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1972 United States presidential election in Missouri

←  1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 1,154,058 698,531
Percentage 62.29% 37.71%

County Results

President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

The 1972 United States presidential election in Missouri took place on November 7, 1972. All fifty states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Missouri was won by the Republican nominees, incumbent President Richard Nixon of California and his running mate Vice President Spiro Agnew of Maryland. Nixon and Agnew defeated the Democratic nominees, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota and his running mate U.S. Ambassador Sargent Shriver of Maryland.

In a state substantially part of the conservative South, McGovern was viewed by many voters as a left-wing extremist because of his support for busing and civil rights, plus his opposition to the Vietnam War, support for granting amnesty to draft dodgers [1] and support for a thousand-dollar giveaway to each American as a solution to poverty. [2] Many, especially Republican campaigners, also believed McGovern would legalise abortion and illicit drugs if he were elected [3] – despite the fact that his running mate Sargent Shriver was firmly opposed to abortion. These fears of McGovern's social radicalism were especially pronounced amongst poorer whites, who were abundant in the southern part of Missouri. [4]

Nixon carried Missouri with 62.29% of the vote to McGovern's 37.71%, a victory margin of 24.58%. Nixon won all but two jurisdictions: Monroe County and St. Louis City, and was the first Republican to ever carry southern secessionist Mississippi County and Maries County, [5] the first since Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to carry “ Little DixieHoward and Randolph Counties, [6] and the first since Ulysses S. Grant in 1868 to carry Lewis, Lincoln, Ralls and Ray Counties. [5]

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Jackson County, which contains most of Kansas City, as well as Independence, the hometown of former Democratic president Harry S. Truman (who died seven weeks after the election), voted for a Republican presidential candidate. [7]

Results

General election results [8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 1,154,058 62.29%
Democratic George McGovern 698,531 37.71%
Total votes 1,852,589 100%

Results by county

1972 United States presidential election in Missouri by county [9]
County Richard Milhous Nixon
Republican
George Stanley McGovern
Democratic
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # %
Adair 6,157 72.92% 2,286 27.08% 3,871 45.85% 8,443
Andrew 4,180 71.26% 1,686 28.74% 2,494 42.52% 5,866
Atchison 2,927 65.98% 1,509 34.02% 1,418 31.97% 4,436
Audrain 7,197 66.01% 3,706 33.99% 3,491 32.02% 10,903
Barry 7,295 69.73% 3,167 30.27% 4,128 39.46% 10,462
Barton 4,026 77.93% 1,140 22.07% 2,886 55.87% 5,166
Bates 5,314 63.76% 3,020 36.24% 2,294 27.53% 8,334
Benton 3,537 71.31% 1,423 28.69% 2,114 42.62% 4,960
Bollinger 3,069 62.80% 1,818 37.20% 1,251 25.60% 4,887
Boone 17,488 56.13% 13,666 43.87% 3,822 12.27% 31,154
Buchanan 21,850 65.72% 11,395 34.28% 10,455 31.45% 33,245
Butler 9,198 72.63% 3,466 27.37% 5,732 45.26% 12,664
Caldwell 3,167 72.01% 1,231 27.99% 1,936 44.02% 4,398
Callaway 6,313 67.53% 3,036 32.47% 3,277 35.05% 9,349
Camden 4,996 73.94% 1,761 26.06% 3,235 47.88% 6,757
Cape Girardeau 15,693 71.42% 6,280 28.58% 9,413 42.84% 21,973
Carroll 4,100 68.03% 1,927 31.97% 2,173 36.05% 6,027
Carter 1,257 68.99% 565 31.01% 692 37.98% 1,822
Cass 9,242 71.24% 3,731 28.76% 5,511 42.48% 12,973
Cedar 3,520 75.34% 1,152 24.66% 2,368 50.68% 4,672
Chariton 2,812 58.45% 1,999 41.55% 813 16.90% 4,811
Christian 6,305 76.42% 1,945 23.58% 4,360 52.85% 8,250
Clark 2,499 64.04% 1,403 35.96% 1,096 28.09% 3,902
Clay 33,017 69.43% 14,538 30.57% 18,479 38.86% 47,555
Clinton 3,924 66.87% 1,944 33.13% 1,980 33.74% 5,868
Cole 16,685 77.83% 4,754 22.17% 11,931 55.65% 21,439
Cooper 5,172 68.92% 2,332 31.08% 2,840 37.85% 7,504
Crawford 4,595 67.15% 2,248 32.85% 2,347 34.30% 6,843
Dade 2,624 77.84% 747 22.16% 1,877 55.68% 3,371
Dallas 3,120 74.20% 1,085 25.80% 2,035 48.39% 4,205
Daviess 2,840 66.51% 1,430 33.49% 1,410 33.02% 4,270
DeKalb 2,766 67.38% 1,339 32.62% 1,427 34.76% 4,105
Dent 3,024 63.88% 1,710 36.12% 1,314 27.76% 4,734
Douglas 3,773 75.73% 1,209 24.27% 2,564 51.47% 4,982
Dunklin 5,926 68.10% 2,776 31.90% 3,150 36.20% 8,702
Franklin 13,785 64.87% 7,464 35.13% 6,321 29.75% 21,249
Gasconade 4,944 80.13% 1,226 19.87% 3,718 60.26% 6,170
Gentry 2,984 64.50% 1,642 35.50% 1,342 29.01% 4,626
Greene 48,348 70.58% 20,155 29.42% 28,193 41.16% 68,503
Grundy 3,969 73.54% 1,428 26.46% 2,541 47.08% 5,397
Harrison 3,574 72.10% 1,383 27.90% 2,191 44.20% 4,957
Henry 5,802 64.99% 3,125 35.01% 2,677 29.99% 8,927
Hickory 1,851 74.85% 622 25.15% 1,229 49.70% 2,473
Holt 2,578 71.83% 1,011 28.17% 1,567 43.66% 3,589
Howard 2,613 56.15% 2,041 43.85% 572 12.29% 4,654
Howell 7,253 72.18% 2,795 27.82% 4,458 44.37% 10,048
Iron 2,203 62.07% 1,346 37.93% 857 24.15% 3,549
Jackson 129,989 58.34% 92,830 41.66% 37,159 16.68% 222,819
Jasper 22,482 74.61% 7,652 25.39% 14,830 49.21% 30,134
Jefferson 21,947 61.42% 13,787 38.58% 8,160 22.84% 35,734
Johnson 7,228 70.37% 3,044 29.63% 4,184 40.73% 10,272
Knox 1,896 64.78% 1,031 35.22% 865 29.55% 2,927
Laclede 6,152 73.78% 2,186 26.22% 3,966 47.57% 8,338
Lafayette 9,187 69.34% 4,063 30.66% 5,124 38.67% 13,250
Lawrence 8,445 72.96% 3,130 27.04% 5,315 45.92% 11,575
Lewis 2,738 61.76% 1,695 38.24% 1,043 23.53% 4,433
Lincoln 5,127 64.81% 2,784 35.19% 2,343 29.62% 7,911
Linn 4,595 59.92% 3,073 40.08% 1,522 19.85% 7,668
Livingston 5,253 66.37% 2,662 33.63% 2,591 32.74% 7,915
Macon 4,538 61.47% 2,844 38.53% 1,694 22.95% 7,382
Madison 2,837 66.16% 1,451 33.84% 1,386 32.32% 4,288
Maries 2,082 63.07% 1,219 36.93% 863 26.14% 3,301
Marion 7,197 63.31% 4,171 36.69% 3,026 26.62% 11,368
McDonald 4,339 70.83% 1,787 29.17% 2,552 41.66% 6,126
Mercer 1,592 72.40% 607 27.60% 985 44.79% 2,199
Miller 5,682 78.05% 1,598 21.95% 4,084 56.10% 7,280
Mississippi 2,727 64.97% 1,470 35.03% 1,257 29.95% 4,197
Moniteau 3,963 73.96% 1,395 26.04% 2,568 47.93% 5,358
Monroe 2,141 48.22% 2,299 51.78% -158 -3.56% 4,440
Montgomery 3,707 68.67% 1,691 31.33% 2,016 37.35% 5,398
Morgan 4,021 70.47% 1,685 29.53% 2,336 40.94% 5,706
New Madrid 4,735 57.50% 3,500 42.50% 1,235 15.00% 8,235
Newton 10,701 71.38% 4,291 28.62% 6,410 42.76% 14,992
Nodaway 5,942 64.14% 3,322 35.86% 2,620 28.28% 9,264
Oregon 2,118 61.04% 1,352 38.96% 766 22.07% 3,470
Osage 4,266 74.18% 1,485 25.82% 2,781 48.36% 5,751
Ozark 2,119 77.22% 625 22.78% 1,494 54.45% 2,744
Pemiscot 4,697 69.96% 2,017 30.04% 2,680 39.92% 6,714
Perry 4,736 70.80% 1,953 29.20% 2,783 41.61% 6,689
Pettis 10,065 66.74% 5,016 33.26% 5,049 33.48% 15,081
Phelps 7,598 68.05% 3,567 31.95% 4,031 36.10% 11,165
Pike 4,452 62.61% 2,659 37.39% 1,793 25.21% 7,111
Platte 8,764 67.69% 4,183 32.31% 4,581 35.38% 12,947
Polk 5,409 70.67% 2,245 29.33% 3,164 41.34% 7,654
Pulaski 4,243 69.04% 1,903 30.96% 2,340 38.07% 6,146
Putnam 2,112 78.72% 571 21.28% 1,541 57.44% 2,683
Ralls 1,827 57.13% 1,371 42.87% 456 14.26% 3,198
Randolph 5,195 57.66% 3,814 42.34% 1,381 15.33% 9,009
Ray 4,205 59.65% 2,844 40.35% 1,361 19.31% 7,049
Reynolds 1,541 59.91% 1,031 40.09% 510 19.83% 2,572
Ripley 2,810 67.37% 1,361 32.63% 1,449 34.74% 4,171
Saint Charles 25,677 69.94% 11,034 30.06% 14,643 39.89% 36,711
Saint Clair 2,847 66.88% 1,410 33.12% 1,437 33.76% 4,257
Saint Francois 8,812 65.42% 4,658 34.58% 4,154 30.84% 13,470
Saint Louis County 264,147 62.16% 160,801 37.84% 103,346 24.32% 424,948
Saint Louis City 72,402 37.67% 119,817 62.33% -47,415 -24.67% 192,219
Sainte Genevieve 2,900 56.34% 2,247 43.66% 653 12.69% 5,147
Saline 6,641 65.75% 3,460 34.25% 3,181 31.49% 10,101
Schuyler 1,495 60.14% 991 39.86% 504 20.27% 2,486
Scotland 1,918 60.18% 1,269 39.82% 649 20.36% 3,187
Scott 7,316 66.74% 3,646 33.26% 3,670 33.48% 10,962
Shannon 1,623 58.87% 1,134 41.13% 489 17.74% 2,757
Shelby 2,057 56.73% 1,569 43.27% 488 13.46% 3,626
Stoddard 6,282 70.44% 2,636 29.56% 3,646 40.88% 8,918
Stone 4,180 79.26% 1,094 20.74% 3,086 58.51% 5,274
Sullivan 2,611 62.18% 1,588 37.82% 1,023 24.36% 4,199
Taney 4,982 77.64% 1,435 22.36% 3,547 55.28% 6,417
Texas 5,104 65.09% 2,737 34.91% 2,367 30.19% 7,841
Vernon 4,892 61.54% 3,057 38.46% 1,835 23.08% 7,949
Warren 3,530 74.24% 1,225 25.76% 2,305 48.48% 4,755
Washington 3,818 63.14% 2,229 36.86% 1,589 26.28% 6,047
Wayne 3,091 63.90% 1,746 36.10% 1,345 27.81% 4,837
Webster 5,095 68.50% 2,343 31.50% 2,752 37.00% 7,438
Worth 1,170 61.68% 727 38.32% 443 23.35% 1,897
Wright 4,350 76.08% 1,368 23.92% 2,982 52.15% 5,718
Totals 1,153,852 62.34% 697,147 37.66% 456,705 24.67% 1,850,999

See also

References

  1. ^ Perry, James Moorhead; Us and Them: How the Press Covered the 1972 Election, p. 136 ISBN  0517505525
  2. ^ Grantham, Dewey W.; The Life and Death of the Solid South: A Political History, p. 179 ISBN  0813148723
  3. ^ Davis, Lanny; Scandal: How "Gotcha" Politics Is Destroying America, pp. 65-66 ISBN  1466892803
  4. ^ Glenn, Norval D.; ‘Class and Party Support in 1972’; The Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 1 (Spring, 1975), pp. 117-122
  5. ^ a b Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 239-246 ISBN  9780786422173
  6. ^ Menendez; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, p. 99
  7. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  8. ^ David Leip. "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Missouri". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  9. ^ "General Election Returns Vote for President, By Counties, at General Election November 7, 1972". Official Manual State of Missouri 1973-1974 (Report). Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri Secretary of State. 1973.