# 1972 United States Senate election in Montana

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The 1972 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent United States Senator Lee Metcalf, who was first elected to the Senate in 1960 and was re-elected in 1966, ran for re-election. After winning the Democratic primary, he moved on to the general election, where he faced Hank Hibbard, a State Senator and the Republican nominee. Following a close campaign, Metcalf managed to narrowly win re-election to his third term in the Senate over Hibbard. Montana was one of fifteen states alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota and West Virginia that were won by Republican President Richard Nixon in 1972 that elected Democrats to the United States Senate.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Lee Metcalf, incumbent United States Senator
* Jerome Peters

### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Lee Metcalf (incumbent) | 106,491 | 86.42% |
| | Democratic | Jerome Peters | 16,729 | 13.58% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 123,220 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Hank Hibbard, State Senator
* Harold E. Wallace, 1970 Republican nominee for the Senate
* Norman C. Wheeler
* Merrill K. Riddick

### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Hank Hibbard | 43,028 | 49.70% |
| | Republican | Harold E. Wallace | 26,463 | 30.57% |
| | Republican | Norman C. Wheeler | 13,826 | 15.97% |
| | Republican | Merrill K. Riddick | 3,259 | 3.76% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 86,576 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Results

United States Senate election in Montana, 1972 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Lee Metcalf (incumbent) | 163,609 | 51.95% | −1.22% |
| | Republican | Hank Hibbard | 151,316 | 48.05% | +1.22% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,293 | 3.90% | −2.43% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 314,925 | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | | |