1972 United States presidential election in Washington (state)

The 1972 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. State voters chose nine representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Washington voted for the Republican incumbent, Richard Nixon, over the Democratic challenger, South Dakota Senator George McGovern. Nixon took 56.92% of the vote to McGovern's 38.64%, a margin of 18.28%, which still made the state 4.87% more Democratic than the nation at-large.

Nixon won every county except heavily unionized Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties, in the process being the first Republican to carry Wahkiakum County (another heavily unionized timber county), Kitsap County and Snohomish County since Herbert Hoover in 1928.Menendez; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, pp. 332-333

Nixon's victory was the first of four consecutive Republican presidential victories in the state, as Washington would not vote for a Democratic candidate again until Michael Dukakis in 1988, after which the state has always gone Democratic.

Results 1972 United States presidential election in WashingtonPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 837,135 56.92% 9 Democratic George McGovern 568,334 38.64% 0 American Independent John G. Schmitz 58,906 4.00% 0 Independent Benjamin Spock 2,644 0.18% 0 Libertarian John Hospers 1,537 0.10% 0 Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 1,102 0.07% 0 Socialist Workers Linda Jenness 623 0.04% 0 Communist Gus Hall 566 0.04% 0 Totals 1,470,847 100.00% 9 Voter turnout —

Results by county CountyRichard NixonRepublicanGeorge McGovernDemocraticJohn G. SchmitzAmerican IndependentVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal votescast # % # % # % # % # %Adams3,08368.22%1,11024.56% 316 6.99%100.22%1,97343.66%4,519Asotin2,91150.36%2,55944.27% 301 5.21%90.16%3526.09%5,780Benton18,51761.02%9,82432.37% 1,911 6.30%940.31%8,69328.65%30,346Chelan10,47060.13%5,88933.82% 971 5.58%830.48%4,58126.31%17,413Clallam9,37258.25%5,62034.93% 1,056 6.56%410.25%3,75223.32%16,089Clark28,77549.13%27,17946.41% 2,416 4.13%1990.34%1,5962.72%58,569Columbia1,44569.47%53325.63% 102 4.90%00.00%91243.84%2,080Cowlitz14,43151.21%12,68245.00% 959 3.40%1100.39%1,7496.21%28,182Douglas4,51260.31%2,42032.35% 538 7.19%110.15%2,09227.96%7,481Ferry81553.37%56036.67% 145 9.50%70.46%25516.70%1,527Franklin5,97256.75%3,86736.75% 655 6.22%290.28%2,10520.00%10,523Garfield1,00465.45%48131.36% 46 3.00%30.20%52334.09%1,534Grant9,37059.25%5,48734.70% 908 5.74%490.31%3,88324.55%15,814Grays Harbor10,83945.65%11,78649.64% 1,000 4.21%1200.51%-947-3.99%23,745Island7,49568.12%3,14928.62% 316 2.87%430.39%4,34639.50%11,003Jefferson2,77053.49%2,09640.47% 277 5.35%360.70%67413.02%5,179King298,70756.39%212,50940.12% 15,624 2.95%2,8540.54%86,19816.27%529,694Kitsap25,83156.84%17,01137.43% 2,429 5.34%1750.39%8,82019.41%45,446Kittitas5,46453.96%4,29942.46% 327 3.23%360.36%1,16511.50%10,126Klickitat3,06154.20%2,29340.60% 276 4.89%180.32%76813.60%5,648Lewis12,07158.64%6,94633.74% 1,520 7.38%480.23%5,12524.90%20,585Lincoln3,64769.14%1,45327.55% 161 3.05%140.27%2,19441.59%5,275Mason4,87353.10%3,90742.57% 363 3.96%340.37%96610.53%9,177Okanogan5,79656.09%3,83537.11% 655 6.34%480.46%1,96118.98%10,334Pacific3,34946.73%3,58550.03% 204 2.85%280.39%-236-3.30%7,166Pend Oreille1,74659.57%1,07136.54% 104 3.55%100.34%67523.03%2,931Pierce84,26556.91%56,93338.45% 6,189 4.18%6780.46%27,33218.46%148,065San Juan1,78663.90%90632.42% 86 3.08%170.61%88031.48%2,795Skagit14,21258.13%9,23337.77% 911 3.73%920.38%4,97920.36%24,448Skamania1,28848.70%1,15343.59% 189 7.15%150.57%1355.11%2,645Snohomish60,03257.27%39,47137.66% 4,803 4.58%5150.49%20,56119.61%104,821Spokane74,32059.37%44,33735.42% 6,129 4.90%3990.32%29,98323.95%125,185Stevens4,83961.26%2,39030.26% 647 8.19%230.29%2,44931.00%7,899Thurston22,29757.48%14,59637.63% 1,722 4.44%1770.46%7,70119.85%38,792Wahkiakum81847.39%79646.12% 108 6.26%40.23%221.27%1,726Walla Walla12,57967.87%5,36428.94% 515 2.78%750.40%7,21538.93%18,533Whatcom22,58558.21%15,02738.73% 1,031 2.66%1580.41%7,55819.48%38,801Whitman9,54858.70%6,24838.41% 398 2.45%720.44%3,30020.29%16,266Yakima32,24058.93%19,72936.06% 2,598 4.75%1380.25%12,51122.87%54,705Totals837,13556.92%568,33438.64%58,9064.00%6,4720.44% 268,80118.28%1,470,847

See also United States presidential elections in Washington (state)

References