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1972 United States presidential election in California

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FieldValue
election_name1972 United States presidential election in California
countryCalifornia
typepresidential
ongoingno
previous_election1968 United States presidential election in California
previous_year1968
next_election1976 United States presidential election in California
next_year1976
turnout82.13% (of registered voters) 3.62 pp
64.52% (of eligible voters) 2.18 pp
election_dateNovember 7, 1972
image_sizex200px
image1Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpg
nominee1**Richard Nixon**
party1Republican Party (United States)
home_state1California
running_mate1**Spiro Agnew**
electoral_vote1**45**
popular_vote1**4,602,096**
percentage1**55.00%**
image2George McGovern (D-SD) (3x4-1).jpg
nominee2George McGovern
party2Democratic Party (United States)
home_state2South Dakota
running_mate2Sargent Shriver
electoral_vote20
popular_vote23,475,847
percentage241.54%
map_image325px
map_size325px
map_captionCounty results
titlePresident
before_electionRichard Nixon
before_partyRepublican Party (United States)
after_electionRichard Nixon
after_partyRepublican Party (United States)

Main article: 1972 United States presidential election

64.52% (of eligible voters) 2.18 pp Nixon McGovern

The 1972 United States presidential election in California took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. State voters chose 45 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

California voted for the Republican incumbent, Richard Nixon, over the Democratic challenger, South Dakota Senator George McGovern. Nixon took 55.00% of the vote to McGovern's 41.54%, a margin of 13.46%. Though Nixon won a commanding victory in his home state over McGovern, this result nevertheless meant California voted almost ten points to the left of the nation at large and was one of McGovern's strongest states in the 1972 election.

Nixon had previously won California against John F. Kennedy in 1960 and then against Hubert Humphrey in 1968. This was the first presidential election in which California had the most electoral college votes as a result of the 1970 census, a status it has maintained ever since.

Primaries

Democratic

McGovern Humphrey

George McGovern would defeat previous Democratic nominee, Hubert Humphrey, by just under 200,000 votes.

Republican

Richard Nixon would easily win the California Republican Primary by a wide margin over his only state challenger.

Results

1972 United States presidential election in CaliforniaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
**Republican****Richard Nixon (incumbent)****4,602,096****55.00%****45**
DemocraticGeorge McGovern3,475,84741.54%0
American IndependentJohn G. Schmitz232,5542.78%0
Peace and FreedomBenjamin Spock55,1670.66%0
LibertarianJohn Hospers (write-in)9800.01%0
Socialist WorkersLinda Jenness (write-in)5740.01%0
CommunistGus Hall (write-in)3730.00%0
Socialist LaborLouis Fisher (write-in)1970.00%0
Prohibition PartyE. Harold Munn (write-in)530.00%0
Universal PartyGabriel Green (write-in)210.00%0
Invalid or blank votes
**Totals****8,367,862****100.00%****45**
Voter turnout

Results by county

CountyRichard Nixon
RepublicanGeorge McGovern
DemocraticJohn G. Schmitz
American IndependentVarious candidates
Other partiesMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%#%Total4,602,09655.00%3,475,84741.54%232,5542.78%57,3650.69%1,126,24913.46%8,367,862
Alameda201,86242.84%259,25455.02%6,9301.47%3,1490.67%-57,392-12.18%471,195
Alpine36663.54%19533.85%71.22%81.39%17129.69%576
Amador3,53353.40%2,70540.89%3405.14%380.57%82812.51%6,616
Butte28,81957.61%18,40136.78%2,4684.93%3400.68%10,41820.83%50,028
Calaveras4,11960.76%2,26833.46%3044.48%881.30%1,85127.30%6,779
Colusa2,71557.56%1,81038.37%1673.54%250.53%90519.19%4,717
Contra Costa139,04454.13%111,71843.49%4,7011.83%1,4210.55%27,32610.64%256,884
Del Norte2,92751.82%2,15638.17%5159.12%500.89%77113.65%5,648
El Dorado11,33054.20%8,65441.40%7943.80%1270.61%2,67612.80%20,905
Fresno79,05150.44%72,68246.38%3,9272.51%1,0590.68%6,3694.06%156,719
Glenn4,56959.01%2,68134.62%4585.92%350.45%1,88824.39%7,743
Humboldt22,34548.83%21,13246.18%1,8964.14%3900.85%1,2132.65%45,763
Imperial14,17862.05%7,98234.93%6072.66%820.36%6,19627.12%22,849
Inyo4,87368.07%2,00628.02%2403.35%400.56%2,86740.05%7,159
Kern71,68660.14%41,93735.18%5,1124.29%4580.38%29,47924.96%119,193
Kings10,50956.52%7,27439.12%7423.99%700.38%3,23517.40%18,595
Lake6,47755.12%4,71540.13%5094.33%490.42%1,76214.99%11,750
Lassen3,61850.80%3,13444.00%3204.49%500.70%4846.80%7,122
Los Angeles1,549,71754.75%1,189,97742.04%71,9782.54%18,6980.66%359,74012.71%2,830,370
Madera7,83552.61%6,58044.18%4282.87%490.33%1,2558.43%14,892
Marin54,12352.10%47,41445.64%1,3261.28%1,0200.98%6,7096.46%103,883
Mariposa2,12256.15%1,48739.35%1413.73%290.77%63516.80%3,779
Mendocino11,12851.01%9,43543.25%1,0504.81%2010.92%1,6937.76%21,814
Merced17,73754.33%13,91442.62%8362.56%1610.49%3,82311.71%32,648
Modoc2,08558.49%1,27135.65%1885.27%210.59%81422.84%3,565
Mono1,87266.88%82829.58%782.79%210.75%1,04437.30%2,799
Monterey47,00457.04%32,54539.49%2,2742.76%5850.71%14,45917.55%82,408
Napa23,40359.61%14,52937.01%1,1412.91%1880.48%8,87422.60%39,261
Nevada8,00454.68%5,69338.89%8685.93%730.50%2,31115.79%14,638
Orange448,29168.27%176,84726.93%28,6344.36%2,8810.44%271,44441.34%656,653
Placer18,59750.34%16,91145.77%1,2513.39%1860.50%1,6864.57%36,945
Plumas2,95246.42%3,05748.07%3185.00%330.52%-105-1.65%6,360
Riverside108,12058.00%71,59138.41%5,8433.13%8500.46%36,52919.59%186,404
Sacramento141,21849.00%137,28747.63%7,8412.72%1,8750.65%3,9311.37%288,221
San Benito3,96157.56%2,58237.52%3084.48%300.44%1,37920.04%6,881
San Bernardino144,68959.73%85,98635.49%10,3424.27%1,2390.51%58,70324.24%242,256
San Diego371,62761.82%206,45534.34%20,1883.36%2,8670.48%165,17227.48%601,137
San Francisco127,46141.82%170,88256.07%3,7021.21%2,7250.89%-43,421-14.25%304,770
San Joaquin61,64655.30%44,06239.53%5,0274.51%7340.66%17,58415.77%111,469
San Luis Obispo28,56655.98%20,77940.72%1,1562.27%5321.04%7,78715.26%51,033
San Mateo135,37752.82%109,74542.82%4,0791.59%7,0962.77%25,63210.00%256,297
Santa Barbara67,07555.19%50,60941.64%3,1032.55%7540.62%16,46613.55%121,541
Santa Clara237,33451.90%208,50645.60%8,2361.80%3,2170.70%28,8286.30%457,293
Santa Cruz34,79949.88%32,33646.35%1,9312.77%6930.99%2,4633.53%69,759
Shasta16,61846.68%17,21448.35%1,5954.48%1760.49%-596-1.67%35,603
Sierra62947.51%65849.70%272.04%100.76%-29-2.19%1,324
Siskiyou7,56351.46%6,43443.78%6214.23%780.53%1,1297.68%14,696
Solano31,31454.02%24,76642.73%1,6162.79%2690.46%6,54811.29%57,965
Sonoma57,69754.72%43,74641.49%3,1923.03%7990.76%13,95113.23%105,434
Stanislaus39,52151.41%35,00545.54%1,9432.53%3980.52%4,5165.87%76,867
Sutter10,22462.45%5,40933.04%6473.95%920.56%4,81529.41%16,372
Tehama6,05448.73%5,17541.65%1,1619.34%340.27%8797.08%12,424
Trinity1,86850.75%1,62144.04%1694.59%230.62%2476.71%3,681
Tulare36,04859.93%21,77536.20%2,0763.45%2510.42%14,27323.73%60,150
Tuolumne5,89454.29%4,59642.34%2992.75%670.62%1,29811.95%10,856
Ventura95,31063.20%49,30732.70%5,5863.70%6020.40%46,00330.50%150,805
Yolo17,96942.04%23,69455.44%8001.87%2750.64%-5,725-13.40%42,738
Yuba6,62356.95%4,43538.13%5184.45%540.46%2,18818.82%11,630

References

References

  1. "Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018".
  2. "STATEMENT OF VOTE - STATE OF CALIFORNIA - CONSOLIDATED PRIMARY ELECTION JUNE 6, 1972". California Secretary of State.
  3. "1972 Presidential General Election Results - California". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
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