The 1972 Nebraska United States Senate election was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Senator Carl Curtis ran for re-election to a fourth term. He was challenged by State Senator and former Congressman Terry Carpenter, the Democratic nominee. Despite President Richard Nixon's landslide victory over Democratic challenger George McGovern in the presidential election in Nebraska, Curtis only defeated Carpenter with 53% of the vote, a narrower margin than many observers predicted. This was the last time until 1996 that a Republican won a U.S. Senate election in Nebraska.
Democratic primary Candidates Terry Carpenter, state senator, former U.S. representative from John DeCamp, state senator Phillys Person Lyons, housewife Wallace C. Peterson, University of Nebraska–Lincoln economics professor Don Searcy, Kearney State College geography professor Wayne W. Ziebarth, state senator
Results
Republican primary Candidates Ronald L. Blauvelt, Thedford rancher Carl Curtis, incumbent senator Otis Glebe, Lincoln landlord Christine Millard Kneifl, former schoolteacher, widow of former State Attorney General Philip R. Kneifl
Results
General election
References