,047 | 57.20% | 3,464 | 39.26% | 239 | 2.71% | 74 | 0.84% | 1,583 | 17.94% | 8,824 |
| Marion | 6,805 | 79.40% | 1,693 | 19.75% | 65 | 0.76% | 7 | 0.08% | 5,112 | 59.65% | 8,570 |
| Marshall | 3,326 | 62.10% | 1,875 | 35.01% | 115 | 2.15% | 40 | 0.75% | 1,451 | 27.09% | 5,356 |
| Monroe | 7,273 | 84.10% | 1,279 | 14.79% | 84 | 0.97% | 12 | 0.14% | 5,994 | 69.31% | 8,648 |
| Montgomery | 3,210 | 76.32% | 925 | 21.99% | 67 | 1.59% | 4 | 0.10% | 2,285 | 54.33% | 4,206 |
| Neshoba | 6,815 | 88.22% | 812 | 10.51% | 93 | 1.20% | 5 | 0.06% | 6,003 | 77.71% | 7,725 |
| Newton | 5,585 | 88.05% | 597 | 9.41% | 157 | 2.48% | 4 | 0.06% | 4,988 | 78.64% | 6,343 |
| Noxubee | 2,239 | 66.28% | 1,052 | 31.14% | 83 | 2.46% | 4 | 0.12% | 1,187 | 35.14% | 3,378 |
| Oktibbeha | 6,160 | 75.56% | 1,880 | 23.06% | 100 | 1.23% | 13 | 0.16% | 4,280 | 52.50% | 8,153 |
| Panola | 5,284 | 70.61% | 2,091 | 27.94% | 105 | 1.40% | 3 | 0.04% | 3,193 | 42.67% | 7,483 |
| Pearl River | 7,487 | 88.04% | 901 | 10.60% | 111 | 1.31% | 5 | 0.06% | 6,586 | 77.44% | 8,504 |
| Perry | 2,689 | 84.14% | 446 | 13.95% | 60 | 1.88% | 1 | 0.03% | 2,243 | 70.19% | 3,196 |
| Pike | 6,542 | 72.08% | 2,332 | 25.69% | 188 | 2.07% | 14 | 0.15% | 4,210 | 46.39% | 9,076 |
| Pontotoc | 4,476 | 89.45% | 488 | 9.75% | 40 | 0.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,988 | 79.70% | 5,004 |
| Prentiss | 4,607 | 91.12% | 398 | 7.87% | 51 | 1.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,209 | 83.25% | 5,056 |
| Quitman | 2,524 | 74.41% | 790 | 23.29% | 59 | 1.74% | 19 | 0.56% | 1,734 | 51.12% | 3,392 |
| Rankin | 12,187 | 85.19% | 1,913 | 13.37% | 197 | 1.38% | 8 | 0.06% | 10,274 | 71.82% | 14,305 |
| Scott | 5,244 | 79.95% | 1,213 | 18.49% | 91 | 1.39% | 11 | 0.17% | 4,031 | 61.46% | 6,559 |
| Sharkey | 1,426 | 67.94% | 655 | 31.21% | 15 | 0.71% | 3 | 0.14% | 771 | 36.73% | 2,099 |
| Simpson | 5,669 | 85.87% | 871 | 13.19% | 51 | 0.77% | 11 | 0.17% | 4,798 | 72.68% | 6,602 |
| Smith | 4,419 | 92.35% | 329 | 6.88% | 36 | 0.75% | 1 | 0.02% | 4,090 | 85.47% | 4,785 |
| Stone | 2,467 | 88.49% | 293 | 10.51% | 27 | 0.97% | 1 | 0.04% | 2,174 | 77.98% | 2,788 |
| Sunflower | 5,389 | 73.27% | 1,874 | 25.48% | 77 | 1.05% | 15 | 0.20% | 3,515 | 47.79% | 7,355 |
| Tallahatchie | 3,442 | 77.37% | 835 | 18.77% | 157 | 3.53% | 15 | 0.34% | 2,607 | 58.60% | 4,449 |
| Tate | 3,966 | 75.74% | 1,151 | 21.98% | 104 | 1.85% | 15 | 0.27% | 2,815 | 53.76% | 5,236 |
| Tippah | 3,937 | 85.87% | 569 | 12.41% | 76 | 1.66% | 3 | 0.07% | 3,368 | 73.46% | 4,585 |
| Tishomingo | 4,177 | 89.23% | 443 | 9.46% | 52 | 1.11% | 9 | 0.19% | 3,734 | 79.77% | 4,681 |
| Tunica | 1,446 | 62.19% | 858 | 36.90% | 18 | 0.77% | 3 | 0.13% | 588 | 25.29% | 2,325 |
| Union | 5,477 | 87.91% | 658 | 10.56% | 90 | 1.44% | 5 | 0.08% | 4,819 | 77.35% | 6,230 |
| Walthall | 3,110 | 79.66% | 747 | 19.13% | 41 | 1.05% | 6 | 0.15% | 2,363 | 60.53% | 3,904 |
| Warren | 10,420 | 71.97% | 3,480 | 24.04% | 452 | 3.12% | 126 | 0.87% | 6,940 | 47.93% | 14,478 |
| Washington | 9,634 | 63.78% | 4,623 | 30.61% | 535 | 3.54% | 312 | 2.07% | 5,011 | 33.17% | 15,104 |
| Wayne | 4,648 | 82.08% | 975 | 17.22% | 35 | 0.62% | 5 | 0.09% | 3,673 | 64.86% | 5,663 |
| Webster | 3,624 | 89.15% | 403 | 9.91% | 38 | 0.93% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,221 | 79.24% | 4,065 |
| Wilkinson | 1,608 | 52.65% | 1,409 | 46.14% | 32 | 1.05% | 5 | 0.16% | 199 | 6.51% | 3,054 |
| Winston | 5,155 | 78.64% | 1,354 | 20.66% | 39 | 0.59% | 7 | 0.11% | 3,801 | 57.98% | 6,555 |
| Yalobusha | 2,944 | 77.53% | 797 | 20.99% | 48 | 1.26% | 8 | 0.21% | 2,147 | 56.54% | 3,797 |
| Yazoo | 5,555 | 72.58% | 2,008 | 26.23% | 84 | 1.10% | 7 | 0.09% | 3,547 | 46.35% | 7,654 |
| Totals | 505,125 | 78.20% | 126,782 | 19.63% | 11,598 | 1.80% | 2,458 | 0.38% | 378,343 | 58.57% | 645,963 |

#### Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

* Adams
* Bolivar
* Carroll
* Coahoma
* Covington
* Choctaw
* Clarke
* Desoto
* Forrest
* Franklin
* Grenada
* George
* Greene
* Hancock
* Humphreys
* Harrison
* Hinds
* Jackson
* Jones
* Lamar
* Lauderdale
* Marshall
* Lawrence
* Lincoln
* Lowndes
* Marion
* Neshoba
* Noxubee
* Newton
* Oktibbeha
* Quitman
* Sharkey
* Pearl River
* Perry
* Stone
* Tunica
* Wilkinson
* Wayne
* Webster
* Alcorn
* Amite
* Attala
* Benton
* Calhoun
* Chickasaw
* Clarke
* Clay
* Copiah
* Issaquena
* Itawamba
* Jasper
* Jefferson Davis
* Kemper
* Lafayette
* Leake
* Lee
* Leflore
* Madison
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Panola
* Pike
* Pontotoc
* Prentiss
* Rankin
* Scott
* Simpson
* Smith
* Sunflower
* Tallahatchie
* Tate
* Tippah
* Tishomingo
* Union
* Walthall
* Washington
* Yalobusha
* Winston
* Warren
* Yazoo

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Coahoma
* Madison
* Marshall
* Tunica
* Wilkinson