1972 United States presidential election

The 1972 United States presidential election happened on November 7, 1972. President Richard Nixon was reelected to a second term. He defeated the Democratic candidate, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. Nixon won the election by a landslide (winning 49 of 50 states) and got 520 electoral votes. McGovern got 17 electoral votes. John Hospers got one electoral vote by a Virginia faithless elector. This was the first election after the War on Drugs. This election occurred during the secret Watergate scandal, which ultimately caused Nixon to quit in 1974.

Richard Nixon won more states than anyone else in history! But Ronald Reagan would match his record in 1984. George Wallace, the segregationist governor of Alabama, was shot during the year. George McGovern's running mate changed from Thomas Eagleton to Sargent Shriver because of revelations about Eagleton's previous psychiatric problems.thumb|right|400px|Election results by county.

Candidates
Republican Party
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Republican candidates:
Richard Nixon, President of the United States
Pete McCloskey, Representative from California
John M. Ashbrook, Representative from Ohio
Candidates gallery

Democratic Party
link=Democratic_Party_(United_States)|center|65x65px|Democratic Party (United States)1972 Democratic Party Ticketfor Presidentfor Vice Presidentlink=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_McGovern_(D-SD)_(3x4-1).jpg|center|201x201pxlink=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sargent_Shriver_1961_(cropped_3x4).jpg|center|201x201pxU.S. Senatorfrom South Dakota(1963–1981)21stU.S. Ambassador to France(1968–1970)link=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:McGovern_Shriver_1972_campaign_logo.svg|200x200px
15 people declared their candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination. They were:
George McGovern, Senator from South Dakota
Hubert Humphrey, Senator from Minnesota and former Vice President
George Wallace, Governor of Alabama
Edmund Muskie, Senator from Maine
Eugene McCarthy, former Senator from Minnesota
Henry M. Jackson, Senator from Washington
Shirley Chisholm, Representative of New York's 12th congressional district
Terry Sanford, former Governor of North Carolina
John Lindsay, Mayor of New York City
Wilbur Mills, Representative of Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
Vance Hartke, Senator from Indiana
Fred Harris, Senator from Oklahoma
Sam Yorty, former Representative of California's 26th congressional district
Patsy Mink, Representative of Hawaii's 2nd congressional district
Walter Fauntroy, Delegate from Washington, D.C.
Candidates gallery

Related pages
Presidential Candidates:
 Richard Nixon
 George McGovern
 Patsy Mink
Vice Presidential Candidates:
 Sargent Shriver
 Spiro Agnew

References

Other websites
 1972 Presidential General Election Results

Category:1972 in the United States
1972
Category:1970s elections