# 1972 United States gubernatorial elections

United States gubernatorial elections were held on 7 November 1972 in 18 states and two territories, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and presidential election.
Gubernatorial elections were also held in Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, and Texas. In these states, they were the last elections on a two-year cycle, before switching to a four-year term for governors (see 1970 United States gubernatorial elections for more information).

## Election Results

| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Arkansas | Dale Bumpers | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Dale Bumpers (Democratic) 75.44% Len E. Blaylock (Republican) 24.56% |
| Delaware | Russell W. Peterson | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Sherman W. Tribbitt (Democratic) 51.27% Russell W. Peterson (Republican) 47.91% Virginia M. Lyndall (American) 0.64% Harry H. Conner (Prohibition) 0.17% |
| Illinois | Richard B. Ogilvie | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Dan Walker (Democratic) 50.68% Richard B. Ogilvie (Republican) 49.02% George LaForest (Socialist Labor) 0.17% Ishmael Flory (Communist) 0.10% Write in 0.03% |
| Indiana | Edgar Whitcomb | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican hold. | Y Otis Bowen (Republican) 56.77% Matthew E. Welsh (Democratic) 42.46% Berryman S. Hurley (American Independent) 0.40% Finley N. Campbell (Peace and Freedom) 0.30% John Marion Morris (Socialist Labor) 0.08% |
| Iowa | Robert D. Ray | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Robert D. Ray (Republican) 58.43% Paul Franzenburg (Democratic) 40.26% Robert Dilley (American Independent) 1.30% |
| Kansas | Robert Docking | Democratic | 1966 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Robert Docking (Democratic) 61.99% Morris Kay (Republican) 37.05% Rolland Ernest Fisher (Prohibition) 0.96% |
| Missouri | Warren E. Hearnes | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Kit Bond (Republican) 55.18% Edward L. Doud (Democrat) 44.64% Paul J. Leonard (Nonpartisan) 0.19% |
| Montana | Forrest H. Anderson | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Thomas Lee Judge (Democratic) 54.12% Ed Smith (Republican) 45.88% |
| New Hampshire | Walter R. Peterson Jr. | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent lost renomination. New governor elected. Republican hold. | Y Meldrim Thomson Jr. (Republican) 41.38% Roger J. Crowley (Democratic) 39.03% Malcolm McLane (Independent) 19.56% Scattering 0.03% |
| North Carolina | Robert W. Scott | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y James Holshouser (Republican) 51% Skipper Bowles (Democratic) 48.45% Arlis F. Pettyjohn (American) 0.55% |
| North Dakota | William L. Guy | Democratic-NPL | 1960 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic-NPL hold. | Y Arthur A. Link (Democratic-NPL) 51.04% Richard F. Larsen (Republican) 48.96% |
| Rhode Island | Frank Licht | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Philip Noel (Democratic) 52.55% Herbert F. DeSimone (Republican) 47.07% Adam J. Varone (Independent) 0.39% |
| South Dakota | Richard F. Kneip | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Richard F. Kneip (Democratic) 60.03% Carveth Thompson (Republican) 39.97% |
| Texas | Preston Smith | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent lost renomination. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Dolph Briscoe (Democratic) 47.91% Henry Grover (Republican) 44.99% Ramsey Muniz (La Raza Unida) 6.28% Debbie Leonard (Socialist Workers) 0.71% Scattering 0.11% |
| Utah | Cal Rampton | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Cal Rampton (Democratic) 69.68% Nicholas L. Strike (Republican) 30.32% |
| Vermont | Deane C. Davis | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Thomas P. Salmon (Democratic) 55.24% Luther Fred Hackett (Republican) 43.59% Bernie Sanders (Liberty Union) 1.15% Scattering 0.02% |
| Washington | Daniel J. Evans | Republican | 1964 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Daniel J. Evans (Republican) 50.79% Albert Rosellini (Democratic) 42.83% Vick Gould (Taxpayers) 5.90% Robin David (Socialist Workers) 0.31% Henry Killman (Socialist Labor) 0.18% |
| West Virginia | Arch A. Moore Jr. | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Arch A. Moore Jr. (Republican) 54.74% Jay Rockefeller (Democratic) 45.26% |

## Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:
* Illinois, 1.66%
* North Dakota, 2.08%
* New Hampshire, 2.36%
* North Carolina, 2.55%
* Texas, 2.92%
* Delaware, 3.36%
States where the margin of victory was under 10%:
* Rhode Island, 5.48%
* Washington, 7.96%
* Montana, 8.24%
* West Virginia, 9.48%