United States presidential election, 1972 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
United States presidential election, 1972

← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →

Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern Party Republican Democrat Home state California South Dakota Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver (changing Thomas Eagleton) Electoral vote 520 17 States carried 49 1 + D.C. Popular vote 47,168,710 29,173,222 Percentage 60.7% 37.5%

Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Nixon/Agnew. Blue denotes states won by McGovern/Shriver. Gray denotes won by Hospers by a Virginia faithless elector. Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state.

President before election Richard Nixon Republican Elected President Richard Nixon Republican

The 1972 United States presidential election was a big event. It was held on November 7, 1972. The main candidates were the current President, Richard Nixon, and George McGovern. McGovern was a Senator from South Dakota.

Richard Nixon won the election by a huge amount. He won 49 out of the 50 states. This kind of big win is called a landslide. George McGovern only got 17 electoral votes. This was one of the biggest wins for a Republican candidate ever. It set a record until Ronald Reagan won again in 1984.

During the election, George Wallace, who was the governor of Alabama, was injured. Also, George McGovern's running mate (who would be Vice President) changed. His first choice, Thomas Eagleton, was replaced by Sargent Shriver because of some health issues. This election also happened during the time of the Watergate scandal.

Election results by county.     Richard Nixon      George McGovern

Who Ran for President?

In 1972, many people wanted to become president. They belonged to different political parties. The two main parties were the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

Democratic Party Candidates

Many people hoped to be the Democratic Party's choice for president. Here are some of the most well-known candidates:

• George McGovern, a Senator from South Dakota. He eventually won the nomination.
• Hubert Humphrey, a Senator from Minnesota. He had also been Vice President before.
• George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama.
• Edmund Muskie, a Senator from Maine.
• Eugene McCarthy, a former Senator from Minnesota.
• Henry M. Jackson, a Senator from Washington.
• Shirley Chisholm, a Representative from New York. She was the first African American woman elected to Congress.
• John Lindsay, the Mayor of New York City.

Democratic Candidates Gallery

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  Senator George McGovern of South Dakota

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  Senator and former Vice President Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota

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  Governor George Wallace of Alabama

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  Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine

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  Former Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota

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  Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington

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  Representative Shirley Chisholm of New York

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  Former Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina

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  Mayor John Lindsay of New York

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  Representative Wilbur Mills of Arkansas

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  Senator Vance Hartke of Indiana

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  Senator Fred R. Harris of Oklahoma

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  Representative Patsy Mink of Hawaii

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  U.S. Congressional Delegate Walter Fauntroy of Washington, D.C.

Republican Party Candidates

The Republican Party had fewer candidates. The main one was the current president.

• Richard Nixon, the sitting President of the United States. He was running for re-election.
• Pete McCloskey, a Representative from California.
• John M. Ashbrook, a Representative from Ohio.

Republican Candidates Gallery

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  President Richard Nixon

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  Representative John Ashbrook of Ohio

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  Representative Pete McCloskey of California

Key People in the Election

Here are some of the important people involved in the 1972 election:

• Presidential Candidates:
  • Richard Nixon
  • George McGovern
  • Patsy Mink
• Vice Presidential Candidates:
  • Sargent Shriver
  • Spiro Agnew

Images for kids

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  Statewide contest by winner

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  Richard Nixon during an August 1972 campaign stop

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  George McGovern speaking at an October 1972 campaign rally

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  1972 Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District

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  John Hospers received one faithless electoral vote from Virginia.

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See also

In Spanish: Elecciones presidenciales de Estados Unidos de 1972 para niños