# 1972 United States presidential election in Minnesota

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vte :
The 1972 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose ten electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Minnesota was won by the Republican candidate, incumbent President Richard Nixon, who won the state over U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota by a margin of 95,923 votes, or 5.51%, the closest state in the election. This result made Minnesota around 18% more Democratic than the nation as a whole. Nixon went on to win the election nationally, by a landslide margin of 23.15% of the popular vote. McGovern carried only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.
As of 2025, this is the last time Minnesota, a state that has generally favored Democrats since the New Deal, was carried by a Republican, as well as the last election in which the Midwest voted unanimously in the electoral college. Minnesota would go on to have the longest streak voting for Democrats out of any state after this election, as every other state would be won by Ronald Reagan in the landslide year of 1984. This is also the last time a Republican has won heavily populated Hennepin County. Nixon further became the first-ever Republican to win the White House without carrying Stevens County, which was one of six counties outside of McGovern's home state of South Dakota that he flipped nationwide. Had Nixon lost the state, then this would have been the first election in which a Republican won two terms to the presidency without carrying the state at least once, the first to do so since 1916 and Minnesota would have had the longest streak of any state voting for same party, as this is the only election since 1956 where a Republican presidential candidate won the state and did not go Democrat.
During Nixon's second term as president, the Watergate scandal resulted in the loss of the Republican Party's credibility both nationally and in Minnesota. The damage caused by Watergate was so pronounced that the Republican Party of Minnesota was forced to rebrand itself as the "Independent-Republican Party" from 1975 to 1995 to distance itself from the national Republican Party.

## Results

1972 United States presidential election in Minnesota :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | Richard Nixon (incumbent) | 898,269 | 51.58% | 10 |
| | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | George McGovern | 802,346 | 46.07% | 0 |
| | American | John G. Schmitz | 31,407 | 1.80% | 0 |
| | Socialist Labor | Louis Fisher | 4,261 | 0.24% | 0 |
| | People's | Benjamin Spock | 2,805 | 0.16% | 0 |
| | Write-ins | Write-ins | 962 | 0.06% | 0 |
| | Socialist Workers | Linda Jenness | 940 | 0.05% | 0 |
| | Communist | Gus Hall | 662 | 0.04% | 0 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | | | — |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 1,978,590 | 100.00% | 10 |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 77% | 77% | — |

### Results by county

| County | Richard Nixon Republican | Richard Nixon Republican | George McGovern DFL | George McGovern DFL | John G. Schmitz American | John G. Schmitz American | Various candidates Other parties | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Aitkin | 3,241 | 53.73% | 2,687 | 44.55% | 58 | 0.96% | 46 | 0.76% | 554 | 9.18% | 6,032 |
| Anoka | 29,546 | 49.77% | 28,031 | 47.22% | 1,312 | 2.21% | 471 | 0.79% | 1,515 | 2.55% | 59,360 |
| Becker | 6,033 | 55.43% | 4,695 | 43.14% | 123 | 1.13% | 33 | 0.30% | 1,338 | 12.29% | 10,884 |
| Beltrami | 5,947 | 52.20% | 5,194 | 45.59% | 210 | 1.84% | 42 | 0.37% | 753 | 6.61% | 11,393 |
| Benton | 4,652 | 49.35% | 4,282 | 45.43% | 438 | 4.65% | 54 | 0.57% | 370 | 3.92% | 9,426 |
| Big Stone | 1,748 | 43.52% | 2,185 | 54.39% | 71 | 1.77% | 13 | 0.32% | -437 | -10.87% | 4,017 |
| Blue Earth | 12,702 | 53.68% | 10,638 | 44.96% | 216 | 0.91% | 106 | 0.45% | 2,064 | 8.72% | 23,662 |
| Brown | 7,791 | 61.21% | 4,347 | 34.15% | 557 | 4.38% | 34 | 0.27% | 3,444 | 27.06% | 12,729 |
| Carlton | 5,445 | 42.77% | 7,116 | 55.90% | 111 | 0.87% | 58 | 0.46% | -1,671 | -13.13% | 12,730 |
| Carver | 8,546 | 61.46% | 4,852 | 34.89% | 446 | 3.21% | 61 | 0.44% | 3,694 | 26.57% | 13,905 |
| Cass | 4,906 | 57.70% | 3,347 | 39.36% | 219 | 2.58% | 31 | 0.36% | 1,559 | 18.34% | 8,503 |
| Chippewa | 3,787 | 50.18% | 3,630 | 48.10% | 114 | 1.51% | 16 | 0.21% | 157 | 2.08% | 7,547 |
| Chisago | 4,718 | 51.06% | 4,174 | 45.17% | 306 | 3.31% | 43 | 0.47% | 544 | 5.89% | 9,241 |
| Clay | 11,089 | 54.36% | 9,076 | 44.49% | 169 | 0.83% | 66 | 0.32% | 2,013 | 9.87% | 20,400 |
| Clearwater | 1,819 | 49.39% | 1,751 | 47.54% | 90 | 2.44% | 23 | 0.62% | 68 | 1.85% | 3,683 |
| Cook | 1,047 | 57.62% | 742 | 40.84% | 21 | 1.16% | 7 | 0.39% | 305 | 16.78% | 1,817 |
| Cottonwood | 4,396 | 60.19% | 2,802 | 38.37% | 94 | 1.29% | 11 | 0.15% | 1,594 | 21.82% | 7,303 |
| Crow Wing | 8,774 | 53.01% | 7,328 | 44.28% | 329 | 1.99% | 120 | 0.73% | 1,446 | 8.73% | 16,551 |
| Dakota | 34,967 | 53.96% | 28,479 | 43.95% | 951 | 1.47% | 399 | 0.62% | 6,488 | 10.01% | 64,796 |
| Dodge | 3,863 | 65.08% | 1,921 | 32.36% | 139 | 2.34% | 13 | 0.22% | 1,942 | 32.72% | 5,936 |
| Douglas | 6,678 | 52.97% | 5,501 | 43.64% | 389 | 3.09% | 38 | 0.30% | 1,177 | 9.33% | 12,606 |
| Faribault | 6,503 | 64.05% | 3,519 | 34.66% | 105 | 1.03% | 26 | 0.26% | 2,984 | 29.39% | 10,153 |
| Fillmore | 7,107 | 67.94% | 3,155 | 30.16% | 161 | 1.54% | 37 | 0.35% | 3,952 | 37.78% | 10,460 |
| Freeborn | 9,747 | 56.90% | 7,163 | 41.82% | 162 | 0.95% | 58 | 0.34% | 2,584 | 15.08% | 17,130 |
| Goodhue | 11,107 | 63.00% | 6,147 | 34.86% | 293 | 1.66% | 84 | 0.48% | 4,960 | 28.14% | 17,631 |
| Grant | 1,899 | 46.84% | 2,085 | 51.43% | 55 | 1.36% | 15 | 0.37% | -186 | -4.59% | 4,054 |
| Hennepin | 228,951 | 51.64% | 205,943 | 46.45% | 6,386 | 1.44% | 2,078 | 0.47% | 23,008 | 5.19% | 443,358 |
| Houston | 5,186 | 66.57% | 2,467 | 31.67% | 103 | 1.32% | 34 | 0.44% | 2,719 | 34.90% | 7,790 |
| Hubbard | 3,294 | 59.31% | 2,136 | 38.46% | 105 | 1.89% | 19 | 0.34% | 1,158 | 20.85% | 5,554 |
| Isanti | 3,715 | 48.66% | 3,660 | 47.94% | 223 | 2.92% | 36 | 0.47% | 55 | 0.72% | 7,634 |
| Itasca | 7,558 | 45.58% | 8,683 | 52.36% | 238 | 1.44% | 104 | 0.63% | -1,125 | -6.78% | 16,583 |
| Jackson | 3,599 | 51.50% | 3,304 | 47.27% | 65 | 0.93% | 21 | 0.30% | 295 | 4.23% | 6,989 |
| Kanabec | 2,395 | 51.71% | 1,969 | 42.51% | 243 | 5.25% | 25 | 0.54% | 426 | 9.20% | 4,632 |
| Kandiyohi | 6,624 | 45.74% | 7,241 | 50.00% | 511 | 3.53% | 105 | 0.73% | -617 | -4.26% | 14,481 |
| Kittson | 1,832 | 52.66% | 1,584 | 45.53% | 50 | 1.44% | 13 | 0.37% | 248 | 7.13% | 3,479 |
| Koochiching | 3,681 | 50.91% | 3,396 | 46.97% | 118 | 1.63% | 35 | 0.48% | 285 | 3.94% | 7,230 |
| Lac qui Parle | 2,773 | 48.43% | 2,845 | 49.69% | 96 | 1.68% | 12 | 0.21% | -72 | -1.26% | 5,726 |
| Lake | 2,575 | 40.70% | 3,640 | 57.53% | 65 | 1.03% | 47 | 0.74% | -1,065 | -16.83% | 6,327 |
| Lake of the Woods | 877 | 55.44% | 672 | 42.48% | 29 | 1.83% | 4 | 0.25% | 205 | 12.96% | 1,582 |
| Le Sueur | 5,388 | 52.50% | 4,725 | 46.04% | 107 | 1.04% | 42 | 0.41% | 663 | 6.46% | 10,262 |
| Lincoln | 1,881 | 45.93% | 2,148 | 52.45% | 55 | 1.34% | 11 | 0.27% | -267 | -6.52% | 4,095 |
| Lyon | 5,820 | 50.04% | 5,614 | 48.27% | 141 | 1.21% | 55 | 0.47% | 206 | 1.77% | 11,630 |
| Mahnomen | 1,246 | 46.30% | 1,397 | 51.91% | 37 | 1.37% | 11 | 0.41% | -151 | -5.61% | 2,691 |
| Marshall | 3,264 | 52.73% | 2,790 | 45.07% | 100 | 1.62% | 36 | 0.58% | 474 | 7.66% | 6,190 |
| Martin | 7,569 | 64.59% | 3,816 | 32.57% | 311 | 2.65% | 22 | 0.19% | 3,753 | 32.02% | 11,718 |
| McLeod | 7,820 | 61.42% | 4,538 | 35.64% | 321 | 2.52% | 54 | 0.42% | 3,282 | 25.78% | 12,733 |
| Meeker | 5,097 | 57.06% | 3,601 | 40.31% | 196 | 2.19% | 39 | 0.44% | 1,496 | 16.75% | 8,933 |
| Mille Lacs | 4,291 | 55.83% | 3,221 | 41.91% | 147 | 1.91% | 27 | 0.35% | 1,070 | 13.92% | 7,686 |
| Morrison | 5,714 | 46.35% | 5,993 | 48.61% | 568 | 4.61% | 54 | 0.44% | -279 | -2.26% | 12,329 |
| Mower | 9,929 | 48.36% | 10,286 | 50.10% | 193 | 0.94% | 122 | 0.59% | -357 | -1.74% | 20,530 |
| Murray | 2,959 | 49.92% | 2,893 | 48.81% | 58 | 0.98% | 17 | 0.29% | 66 | 1.11% | 5,927 |
| Nicollet | 6,230 | 56.28% | 4,680 | 42.28% | 110 | 0.99% | 49 | 0.44% | 1,550 | 14.00% | 11,069 |
| Nobles | 4,951 | 47.04% | 5,464 | 51.91% | 72 | 0.68% | 38 | 0.36% | -513 | -4.87% | 10,525 |
| Norman | 2,536 | 50.76% | 2,444 | 48.92% | 2 | 0.04% | 14 | 0.28% | 92 | 1.84% | 4,996 |
| Olmsted | 23,806 | 68.96% | 9,817 | 28.44% | 753 | 2.18% | 145 | 0.42% | 13,989 | 40.52% | 34,521 |
| Otter Tail | 13,519 | 62.21% | 7,881 | 36.27% | 264 | 1.21% | 67 | 0.31% | 5,638 | 25.94% | 21,731 |
| Pennington | 3,548 | 53.72% | 2,892 | 43.79% | 147 | 2.23% | 18 | 0.27% | 656 | 9.93% | 6,605 |
| Pine | 3,881 | 48.41% | 3,794 | 47.32% | 306 | 3.82% | 36 | 0.45% | 87 | 1.09% | 8,017 |
| Pipestone | 3,543 | 55.57% | 2,758 | 43.26% | 59 | 0.93% | 16 | 0.25% | 785 | 12.31% | 6,376 |
| Polk | 8,139 | 51.24% | 7,366 | 46.37% | 337 | 2.12% | 43 | 0.27% | 773 | 4.87% | 15,885 |
| Pope | 2,610 | 45.94% | 2,910 | 51.22% | 150 | 2.64% | 11 | 0.19% | -300 | -5.28% | 5,681 |
| Ramsey | 95,716 | 45.59% | 108,392 | 51.63% | 3,559 | 1.70% | 2,284 | 1.09% | -12,676 | -6.04% | 209,951 |
| Red Lake | 1,052 | 41.40% | 1,409 | 55.45% | 72 | 2.83% | 8 | 0.31% | -357 | -14.05% | 2,541 |
| Redwood | 5,776 | 62.43% | 3,177 | 34.34% | 275 | 2.97% | 24 | 0.26% | 2,599 | 28.09% | 9,252 |
| Renville | 5,329 | 53.06% | 4,499 | 44.79% | 177 | 1.76% | 39 | 0.39% | 830 | 8.27% | 10,044 |
| Rice | 9,195 | 52.62% | 8,065 | 46.15% | 156 | 0.89% | 59 | 0.34% | 1,130 | 6.47% | 17,475 |
| Rock | 3,470 | 61.83% | 2,089 | 37.22% | 44 | 0.78% | 9 | 0.16% | 1,381 | 24.61% | 5,612 |
| Roseau | 2,844 | 53.22% | 2,396 | 44.84% | 85 | 1.59% | 19 | 0.36% | 448 | 8.38% | 5,344 |
| St. Louis | 41,435 | 39.77% | 61,103 | 58.65% | 862 | 0.83% | 780 | 0.75% | -19,668 | -18.88% | 104,180 |
| Scott | 7,310 | 50.85% | 6,745 | 46.92% | 259 | 1.80% | 62 | 0.43% | 565 | 3.93% | 14,376 |
| Sherburne | 4,332 | 50.03% | 4,070 | 47.01% | 209 | 2.41% | 47 | 0.54% | 262 | 3.02% | 8,658 |
| Sibley | 4,543 | 64.17% | 2,433 | 34.36% | 77 | 1.09% | 27 | 0.38% | 2,110 | 29.81% | 7,080 |
| Stearns | 18,951 | 45.78% | 19,315 | 46.65% | 2,873 | 6.94% | 261 | 0.63% | -364 | -0.87% | 41,400 |
| Steele | 7,678 | 64.69% | 4,010 | 33.79% | 146 | 1.23% | 34 | 0.29% | 3,668 | 30.90% | 11,868 |
| Stevens | 2,830 | 48.70% | 2,870 | 49.39% | 92 | 1.58% | 19 | 0.33% | -40 | -0.69% | 5,811 |
| Swift | 2,673 | 40.40% | 3,823 | 57.78% | 116 | 1.75% | 5 | 0.08% | -1,150 | -17.38% | 6,617 |
| Todd | 5,387 | 53.14% | 4,270 | 42.12% | 447 | 4.41% | 33 | 0.33% | 1,117 | 11.02% | 10,137 |
| Traverse | 1,276 | 41.77% | 1,744 | 57.09% | 30 | 0.98% | 5 | 0.16% | -468 | -15.32% | 3,055 |
| Wabasha | 5,158 | 61.31% | 3,017 | 35.86% | 214 | 2.54% | 24 | 0.29% | 2,141 | 25.45% | 8,413 |
| Wadena | 3,408 | 57.05% | 2,430 | 40.68% | 124 | 2.08% | 12 | 0.20% | 978 | 16.37% | 5,974 |
| Waseca | 5,064 | 63.89% | 2,767 | 34.91% | 69 | 0.87% | 26 | 0.33% | 2,297 | 28.98% | 7,926 |
| Washington | 19,142 | 53.03% | 16,102 | 44.61% | 615 | 1.70% | 239 | 0.66% | 3,040 | 8.42% | 36,098 |
| Watonwan | 3,960 | 63.35% | 2,229 | 35.66% | 49 | 0.78% | 13 | 0.21% | 1,731 | 27.69% | 6,251 |
| Wilkin | 2,292 | 56.00% | 1,739 | 42.49% | 47 | 1.15% | 15 | 0.37% | 553 | 13.51% | 4,093 |
| Winona | 10,910 | 56.45% | 8,080 | 41.81% | 237 | 1.23% | 100 | 0.52% | 2,830 | 14.64% | 19,327 |
| Wright | 9,996 | 51.56% | 8,695 | 44.85% | 615 | 3.17% | 80 | 0.41% | 1,301 | 6.71% | 19,386 |
| Yellow Medicine | 3,683 | 50.32% | 3,462 | 47.30% | 128 | 1.75% | 46 | 0.63% | 221 | 3.02% | 7,319 |
| Totals | 898,269 | 51.58% | 802,346 | 46.07% | 31,407 | 1.80% | 9,630 | 0.55% | 95,923 | 5.51% | 1,741,652 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Aitkin
* Anoka
* Beltrami
* Becker
* Benton
* Chippewa
* Clay
* Clearwater
* Chisago
* Crow Wing
* Dakota
* Freeborn
* Hennepin
* Isanti
* Jackson
* Kanabec
* Kittson
* Koochiching
* Le Sueur
* Lincoln
* Mahnomen
* Marshall
* Meeker
* Mille Lacs
* Norman
* Pine
* Pennington
* Polk
* Roseau
* Rice
* Scott
* Sherburne
* Washington
* Winona
* Yellow Medicine
* Wright

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Stevens