1972 United States presidential election in Alabama

The 1972 United States presidential election in Alabama was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent President Richard Nixon won Alabama, winning 72.43% of the vote to George McGovern's 25.54%. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Dallas County, Hale County, Russell County, and Perry County in the Black Belt voted for the Republican candidate,[2] and stands as the strongest ever performance by a Republican presidential candidate in the state.

1972 United States presidential election in Alabama

← 1968November 7, 19721976 →

All 9 Alabama electoral votes to the Electoral College
 
NomineeRichard NixonGeorge McGovern[a]
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
AllianceNational Democratic (Alabama)
Home stateCaliforniaSouth Dakota
Running mateSpiro AgnewSargent Shriver
Electoral vote90
Popular vote728,701256,923
Percentage72.4%25.5%

County Results

President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

83% of white voters supported Nixon while 14% supported McGovern.[3][4] Nixon would also be the first presidential candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 to win Alabama and the election. Alabama and Tennessee were the only states where McGovern won any county that voted for George Wallace in 1968.[5]

Results edit

1972 United States presidential election in Alabama[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RepublicanRichard Nixon (inc.) 728,701 72.43% +58.44%
DemocraticGeorge McGovern219,10821.73%+21.73%
National Democratic (Ala.)George McGovern36,5603.62%-15.10%
American IndependentJohn G. Schmitz11,3551.13%-65.87%
ProhibitionE. Harold Munn7,8720.79%+0.43%
Total votes1,006,093 100%

Results by presidential elector edit

General election results[7][8]
PartyPledged toElectorVotes
Republican PartyRichard NixonBentley Owens728,701
Republican PartyRichard NixonJerry Crabtree728,209
Republican PartyRichard NixonOwen Leach727,271
Republican PartyRichard NixonB. Ray Holland727,098
Republican PartyRichard NixonBert Nettles727,034
Republican PartyRichard NixonJeff Sessions, Jr.726,434
Republican PartyRichard NixonAnn Smith Bedsole726,374
Republican PartyRichard NixonRuth S. Sullivan723,075
Republican PartyRichard NixonDoug Hale723,043
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernAlbert Raines219,108
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernCarl Elliott217,576
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernRyan deGraffenried216,410
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernLucius Amerson212,078
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernBarret Sheldon, Sr.212,023
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernJ. E. Brantley211,562
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernLeola Williams211,220
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernBarney Weeks211,158
Democratic PartyGeorge McGovernRay Hartwell210,895
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernJ. H. Davis38,324
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernJ. W. Flowers37,815
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernWadine V. Williams36,560
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernFreddie C. Rogers36,230
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernJo Crawford36,210
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernCharlie Burgess36,061
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernJohn Hulett35,941
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernAlex Hurder35,498
National Democratic Party of AlabamaGeorge McGovernYvonne Gannon33,823
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzJune Carter11,918
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzCloyd V. Smith11,674
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzMargaret Tyson Badham11,621
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzS. L. Ledbetter11,510
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzWilliam G. Mori11,355
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzT. F. Randolph11,298
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzRonnie Helms11,183
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzMichaels S. "Mike" Vaugh11,101
American Independent PartyJohn G. SchmitzH. Radue10,832
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnW. C. Bentley8,551
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnGeraldine Hughes8,524
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnPres Waldrop8,451
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnThomas E. Lee8,375
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnNannie Myrtle Pegues8,322
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnClara Miller8,315
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnLois Butterworth8,060
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnRobert Argo7,946
Prohibition PartyE. Harold MunnIra Pegues7,872
Total votes1,006,602

Results by county edit

CountyRichard Nixon
Republican
George McGovern
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%
Autauga5,36775.17%1,59322.31%1802.52%3,77452.86%7,140
Baldwin15,10482.20%2,92315.91%3481.89%12,18166.29%18,375
Barbour4,98570.92%1,84626.26%1982.82%3,13944.66%7,029
Bibb3,33278.44%83719.70%791.86%2,49558.74%4,248
Blount6,48679.36%1,58219.36%1051.28%4,90460.00%8,173
Bullock2,17847.44%2,32150.56%922.00%-143-3.12%4,591
Butler4,68576.45%1,40122.86%420.69%3,28453.59%6,128
Calhoun20,36476.93%5,83222.03%2751.04%14,53254.90%26,471
Chambers8,71679.21%2,07618.87%2111.92%6,64060.34%11,003
Cherokee3,17971.89%1,18226.73%611.38%1,99745.16%4,422
Chilton7,34982.88%1,35615.29%1621.83%5,99367.59%8,867
Choctaw3,05560.74%1,93438.45%410.82%1,12122.29%5,030
Clarke5,25670.89%2,03127.39%1271.71%3,22543.50%7,414
Clay3,94888.24%50711.33%190.42%3,44176.91%4,474
Cleburne3,42085.20%58114.47%130.32%2,83970.73%4,014
Coffee9,07680.06%2,16019.05%1000.88%6,91661.01%11,336
Colbert11,21567.71%4,81129.04%5383.25%6,40438.67%16,564
Conecuh3,21474.81%1,04224.26%400.93%2,17250.55%4,296
Coosa2,67277.20%77322.33%160.46%1,89954.87%3,461
Covington9,27885.27%1,54714.22%560.51%7,73171.05%10,881
Crenshaw3,12972.87%1,08525.27%801.86%2,04447.60%4,294
Cullman14,39079.54%3,57119.74%1300.72%10,81959.80%18,091
Dale8,34683.14%1,59415.88%980.98%6,75267.26%10,038
Dallas8,64460.53%5,42738.00%2091.46%3,21722.53%14,280
DeKalb9,43471.27%3,75928.40%440.33%5,67542.87%13,237
Elmore8,46179.90%1,89117.86%2382.25%6,57062.04%10,590
Escambia7,88382.19%1,59816.66%1101.15%6,28565.53%9,591
Etowah20,85172.95%7,37225.79%3581.25%13,47947.16%28,581
Fayette4,24083.53%83616.47%00.00%3,40467.06%5,076
Franklin5,87775.23%1,84023.55%951.22%4,03751.68%7,812
Geneva5,85184.33%1,04915.12%380.55%4,80269.21%6,938
Greene1,40429.65%3,23568.32%962.03%-1,831-38.67%4,735
Hale2,85959.22%1,77936.85%1903.94%1,08022.37%4,828
Henry3,41479.56%85319.88%240.56%2,56159.68%4,291
Houston12,62283.46%2,35815.59%1440.95%10,26467.87%15,124
Jackson6,20265.91%2,98531.72%2232.37%3,21734.19%9,410
Jefferson135,09568.05%57,28828.86%6,1453.10%77,80739.19%198,528
Lamar3,28380.56%76618.80%260.64%2,51761.76%4,075
Lauderdale14,41071.66%5,11225.42%5862.91%9,29846.24%20,108
Lawrence4,43375.61%1,41624.15%140.24%3,01751.46%5,863
Lee11,57174.94%3,62223.46%2481.61%7,94951.48%15,441
Limestone6,18873.21%2,07924.60%1852.19%4,10948.61%8,452
Lowndes1,99042.69%2,55954.90%1122.40%-569-12.21%4,661
Macon1,93133.04%3,63662.21%2784.76%-1,705-29.17%5,845
Madison38,89973.42%13,10824.74%9771.84%25,79148.68%52,984
Marengo5,15665.05%2,64533.37%1251.58%2,51131.68%7,926
Marion5,92785.38%98614.20%290.42%4,94171.18%6,942
Marshall12,09074.45%3,89423.98%2541.56%8,19650.47%16,238
Mobile62,63973.15%20,69424.17%2,3012.69%41,94548.98%85,634
Monroe5,15574.82%1,63623.74%991.44%3,51951.08%6,890
Montgomery35,35371.86%12,72325.86%1,1212.28%22,63046.00%49,197
Morgan18,10076.85%5,00421.25%4491.91%13,09655.60%23,553
Perry2,80049.13%2,71847.69%1813.18%821.44%5,699
Pickens4,07167.33%1,93331.97%420.69%2,13835.36%6,046
Pike5,69076.66%1,62421.88%1081.46%4,06654.78%7,422
Randolph4,42775.14%1,33022.57%1352.29%3,09752.57%5,892
Russell6,03466.73%2,64429.24%3654.04%3,39037.49%9,043
St. Clair6,95279.82%1,53817.66%2202.53%5,41462.16%8,710
Shelby9,39081.24%1,85916.08%3092.67%7,53165.16%11,558
Sumter2,68649.19%2,73750.12%380.70%-51-0.93%5,461
Talladega12,76373.12%4,56726.16%1250.72%8,19646.96%17,455
Tallapoosa8,53578.71%2,11319.49%1951.80%6,42259.22%10,843
Tuscaloosa21,17270.15%8,27227.41%7352.44%12,90042.74%30,179
Walker14,58178.79%3,72420.12%2021.09%10,85758.67%18,507
Washington3,28274.73%1,09624.95%140.32%2,18649.78%4,392
Wilcox2,64144.42%3,25454.74%500.84%-613-10.32%5,945
Winston4,97186.14%77913.50%210.36%4,19272.64%5,771
Totals728,70172.43%256,92325.54%20,4692.03%471,77846.89%1,006,093

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican edit

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Democratic edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ The McGovern vote was actually a fusion of two distinct electoral tickets with different electors both pledged to vote for him. One was of the regular Democratic Party and the other of the National Democratic Party of Alabama. At least 219,108 votes were cast for the Democratic ticket and at least 37,815 for the National Democratic ticket,[1] though this sum differs from that in Dave Leip's Atlas.

References edit

  1. ^ Our Campaigns; AL US President 1972
  2. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016.
  3. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  4. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  5. ^ "Our Campaigns - AL US President Race - Nov 07, 1972". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1972 Presidential General Election Results – Alabama
  7. ^ Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1975. Montgomery, Alabama: Skinner Printing Company. pp. 243–257.
  8. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; 1972 Presidential General Election Results – Alabama

Works cited edit