# 1972 United States presidential election in Tennessee

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The 1972 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 10 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Tennessee was won by incumbent President Richard Nixon (R–California), with 67.70% of the popular vote, against George McGovern (D–South Dakota), with 29.75% of the popular vote. John G. Schmitz was the only other candidate on the ballot, and, as the candidate for the American Party, he received over 30,000 votes. As of 2024, this was last election in which majority-Black Haywood County voted for a Republican presidential candidate. Alabama and Tennessee were the only states where McGovern won any county that voted for George Wallace in 1968.
75% of white voters supported Nixon while 22% supported McGovern.

## Background

Historically Tennessee was the southern state with the strongest amount of Republican support. From 1874 to 1952, the state's two Republican members of the United States House of Representatives were the only Republicans out of the 105 members from the South. From 1966 to 1970, the Republicans won both of Tennessee's seats in the United States Senate, the governorship, and increased its membership in the U.S. House to four of the state's nine seats.

## Results

1972 United States presidential election in Tennessee :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Richard Nixon (inc.) | 813,147 | 67.70% |
| | Democratic | George McGovern | 357,293 | 29.75% |
| | American | John G. Schmitz | 30,373 | 2.53% |
| | Write-in | | 369 | 0.03% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,201,182 | 100% |

### Results by county

| County | Richard Nixon Republican | Richard Nixon Republican | George McGovern Democratic | George McGovern Democratic | John G. Schmitz American | John G. Schmitz American | Various candidates Write-ins | Various candidates Write-ins | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Anderson | 13,865 | 66.03% | 6,713 | 31.97% | 416 | 1.98% | 5 | 0.02% | 7,152 | 34.06% | 20,999 |
| Bedford | 4,262 | 59.73% | 2,565 | 35.95% | 302 | 4.23% | 6 | 0.08% | 1,697 | 23.78% | 7,135 |
| Benton | 2,614 | 61.83% | 1,479 | 34.98% | 135 | 3.19% | | | 1,135 | 26.85% | 4,228 |
| Bledsoe | 1,952 | 65.90% | 899 | 30.35% | 111 | 3.75% | | | 1,053 | 35.55% | 2,962 |
| Blount | 16,078 | 73.85% | 5,303 | 24.36% | 390 | 1.79% | | | 10,775 | 49.49% | 21,771 |
| Bradley | 10,440 | 77.26% | 2,804 | 20.75% | 269 | 1.99% | | | 7,636 | 56.51% | 13,513 |
| Campbell | 4,909 | 73.41% | 1,629 | 24.36% | 147 | 2.20% | 2 | 0.03% | 3,280 | 49.05% | 6,687 |
| Cannon | 1,615 | 62.38% | 911 | 35.19% | 63 | 2.43% | | | 704 | 27.19% | 2,589 |
| Carroll | 5,784 | 69.28% | 2,290 | 27.43% | 275 | 3.29% | | | 3,494 | 41.85% | 8,349 |
| Carter | 11,102 | 82.15% | 2,191 | 16.21% | 217 | 1.61% | 4 | 0.03% | 8,911 | 65.94% | 13,514 |
| Cheatham | 2,235 | 60.10% | 1,321 | 35.52% | 163 | 4.38% | | | 914 | 24.58% | 3,719 |
| Chester | 2,787 | 71.70% | 961 | 24.72% | 133 | 3.42% | 6 | 0.15% | 1,826 | 46.98% | 3,887 |
| Claiborne | 3,632 | 73.94% | 1,230 | 25.04% | 50 | 1.02% | | | 2,402 | 48.90% | 4,912 |
| Clay | 982 | 59.01% | 648 | 38.94% | 34 | 2.04% | | | 334 | 20.07% | 1,664 |
| Cocke | 5,268 | 85.62% | 805 | 13.08% | 80 | 1.30% | | | 4,463 | 72.54% | 6,153 |
| Coffee | 6,416 | 66.18% | 2,973 | 30.67% | 303 | 3.13% | 3 | 0.03% | 3,443 | 35.51% | 9,695 |
| Crockett | 2,642 | 75.40% | 735 | 20.98% | 115 | 3.28% | 12 | 0.34% | 1,907 | 54.42% | 3,504 |
| Cumberland | 4,593 | 73.78% | 1,482 | 23.81% | 150 | 2.41% | | | 3,111 | 49.97% | 6,225 |
| Davidson | 82,636 | 61.30% | 48,869 | 36.25% | 3,292 | 2.44% | | | 33,767 | 25.05% | 134,797 |
| Decatur | 2,368 | 64.79% | 1,187 | 32.48% | 99 | 2.71% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,181 | 32.31% | 3,655 |
| DeKalb | 2,014 | 60.66% | 1,243 | 37.44% | 63 | 1.90% | | | 771 | 23.22% | 3,320 |
| Dickson | 3,645 | 56.55% | 2,619 | 40.63% | 182 | 2.82% | | | 1,026 | 15.92% | 6,446 |
| Dyer | 6,066 | 75.94% | 1,600 | 20.03% | 321 | 4.02% | 1 | 0.01% | 4,466 | 55.91% | 7,988 |
| Fayette | 3,264 | 59.75% | 2,067 | 37.84% | 132 | 2.42% | | | 1,197 | 21.91% | 5,463 |
| Fentress | 2,154 | 75.50% | 665 | 23.31% | 34 | 1.19% | | | 1,489 | 52.19% | 2,853 |
| Franklin | 4,136 | 57.51% | 2,896 | 40.27% | 160 | 2.22% | | | 1,240 | 17.24% | 7,192 |
| Gibson | 9,900 | 71.05% | 3,625 | 26.02% | 408 | 2.93% | 1 | 0.01% | 6,275 | 45.03% | 13,934 |
| Giles | 2,914 | 57.69% | 1,875 | 37.12% | 261 | 5.17% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,039 | 20.57% | 5,051 |
| Grainger | 2,842 | 76.54% | 828 | 22.30% | 43 | 1.16% | | | 2,014 | 54.24% | 3,713 |
| Greene | 9,772 | 76.89% | 2,764 | 21.75% | 171 | 1.35% | 2 | 0.02% | 7,008 | 55.14% | 12,709 |
| Grundy | 1,364 | 54.49% | 1,005 | 40.15% | 134 | 5.35% | | | 359 | 14.34% | 2,503 |
| Hamblen | 8,879 | 76.39% | 2,563 | 22.05% | 180 | 1.55% | 2 | 0.02% | 6,316 | 54.34% | 11,624 |
| Hamilton | 58,469 | 70.62% | 20,657 | 24.95% | 3,668 | 4.43% | | | 37,812 | 45.67% | 82,794 |
| Hancock | 1,813 | 81.59% | 393 | 17.69% | 16 | 0.72% | | | 1,420 | 63.90% | 2,222 |
| Hardeman | 3,494 | 66.00% | 1,550 | 29.28% | 183 | 3.46% | 67 | 1.27% | 1,944 | 36.72% | 5,294 |
| Hardin | 4,401 | 76.29% | 1,202 | 20.84% | 166 | 2.88% | | | 3,199 | 55.45% | 5,769 |
| Hawkins | 7,791 | 72.31% | 2,608 | 24.20% | 373 | 3.46% | 3 | 0.03% | 5,183 | 48.11% | 10,775 |
| Haywood | 3,123 | 59.45% | 1,966 | 37.43% | 164 | 3.12% | | | 1,157 | 22.02% | 5,253 |
| Henderson | 5,122 | 77.64% | 1,313 | 19.90% | 162 | 2.46% | | | 3,809 | 57.74% | 6,597 |
| Henry | 4,613 | 60.61% | 2,694 | 35.40% | 302 | 3.97% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,919 | 25.21% | 7,611 |
| Hickman | 1,943 | 56.06% | 1,393 | 40.19% | 130 | 3.75% | | | 550 | 15.87% | 3,466 |
| Houston | 800 | 46.38% | 870 | 50.43% | 55 | 3.19% | | | -70 | -4.05% | 1,725 |
| Humphreys | 2,263 | 52.17% | 1,973 | 45.48% | 102 | 2.35% | | | 290 | 6.69% | 4,338 |
| Jackson | 956 | 45.98% | 1,085 | 52.19% | 38 | 1.83% | | | -129 | -6.21% | 2,079 |
| Jefferson | 5,925 | 80.26% | 1,357 | 18.38% | 100 | 1.35% | | | 4,568 | 61.88% | 7,382 |
| Johnson | 3,362 | 87.08% | 450 | 11.66% | 49 | 1.27% | | | 2,912 | 75.42% | 3,861 |
| Knox | 64,747 | 71.56% | 24,076 | 26.61% | 1,661 | 1.84% | | | 40,671 | 44.95% | 90,484 |
| Lake | 1,147 | 65.69% | 536 | 30.70% | 62 | 3.55% | 1 | 0.06% | 611 | 34.99% | 1,746 |
| Lauderdale | 3,597 | 64.40% | 1,771 | 31.71% | 217 | 3.89% | | | 1,826 | 32.69% | 5,585 |
| Lawrence | 6,438 | 67.90% | 2,824 | 29.78% | 219 | 2.31% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,614 | 38.12% | 9,482 |
| Lewis | 1,056 | 46.98% | 1,138 | 50.62% | 54 | 2.40% | | | -82 | -3.64% | 2,248 |
| Lincoln | 3,266 | 61.84% | 1,867 | 35.35% | 148 | 2.80% | | | 1,399 | 26.49% | 5,281 |
| Loudon | 5,357 | 75.12% | 1,604 | 22.49% | 170 | 2.38% | | | 3,753 | 52.63% | 7,131 |
| Macon | 2,295 | 75.67% | 653 | 21.53% | 83 | 2.74% | 2 | 0.07% | 1,642 | 54.14% | 3,033 |
| Madison | 15,481 | 72.31% | 5,203 | 24.30% | 666 | 3.11% | 59 | 0.28% | 10,278 | 48.01% | 21,409 |
| Marion | 3,711 | 63.56% | 1,929 | 33.04% | 199 | 3.41% | | | 1,782 | 30.52% | 5,839 |
| Marshall | 2,593 | 59.23% | 1,526 | 34.86% | 256 | 5.85% | 3 | 0.07% | 1,067 | 24.37% | 4,378 |
| Maury | 7,371 | 66.28% | 3,262 | 29.33% | 483 | 4.34% | 5 | 0.04% | 4,109 | 36.95% | 11,121 |
| McMinn | 7,423 | 70.56% | 2,838 | 26.98% | 259 | 2.46% | | | 4,585 | 43.58% | 10,520 |
| McNairy | 4,774 | 73.23% | 1,610 | 24.70% | 135 | 2.07% | | | 3,164 | 48.53% | 6,519 |
| Meigs | 1,052 | 64.34% | 539 | 32.97% | 44 | 2.69% | | | 513 | 31.37% | 1,635 |
| Monroe | 5,657 | 65.52% | 2,870 | 33.24% | 97 | 1.12% | 10 | 0.12% | 2,787 | 32.28% | 8,634 |
| Montgomery | 7,839 | 56.40% | 5,691 | 40.95% | 363 | 2.61% | 6 | 0.04% | 2,148 | 15.45% | 13,899 |
| Moore | 608 | 61.04% | 356 | 35.74% | 32 | 3.21% | | | 252 | 25.30% | 996 |
| Morgan | 2,531 | 69.59% | 1,084 | 29.80% | 22 | 0.60% | | | 1,447 | 39.79% | 3,637 |
| Obion | 5,800 | 70.36% | 2,243 | 27.21% | 200 | 2.43% | | | 3,557 | 43.15% | 8,243 |
| Overton | 1,947 | 54.17% | 1,573 | 43.77% | 74 | 2.06% | | | 374 | 10.40% | 3,594 |
| Perry | 900 | 48.10% | 937 | 50.08% | 34 | 1.82% | | | -37 | -1.98% | 1,871 |
| Pickett | 957 | 72.23% | 357 | 26.94% | 11 | 0.83% | | | 600 | 45.29% | 1,325 |
| Polk | 2,285 | 60.58% | 1,431 | 37.94% | 56 | 1.48% | | | 854 | 22.64% | 3,772 |
| Putnam | 6,038 | 60.39% | 3,738 | 37.38% | 223 | 2.23% | | | 2,300 | 23.01% | 9,999 |
| Rhea | 3,842 | 72.50% | 1,312 | 24.76% | 145 | 2.74% | | | 2,530 | 47.74% | 5,299 |
| Roane | 8,742 | 70.10% | 3,433 | 27.53% | 295 | 2.37% | | | 5,309 | 42.57% | 12,470 |
| Robertson | 4,175 | 56.43% | 2,985 | 40.34% | 239 | 3.23% | | | 1,190 | 16.09% | 7,399 |
| Rutherford | 11,256 | 64.12% | 5,811 | 33.10% | 486 | 2.77% | 1 | 0.01% | 5,445 | 31.02% | 17,554 |
| Scott | 2,775 | 79.24% | 679 | 19.39% | 45 | 1.28% | 3 | 0.09% | 2,096 | 59.85% | 3,502 |
| Sequatchie | 1,298 | 64.58% | 629 | 31.29% | 83 | 4.13% | | | 669 | 33.29% | 2,010 |
| Sevier | 8,273 | 86.38% | 1,128 | 11.78% | 177 | 1.85% | | | 7,145 | 74.60% | 9,578 |
| Shelby | 161,922 | 65.32% | 81,089 | 32.71% | 4,816 | 1.94% | 55 | 0.02% | 80,833 | 32.61% | 247,882 |
| Smith | 1,812 | 56.84% | 1,260 | 39.52% | 116 | 3.64% | | | 552 | 17.32% | 3,188 |
| Stewart | 790 | 40.83% | 1,098 | 56.74% | 47 | 2.43% | | | -308 | -15.91% | 1,935 |
| Sullivan | 27,593 | 71.64% | 10,007 | 25.98% | 824 | 2.14% | 93 | 0.24% | 17,586 | 45.66% | 38,517 |
| Sumner | 10,020 | 66.11% | 4,596 | 30.32% | 538 | 3.55% | 3 | 0.02% | 5,424 | 35.79% | 15,157 |
| Tipton | 5,542 | 71.52% | 1,853 | 23.91% | 353 | 4.56% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,689 | 47.61% | 7,749 |
| Trousdale | 663 | 53.90% | 539 | 43.82% | 28 | 2.28% | | | 124 | 10.08% | 1,230 |
| Unicoi | 3,877 | 81.35% | 822 | 17.25% | 67 | 1.41% | | | 3,055 | 64.10% | 4,766 |
| Union | 1,927 | 76.26% | 570 | 22.56% | 30 | 1.19% | | | 1,357 | 53.70% | 2,527 |
| Van Buren | 629 | 61.61% | 364 | 35.65% | 28 | 2.74% | | | 265 | 25.96% | 1,021 |
| Warren | 3,565 | 60.49% | 2,118 | 35.93% | 210 | 3.56% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,447 | 24.56% | 5,894 |
| Washington | 17,343 | 74.79% | 5,284 | 22.79% | 556 | 2.40% | 5 | 0.02% | 12,059 | 52.00% | 23,188 |
| Wayne | 2,898 | 79.79% | 673 | 18.53% | 61 | 1.68% | | | 2,225 | 61.26% | 3,632 |
| Weakley | 5,836 | 71.48% | 2,027 | 24.83% | 302 | 3.70% | | | 3,809 | 46.65% | 8,165 |
| White | 2,252 | 60.42% | 1,392 | 37.35% | 83 | 2.23% | | | 860 | 23.07% | 3,727 |
| Williamson | 7,556 | 71.53% | 2,616 | 24.76% | 392 | 3.71% | | | 4,940 | 46.77% | 10,564 |
| Wilson | 6,486 | 65.77% | 3,096 | 31.40% | 277 | 2.81% | 2 | 0.02% | 3,390 | 34.37% | 9,861 |
| Totals | 813,147 | 67.70% | 357,293 | 29.75% | 30,373 | 2.53% | 369 | 0.03% | 455,854 | 37.95% | 1,201,182 |

### By congressional district

Nixon won all 8 congressional districts, including three held by Democrats.
| District | Nixon | McGovern |
| 1st | 78.5% | 21.5% |
| 2nd | 73.4% | 26.6% |
| 3rd | 72.3% | 27.7% |
| 4th | 65% | 35% |
| 5th | 62.6% | 37.4% |
| 6th | 72.5% | 27.5% |
| 7th | 75.4% | 24.6% |
| 8th | 57.4% | 42.6% |