The 1972 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972 in the U.S state of Missouri and resulted in a victory for the
Republican nominee for the first time since 1940 incumbent
State Auditor of MissouriKit Bond, over the
Democratic nominee, Edward L. Dowd, and
Nonpartisan Paul J. Leonard.
Joseph P. Teasdale was a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination, before winning the nomination in the 1976 election, as was lieutenant governor
William S. Morris, while
Gene McNary was a candidate for the Republican nomination.