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1972 Republican Party presidential primaries

Selection of Republican US presidential candidate


Selection of Republican US presidential candidate

FieldValue
election_name1972 Republican Party presidential primaries
countryUnited States
typeprimary
ongoingno
previous_election1968 Republican Party presidential primaries
previous_year1968
next_election1976 Republican Party presidential primaries
next_year1976
election_dateMarch 7 to June 6, 1972
<!-- Richard Nixon -->image1File:Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpg
image_size150x150px
candidate1**Richard Nixon**
color1FF3333
home_state1California
states_carried1**18**
popular_vote1**5,378,704**
percentage1**86.9%**
image2File:NOTA Option Logo 3x4.svg
color2000000
candidate2Uncommitted
home_state2*N/A*
states_carried20
popular_vote2317,048
percentage25.1%
<!-- John M. Ashbrook -->image3File:JohnMAshbrook.jpg
candidate3John M. Ashbrook
color31E90FF
home_state3Ohio
states_carried30
popular_vote3311,543
percentage35.0%
map_imageRepublican presidential primary results, 1972.png
map_size350px
map_caption**First place finishes by preference primary results**
titleRepublican nominee
before_electionRichard Nixon
after_electionRichard Nixon

From March 7 to June 6, 1972, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1972 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Richard Nixon was again selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1972 Republican National Convention held from August 21 to August 23, 1972, in Miami, Florida.

Candidates

Nominee

CandidateMost recent officeHome stateCampaignPopular voteContests wonRunning mateRichard Nixon
[[File:Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpgframeless127x127px]]**President of the United States**
(1969–1974)[[File:Flag-map_of_California.svg105x105pxCalifornia]][[File:Nixon Agnew 1972 campaign logo.svgframeless174x174px]]
(Campaign)
**Secured nomination:** **August 23, 1972****5,378,704**
(86.9%)**18**Spiro Agnew

Withdrew during primaries

CandidateMost recent officeHome stateCampaignPopular voteContests wonJohn M. AshbrookPete McCloskey
[[Image:JohnMAshbrook.jpgframeless127x127px]]**U.S. Representative** from Ohio
(1961–1982)[[File:Flag_Map_of_Ohio.svg88x88pxCalifornia]][[File:Johnashbrook1972.gifframeless174x174px]]311,543
(5.0%)0
[[File:Pete McCloskey.jpgframeless127x127px]]**U.S. Representative** from California
(1967–1983)[[File:Flag-map_of_California.svg105x105pxCalifornia]][[File:Pete McCloskey presidential campaign, 1972.pngframeless174x174px]]132,731
(2.1%)0

Endorsements

;Cabinet Members

  • David Packard, United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (1969–1971){{cite web |title=Remarks at a "Victory '72" Luncheon in San Francisco, California
  • William P. Rogers, United States Secretary of State (1969–1973){{cite web |title=Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in New York City ;Senators
  • Bob Dole (R-KS){{cite web |title=Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in Chicago, Illinois
  • Jacob Javits (R-NY)
  • Charles H. Percy (R-IL) ;Former Representatives
  • William M. Tuck, (D-VA) ;Governors
  • William T. Cahill (R-NJ)
  • Thomas Meskill (R-CT)
  • Richard B. Ogilvie (R-IL)
  • Ronald Reagan (R-CA)
  • Nelson Rockefeller (R-NY) ;Former Governors
  • C. Farris Bryant, (D-FL)
  • John Connally, (D-TX)
  • Mills Godwin, (D-VA)
  • Marvin Griffin, (D-GA)
  • Allan Shivers, (D-TX)
  • John Bell Williams, (D-MS){{cite news |title=Many Southern Democrats Plan To Back Nixon for Re-election ;Celebrities
  • Jack Benny, comedian
  • Joan Blondell, actress
  • James Brown, singer
  • Jim Brown, football player{{cite news |title=Black celebrities have a long history of endorsing Republican presidents
  • Ray Bolger, actor
  • Nick Buoniconti, football player
  • George Burns, comedian
  • Glen Campbell, musician
  • Wilt Chamberlain, basketball player
  • Christopher Connelly, actor
  • Sammy Davis Jr., singer and actor
  • Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress
  • Johnny Grant, radio personality{{cite news |title=Nixon Entertain Their Hollywood Backers
  • Merv Griffin, television personality
  • George Hamilton, actor
  • Charlton Heston, actor
  • Bob Hope, comedian
  • Art Linkletter, radio personality
  • Dick Martin, comedian
  • Mary Tyler Moore, actress
  • Merlin Olsen, football player{{cite web |title=Nixon's Political Football
  • Debbie Reynolds, actress
  • Dan Rowan, actor
  • Gale Sayers, football player
  • Frank Sinatra, singer
  • Red Skelton, entertainer
  • James Stewart, actor
  • Howard Twilley, football player
  • John Wayne, actor

Polling

National polling

Poll sourcePublication
url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=46959&ShowAllMUPoll=Ytitle=US President - R Primariesdate=16 Nov 2004website=OurCampaigns.comaccess-date=29 Oct 2020}}Feb. 1972

Overview of the race

Nixon was a popular incumbent president in 1972, as he seemed to have reached détente with China and the USSR. He shrugged off the first glimmers of that, after the election, because of the massive Watergate scandal.

Polls showed that Nixon had a strong lead. He was challenged by two minor candidates, liberal Pete McCloskey of California and conservative John Ashbrook of Ohio. McCloskey ran as an anti-Vietnam war candidate dedicated to a much more clearly liberal position compared to Nixon's ambiguity approach within the party, while Ashbrook was dedicated to a much more clearly conservative position than Nixon and opposed Nixon's détente policies towards China and the Soviet Union. In the New Hampshire primary McCloskey's platform of peace garnered 19.7% of the vote to Nixon's 67.9%, with Ashbrook receiving 10.9% and comedian Pat Paulsen receiving 1.1%. Having previously stated that he would withdraw from the race had he not achieved 20% of the vote, McCloskey did so.

Nixon won 1,347 of the 1,348 delegates to the GOP convention, with McCloskey receiving the vote of one delegate from New Mexico.

Timeline of the race

March 7

March 14

March 21

April 4

April 25

May 2

May 4

May 6

May 9

May 16

May 23

June 6

References

References

  1. Critchlow, Donald. (2013). "When Hollywood was right : how movie stars, studio moguls, and big business remade American politics". New York : Cambridge University Press.
  2. (16 Nov 2004). "US President - R Primaries".
  3. (March 15, 1972). "New Hampshire Finals". The Miami Herald.
  4. (1972-08-23). "Nixon Renominated". Partners.nytimes.com.
  5. (2010). "Guide to U.S. Elections". [[CQ Press]].
Info: Wikipedia Source

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