# 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina

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vte :
The 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Amidst a nationwide landslide defeat especially felt in the South, McGovern won only two counties in North Carolina, neither of which have voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the Fourth Party System era: Orange County in the Research Triangle region, home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and majority-Black Northampton County in the northeast of the state. Even in these counties, where most Democratic candidates receive over sixty percent of the vote (and where Walter Mondale in 1984 would still win by double digits), McGovern won by less than five points. 78% of white voters supported Nixon, while only 20% supported McGovern.

## Primaries
### Democratic

Alabama Governor, George Wallace, would defeat favorite son candidate, Terry Sanford.
Democratic Primary – May 6, 1972 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | George Wallace | 413,518 | 50.34% |
| | Democratic | Terry Sanford | 306,014 | 37.26% |
| | Democratic | Shirley Chisholm | 61,723 | 7.51% |
| | Democratic | Edmund Muskie | 30,739 | 3.74% |
| | Democratic | Henry M. Jackson | 9,416 | 1.15% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 821,410 | 100 |

### Republican
## Campaign
### Polls

| Source | Rating | As of |
| Corvallis Gazette-Times | Safe R | September 19, 1972 |
| The Bradenton Herald | Certain R | October 9, 1972 |
| The Austin American | Certain R | November 1, 1972 |
| Sun Herald | Certain R | November 5, 1972 |

## Results

1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | Richard Nixon (incumbent) | 1,054,889 | 69.46% | 13 |
| | Democratic | George McGovern | 438,705 | 28.89% | 0 |
| | American Independent | John G. Schmitz | 25,018 | 1.65% | 0 |
| | Write-ins | Various candidates | 162 | 0.01% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 1,518,774 | 100.0% | 13 |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 44.35% | 44.35% | — |

### By county

| County | Richard Nixon Republican | Richard Nixon Republican | George McGovern Democratic | George McGovern Democratic | John G. Schmitz American | John G. Schmitz American | Margin | Margin | Total |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total |
| Alamance | 22,046 | 74.61% | 6,833 | 23.12% | 670 | 2.27% | 15,213 | 51.49% | 29,549 |
| Alexander | 5,865 | 68.95% | 2,468 | 29.01% | 173 | 2.04% | 3,397 | 39.94% | 8,506 |
| Alleghany | 2,158 | 61.29% | 1,304 | 37.03% | 59 | 1.68% | 854 | 24.26% | 3,521 |
| Anson | 3,551 | 60.88% | 2,188 | 37.51% | 94 | 1.61% | 1,363 | 23.37% | 5,833 |
| Ashe | 5,784 | 62.95% | 3,313 | 36.06% | 91 | 0.99% | 2,471 | 26.89% | 9,188 |
| Avery | 3,510 | 83.99% | 627 | 15.00% | 42 | 1.01% | 2,883 | 68.99% | 4,179 |
| Beaufort | 6,915 | 69.65% | 2,901 | 29.22% | 112 | 1.13% | 4,014 | 40.43% | 9,928 |
| Bertie | 2,874 | 60.54% | 1,819 | 38.32% | 54 | 1.14% | 1,055 | 22.22% | 4,747 |
| Bladen | 4,205 | 64.72% | 2,201 | 33.88% | 91 | 1.40% | 2,004 | 30.84% | 6,497 |
| Brunswick | 6,153 | 69.06% | 2,500 | 28.06% | 256 | 2.88% | 3,653 | 41.00% | 8,909 |
| Buncombe | 32,091 | 70.38% | 12,626 | 27.69% | 877 | 1.93% | 19,465 | 42.69% | 45,594 |
| Burke | 14,447 | 68.96% | 6,197 | 29.58% | 306 | 1.46% | 8,250 | 39.38% | 20,950 |
| Cabarrus | 18,384 | 76.45% | 5,336 | 22.19% | 328 | 1.36% | 13,048 | 54.26% | 24,048 |
| Caldwell | 12,976 | 71.41% | 4,886 | 26.89% | 309 | 1.70% | 8,090 | 44.52% | 18,171 |
| Camden | 909 | 60.20% | 556 | 36.82% | 45 | 2.98% | 353 | 23.38% | 1,510 |
| Carteret | 8,463 | 74.14% | 2,805 | 24.57% | 147 | 1.29% | 5,658 | 49.57% | 11,415 |
| Caswell | 2,983 | 59.65% | 1,922 | 38.43% | 96 | 1.92% | 1,061 | 21.22% | 5,001 |
| Catawba | 24,106 | 74.46% | 7,744 | 23.92% | 525 | 1.62% | 16,362 | 50.54% | 32,375 |
| Chatham | 6,175 | 62.12% | 3,624 | 36.46% | 142 | 1.42% | 2,551 | 25.66% | 9,941 |
| Cherokee | 4,113 | 62.28% | 2,411 | 36.51% | 80 | 1.21% | 1,702 | 25.77% | 6,604 |
| Chowan | 1,906 | 66.39% | 936 | 32.60% | 29 | 1.01% | 970 | 33.79% | 2,871 |
| Clay | 1,545 | 65.19% | 797 | 33.63% | 28 | 1.18% | 748 | 31.56% | 2,370 |
| Cleveland | 13,726 | 72.06% | 4,994 | 26.22% | 328 | 1.72% | 8,732 | 45.84% | 19,048 |
| Columbus | 8,468 | 70.64% | 3,305 | 27.57% | 214 | 1.79% | 5,163 | 43.07% | 11,987 |
| Craven | 9,372 | 78.74% | 2,384 | 20.03% | 147 | 1.23% | 6,988 | 58.71% | 11,903 |
| Cumberland | 24,376 | 70.46% | 9,853 | 28.48% | 366 | 1.06% | 14,523 | 41.98% | 34,595 |
| Currituck | 1,578 | 66.67% | 718 | 30.33% | 71 | 3.00% | 860 | 36.34% | 2,367 |
| Dare | 1,986 | 75.20% | 634 | 24.01% | 21 | 0.79% | 1,352 | 51.19% | 2,641 |
| Davidson | 24,875 | 74.79% | 7,691 | 23.12% | 696 | 2.09% | 17,184 | 51.67% | 33,262 |
| Davie | 5,613 | 75.69% | 1,578 | 21.28% | 225 | 3.03% | 4,035 | 54.41% | 7,416 |
| Duplin | 7,153 | 70.61% | 2,857 | 28.20% | 120 | 1.19% | 4,296 | 42.41% | 10,130 |
| Durham | 25,576 | 61.38% | 15,566 | 37.36% | 525 | 1.26% | 10,010 | 24.02% | 41,667 |
| Edgecombe | 8,244 | 62.53% | 4,635 | 35.16% | 305 | 2.31% | 3,609 | 27.37% | 13,184 |
| Forsyth | 46,415 | 67.69% | 20,928 | 30.52% | 1,226 | 1.79% | 25,487 | 37.17% | 68,569 |
| Franklin | 5,431 | 68.37% | 2,341 | 29.47% | 172 | 2.16% | 3,090 | 38.90% | 7,944 |
| Gaston | 27,956 | 75.76% | 8,462 | 22.93% | 483 | 1.31% | 19,494 | 52.83% | 36,901 |
| Gates | 1,264 | 51.01% | 1,177 | 47.50% | 37 | 1.49% | 87 | 3.51% | 2,478 |
| Graham | 1,699 | 61.05% | 1,057 | 37.98% | 27 | 0.97% | 642 | 23.07% | 2,783 |
| Granville | 6,037 | 66.82% | 2,918 | 32.30% | 80 | 0.88% | 3,119 | 34.52% | 9,035 |
| Greene | 2,788 | 75.68% | 847 | 22.99% | 49 | 1.33% | 1,941 | 52.69% | 3,684 |
| Guilford | 61,381 | 69.46% | 25,800 | 29.20% | 1,185 | 1.34% | 35,581 | 40.26% | 88,366 |
| Halifax | 8,908 | 66.60% | 4,241 | 31.71% | 226 | 1.69% | 4,667 | 34.89% | 13,375 |
| Harnett | 10,259 | 74.64% | 3,347 | 24.35% | 138 | 1.01% | 6,912 | 50.29% | 13,744 |
| Haywood | 8,903 | 64.84% | 4,515 | 32.88% | 313 | 2.28% | 4,388 | 31.96% | 13,731 |
| Henderson | 12,134 | 80.17% | 2,701 | 17.85% | 300 | 1.98% | 9,433 | 62.32% | 15,135 |
| Hertford | 2,794 | 58.34% | 1,928 | 40.26% | 67 | 1.40% | 866 | 18.08% | 4,789 |
| Hoke | 1,927 | 56.25% | 1,466 | 42.79% | 33 | 0.96% | 461 | 13.46% | 3,426 |
| Hyde | 1,112 | 69.28% | 403 | 25.11% | 90 | 5.61% | 709 | 44.17% | 1,605 |
| Iredell | 16,736 | 73.79% | 5,088 | 22.43% | 858 | 3.78% | 11,648 | 51.36% | 22,682 |
| Jackson | 4,709 | 59.11% | 3,169 | 39.78% | 89 | 1.11% | 1,540 | 19.33% | 7,967 |
| Johnston | 14,272 | 79.24% | 3,488 | 19.37% | 251 | 1.39% | 10,784 | 59.87% | 18,011 |
| Jones | 1,650 | 58.93% | 1,093 | 39.04% | 57 | 2.03% | 557 | 19.89% | 2,800 |
| Lee | 5,836 | 72.71% | 2,024 | 25.22% | 166 | 2.07% | 3,812 | 47.49% | 8,026 |
| Lenoir | 11,065 | 73.89% | 3,672 | 24.52% | 238 | 1.59% | 7,393 | 49.37% | 14,975 |
| Lincoln | 8,597 | 61.88% | 5,100 | 36.71% | 195 | 1.41% | 3,497 | 25.17% | 13,892 |
| Macon | 4,134 | 69.20% | 1,749 | 29.28% | 91 | 1.52% | 2,385 | 39.92% | 5,974 |
| Madison | 3,273 | 61.18% | 2,039 | 38.11% | 38 | 0.71% | 1,234 | 23.07% | 5,350 |
| Martin | 4,188 | 68.76% | 1,840 | 30.21% | 63 | 1.03% | 2,348 | 38.55% | 6,091 |
| McDowell | 6,570 | 72.09% | 2,348 | 25.76% | 196 | 2.15% | 4,222 | 46.33% | 9,114 |
| Mecklenburg | 77,546 | 68.52% | 33,730 | 29.80% | 1,900 | 1.68% | 43,816 | 38.72% | 113,176 |
| Mitchell | 4,240 | 83.45% | 800 | 15.74% | 41 | 0.81% | 3,440 | 67.71% | 5,081 |
| Montgomery | 4,417 | 65.67% | 2,175 | 32.34% | 134 | 1.99% | 2,242 | 33.33% | 6,726 |
| Moore | 9,406 | 70.68% | 3,627 | 27.25% | 275 | 2.07% | 5,779 | 43.43% | 13,308 |
| Nash | 12,679 | 71.39% | 4,503 | 25.35% | 579 | 3.26% | 8,176 | 46.04% | 17,761 |
| New Hanover | 19,060 | 74.41% | 5,894 | 23.01% | 661 | 2.58% | 13,166 | 51.40% | 25,615 |
| Northampton | 2,997 | 47.71% | 3,233 | 51.46% | 52 | 0.83% | −236 | −3.75% | 6,282 |
| Onslow | 10,343 | 80.05% | 2,424 | 18.76% | 154 | 1.19% | 7,919 | 61.29% | 12,921 |
| Orange | 11,632 | 47.66% | 12,634 | 51.76% | 142 | 0.58% | −1,002 | −4.10% | 24,408 |
| Pamlico | 1,847 | 66.11% | 919 | 32.89% | 28 | 1.00% | 928 | 33.22% | 2,794 |
| Pasquotank | 3,906 | 63.07% | 2,115 | 34.15% | 172 | 2.78% | 1,791 | 28.92% | 6,193 |
| Pender | 3,327 | 68.90% | 1,415 | 29.30% | 87 | 1.80% | 1,912 | 39.60% | 4,829 |
| Perquimans | 1,299 | 62.57% | 723 | 34.83% | 54 | 2.60% | 576 | 27.74% | 2,076 |
| Person | 5,941 | 71.89% | 2,246 | 27.18% | 77 | 0.93% | 3,695 | 44.71% | 8,264 |
| Pitt | 14,406 | 70.41% | 5,858 | 28.63% | 195 | 0.96% | 8,548 | 41.78% | 20,459 |
| Polk | 3,121 | 67.31% | 1,416 | 30.54% | 100 | 2.15% | 1,705 | 36.77% | 4,637 |
| Randolph | 18,724 | 76.02% | 5,346 | 21.71% | 559 | 2.27% | 13,378 | 54.31% | 24,629 |
| Richmond | 5,692 | 60.84% | 3,508 | 37.49% | 156 | 1.67% | 2,184 | 23.35% | 9,356 |
| Robeson | 11,362 | 59.99% | 7,391 | 39.02% | 188 | 0.99% | 3,971 | 20.97% | 18,941 |
| Rockingham | 14,519 | 71.15% | 5,530 | 27.10% | 358 | 1.75% | 8,989 | 44.05% | 20,407 |
| Rowan | 20,735 | 73.34% | 6,834 | 24.17% | 705 | 2.49% | 13,901 | 49.17% | 28,274 |
| Rutherford | 9,506 | 68.80% | 4,140 | 29.97% | 170 | 1.23% | 5,366 | 38.83% | 13,816 |
| Sampson | 9,684 | 65.76% | 4,888 | 33.19% | 154 | 1.05% | 4,796 | 32.57% | 14,726 |
| Scotland | 3,485 | 63.69% | 1,938 | 35.42% | 49 | 0.89% | 1,547 | 28.27% | 5,472 |
| Stanly | 12,459 | 69.32% | 5,218 | 29.03% | 295 | 1.65% | 7,241 | 40.29% | 17,972 |
| Stokes | 7,118 | 66.86% | 3,254 | 30.57% | 274 | 2.57% | 3,864 | 36.29% | 10,646 |
| Surry | 10,497 | 67.78% | 4,706 | 30.39% | 284 | 1.83% | 5,791 | 37.39% | 15,487 |
| Swain | 2,052 | 64.45% | 1,101 | 34.58% | 31 | 0.97% | 951 | 29.87% | 3,184 |
| Transylvania | 5,860 | 69.73% | 2,321 | 27.62% | 223 | 2.65% | 3,539 | 42.11% | 8,404 |
| Tyrrell | 676 | 59.30% | 459 | 40.26% | 5 | 0.44% | 217 | 19.04% | 1,140 |
| Union | 10,264 | 71.60% | 3,886 | 27.11% | 186 | 1.29% | 6,378 | 44.49% | 14,336 |
| Vance | 6,491 | 66.85% | 3,117 | 32.10% | 102 | 1.05% | 3,374 | 34.75% | 9,710 |
| Wake | 56,808 | 70.32% | 22,807 | 28.23% | 1,174 | 1.45% | 34,001 | 42.09% | 80,789 |
| Warren | 2,603 | 59.62% | 1,698 | 38.89% | 65 | 1.49% | 905 | 20.73% | 4,366 |
| Washington | 2,559 | 61.65% | 1,546 | 37.24% | 46 | 1.11% | 1,013 | 24.41% | 4,151 |
| Watauga | 6,017 | 62.85% | 3,451 | 36.05% | 105 | 1.10% | 2,566 | 26.80% | 9,573 |
| Wayne | 14,352 | 72.33% | 5,234 | 26.38% | 256 | 1.29% | 9,118 | 45.95% | 19,842 |
| Wilkes | 13,105 | 72.83% | 4,634 | 25.75% | 255 | 1.42% | 8,471 | 47.08% | 17,994 |
| Wilson | 12,060 | 73.04% | 4,166 | 25.23% | 286 | 1.73% | 7,894 | 47.81% | 16,512 |
| Yadkin | 6,824 | 79.16% | 1,592 | 18.47% | 205 | 2.37% | 5,232 | 60.69% | 8,621 |
| Yancey | 3,106 | 57.10% | 2,278 | 41.88% | 56 | 1.02% | 828 | 15.22% | 5,440 |
| Totals | 1,054,889 | 69.46% | 438,705 | 28.89% | 25,018 | 1.65% | 616,184 | 40.57% | 1,518,612 |