The 1972 United States presidential election in Hawaii took place on November 7, 1972. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Hawaii voters chose 4 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Hawaii was won by incumbent United States President Richard Nixon of California, who was running against Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. Nixon ran for a second time with former Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland, and McGovern ran with former U.S. Ambassador to France Sargent Shriver of Maryland.

Nixon won the election in Hawaii with a decisive 25-point landslide, with a clear majority in all four counties.David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; Hawaii, 1972 Nixon was the first Republican to win the state of Hawaii and the only one until Ronald Reagan won the state in 1984. Hawaii's result was 1.76% more Republican than the nation at large. This marks the only time in which Hawaii voted to the right of Alaska, and the last time Hawaii voted more Republican than the nation. It is also the first of only two times in the state's history that a Republican candidate for any office has won over 60% of the state's vote (alongside the re-election victory of Governor Lingle in 2006), or has even won 60% of the vote in any of the state's counties.

Nixon was the first Republican to carry Honolulu County. This was the first of three times in which Oahu supported the Republican candidate for president.

Results 1972 United States presidential election in HawaiiPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 168,865 62.48% 4 Democratic George McGovern 101,409 37.52% 0 Libertarian John Hospers - - - American Independent John G. Schmitz - - -

Results by county County Richard NixonRepublican George McGovernDemocratic Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Hawaii 16,832 59.09% 11,652 40.91% 5,180 18.18% 28,484 Honolulu 132,844 63.32% 76,957 36.68% 55,887 26.64% 209,801 Kauaʻi 7,571 58.36% 5,401 41.64% 2,170 16.72% 12,972 Maui 11,618 61.09% 7,399 38.91% 4,219 22.18% 19,017Totals168,86562.48%101,40937.52%67,45624.96%270,274

See also Watergate scandal

References