# 1972 United States Senate election in Kentucky

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vte :
The 1972 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper retired, and Democratic State Senator Walter Dee Huddleston narrowly won the open seat over former Republican Governor Louie Nunn.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Willis V. Johnson
* Sandy Hockensmith
* Walter Dee Huddleston, State Senator from Elizabethtown
* Charles Van Winkle
* James E. Wallace

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter Dee Huddleston | 106,144 | 71.60% |
| | Democratic | Sandy Hockensmith | 14,786 | 9.97% |
| | Democratic | James E. Wallace | 11,290 | 7.62% |
| | Democratic | Willis V. Johnson | 8,727 | 5.89% |
| | Democratic | Charles Van Winkle | 7,306 | 4.93% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 148,253 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* W. Howard Clay
* Robert E. Gable, businessman and Commissioner of State Parks of Kentucky
* Thurman Jerome Hamlin, perennial candidate from London
* Louie Nunn, former Governor of Kentucky (1967–71)
* George Wooton

### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Louie Nunn | 57,348 | 69.71% |
| | Republican | Robert E. Gable | 18,107 | 22.01% |
| | Republican | W. Howard Clay | 2,786 | 3.39% |
| | Republican | George Wooton | 2,716 | 3.30% |
| | Republican | Thurman Jerome Hamlin | 1,312 | 1.60% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 82,269 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Results

General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter Dee Huddleston | 528,550 | 50.93% |
| | Republican | Louie Nunn | 494,337 | 47.63% |
| | American | Helen Breeden | 8,707 | 0.84% |
| | People's | Walter Bartley | 6,267 | 0.60% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,037,861 | 100.00% |