1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina

1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina
Nixon 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90%	McGovern 50-60%
President before election; Richard Nixon; Republican	Elected President ; Richard Nixon; Republican

The 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

North Carolina voted strongly for Republican nominee President Richard Nixon, over Democratic nominee Senator George McGovern. North Carolina voted overwhelmingly for President Nixon, who won 69.46% to 28.89%, one of the biggest margins in the country. This is the most Republican result in North Carolina presidential history, which was 17.3% more Republican than the nation-at-large.

McGovern won only the typically extremely strong Democratic counties of Northampton and Orange – two counties with a record of having voted Democratic at every election since 1900, apart from Orange County’s vote against the Catholic Al Smith in 1928.^[1] Even in these counties, where most Democratic candidates expect to receive well over sixty percent of the vote and Walter Mondale in his disastrous 1984 loss won by over 13 percent,^[2] McGovern won by only 236 votes in Northampton County and 1,002 out of over 23,000 in Orange County.

In the process Nixon managed to challenge the long-established Democratic bastion in the state’s northeast, which rivals South Texas as the longest-lived extant Democrat stronghold in the entire United States. It is the only time since 1900 that Hoke,^[3] Hertford^[4] and Bertie Counties^[5] have voted against the Democratic candidate, the only time that Durham and Washington Counties has voted for the Republican candidate since 1928, and the only time Anson,^[6] Halifax,^[7] Warren^[8] and Edgecombe Counties^[9] have supported a Republican candidate since 1896.^[a]

This is the first election in which a presidential candidate won North Carolina with more than 1,000,000 votes.^[10] This is also the best Republican presidential election performance in the history of the state.^[10]

Results[]

1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	1,054,889	69.46%	13
	Democratic	George McGovern	438,705	28.89%	0
	American Independent	John G. Schmitz	25,018	1.65%	0
	Write-ins^[b]	Various candidates	162	0.01%	0
Totals			1,518,774	100.0%	13
Voter turnout			44.35%		—

Results by county[]

County	Richard Milhous Nixon^[12] Republican		George Stanley McGovern^[12] Democratic		John George Schmitz^[12] American		Margin
County	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#
Avery	83.99%	3,510	15.00%	627	1.01%	42	68.99%	2,883
Mitchell	83.45%	4,240	15.74%	800	0.81%	41	67.70%	3,440
Henderson	80.17%	12,134	17.85%	2,701	1.98%	300	62.33%	9,433
Onslow	80.05%	10,343	18.76%	2,424	1.19%	154	61.29%	7,919
Yadkin	79.16%	6,824	18.47%	1,592	2.38%	205	60.69%	5,232
Johnston	79.24%	14,272	19.37%	3,488	1.39%	251	59.87%	10,784
Craven	78.74%	9,372	20.03%	2,384	1.23%	147	58.71%	6,988
Davie	75.69%	5,613	21.28%	1,578	3.03%	225	54.41%	4,035
Randolph	76.02%	18,724	21.71%	5,346	2.27%	559	54.32%	13,378
Cabarrus	76.45%	18,384	22.19%	5,336	1.36%	328	54.26%	13,048
Gaston	75.76%	27,956	22.93%	8,462	1.31%	483	52.83%	19,494
Greene	75.68%	2,788	22.99%	847	1.33%	49	52.69%	1,941
Davidson	74.79%	24,875	23.12%	7,691	2.09%	696	51.66%	17,184
Alamance	74.61%	22,046	23.12%	6,833	2.27%	670	51.48%	15,213
New Hanover	74.41%	19,060	23.01%	5,894	2.58%	661	51.40%	13,166
Iredell	73.79%	16,736	22.43%	5,088	3.78%	858	51.35%	11,648
Dare	75.20%	1,986	24.01%	634	0.80%	21	51.19%	1,352
Catawba	74.46%	24,106	23.92%	7,744	1.62%	525	50.54%	16,362
Harnett	74.64%	10,259	24.35%	3,347	1.00%	138	50.29%	6,912
Carteret	74.14%	8,463	24.57%	2,805	1.29%	147	49.57%	5,658
Lenoir	73.89%	11,065	24.52%	3,672	1.59%	238	49.37%	7,393
Rowan	73.34%	20,735	24.17%	6,834	2.49%	705	49.17%	13,901
Wilson	73.04%	12,060	25.23%	4,166	1.73%	286	47.81%	7,894
Lee	72.71%	5,836	25.22%	2,024	2.07%	166	47.50%	3,812
Wilkes	72.83%	13,105	25.75%	4,634	1.42%	255	47.08%	8,471
McDowell	72.09%	6,570	25.76%	2,348	2.15%	196	46.32%	4,222
Nash	71.39%	12,679	25.35%	4,503	3.26%	579	46.03%	8,176
Wayne	72.33%	14,352	26.38%	5,234	1.29%	256	45.95%	9,118
Cleveland	72.06%	13,726	26.22%	4,994	1.72%	328	45.84%	8,732
Person	71.89%	5,941	27.18%	2,246	0.93%	77	44.71%	3,695
Caldwell	71.41%	12,976	26.89%	4,886	1.70%	309	44.52%	8,090
Union	71.60%	10,264	27.11%	3,886	1.30%	186	44.49%	6,378
Hyde	69.28%	1,112	25.11%	403	5.61%	90	44.17%	709
Rockingham	71.15%	14,519	27.10%	5,530	1.75%	358	44.05%	8,989
Moore	70.68%	9,406	27.25%	3,627	2.07%	275	43.43%	5,779
Columbus	70.64%	8,468	27.57%	3,305	1.79%	214	43.07%	5,163
Buncombe	70.38%	32,091	27.69%	12,626	1.92%	877	42.69%	19,465
Duplin	70.61%	7,153	28.20%	2,857	1.18%	120	42.41%	4,296
Transylvania	69.73%	5,860	27.62%	2,321	2.65%	223	42.11%	3,539
Wake	70.32%	56,808	28.23%	22,807	1.45%	1,174	42.09%	34,001
Cumberland	70.46%	24,376	28.48%	9,853	1.06%	366	41.98%	14,523
Pitt	70.41%	14,406	28.63%	5,858	0.95%	195	41.78%	8,548
Brunswick	69.06%	6,153	28.06%	2,500	2.87%	256	41.00%	3,653
Beaufort	69.65%	6,915	29.22%	2,901	1.13%	112	40.43%	4,014
Stanly	69.32%	12,459	29.03%	5,218	1.64%	295	40.29%	7,241
Guilford	69.46%	61,381	29.20%	25,800	1.34%	1,185	40.27%	35,581
Alexander	68.95%	5,865	29.01%	2,468	2.03%	173	39.94%	3,397
Macon	69.20%	4,134	29.28%	1,749	1.52%	91	39.92%	2,385
Pender	68.90%	3,327	29.30%	1,415	1.80%	87	39.59%	1,912
Burke	68.96%	14,447	29.58%	6,197	1.46%	306	39.38%	8,250
Franklin	68.37%	5,431	29.47%	2,341	2.17%	172	38.90%	3,090
Rutherford	68.80%	9,506	29.97%	4,140	1.23%	170	38.84%	5,366
Mecklenburg	68.52%	77,546	29.80%	33,730	1.68%	1,900	38.71%	43,816
Martin	68.76%	4,188	30.21%	1,840	1.03%	63	38.55%	2,348
Surry	67.78%	10,497	30.39%	4,706	1.83%	284	37.39%	5,791
Forsyth	67.69%	46,415	30.52%	20,928	1.79%	1,226	37.17%	25,487
Polk	67.31%	3,121	30.54%	1,416	2.16%	100	36.77%	1,705
Currituck	66.67%	1,578	30.33%	718	3.00%	71	36.33%	860
Stokes	66.86%	7,118	30.57%	3,254	2.57%	274	36.30%	3,864
Halifax	66.60%	8,908	31.71%	4,241	1.69%	226	34.89%	4,667
Vance	66.85%	6,491	32.10%	3,117	1.05%	102	34.75%	3,374
Granville	66.82%	6,037	32.30%	2,918	0.89%	80	34.52%	3,119
Chowan	66.39%	1,906	32.60%	936	1.01%	29	33.79%	970
Montgomery	65.67%	4,417	32.34%	2,175	1.99%	134	33.33%	2,242
Pamlico	66.11%	1,847	32.89%	919	1.00%	28	33.21%	928
Sampson	65.76%	9,684	33.19%	4,888	1.05%	154	32.57%	4,796
Haywood	64.84%	8,903	32.88%	4,515	2.28%	313	31.96%	4,388
Clay	65.19%	1,545	33.63%	797	1.18%	28	31.56%	748
Bladen	64.72%	4,205	33.88%	2,201	1.40%	91	30.85%	2,004
Swain	64.45%	2,052	34.58%	1,101	0.97%	31	29.87%	951
Pasquotank	63.07%	3,906	34.15%	2,115	2.78%	172	28.92%	1,791
Scotland	63.69%	3,485	35.42%	1,938	0.90%	49	28.27%	1,547
Perquimans	62.57%	1,299	34.83%	723	2.60%	54	27.75%	576
Edgecombe	62.53%	8,244	35.16%	4,635	2.31%	305	27.37%	3,609
Ashe	62.95%	5,784	36.06%	3,313	0.99%	91	26.89%	2,471
Watauga	62.85%	6,017	36.05%	3,451	1.10%	105	26.80%	2,566
Cherokee	62.28%	4,113	36.51%	2,411	1.21%	80	25.77%	1,702
Chatham	62.12%	6,175	36.46%	3,624	1.43%	142	25.66%	2,551
Lincoln	61.88%	8,597	36.71%	5,100	1.40%	195	25.17%	3,497
Washington	61.65%	2,559	37.24%	1,546	1.11%	46	24.40%	1,013
Alleghany	61.29%	2,158	37.03%	1,304	1.68%	59	24.25%	854
Durham	61.38%	25,576	37.36%	15,566	1.26%	525	24.02%	10,010
Camden	60.20%	909	36.82%	556	2.98%	45	23.38%	353
Anson	60.88%	3,551	37.51%	2,188	1.61%	94	23.37%	1,363
Richmond	60.84%	5,692	37.49%	3,508	1.67%	156	23.34%	2,184
Graham	61.05%	1,699	37.98%	1,057	0.97%	27	23.07%	642
Madison	61.18%	3,273	38.11%	2,039	0.71%	38	23.07%	1,234
Bertie	60.54%	2,874	38.32%	1,819	1.14%	54	22.22%	1,055
Caswell	59.65%	2,983	38.43%	1,922	1.92%	96	21.22%	1,061
Robeson	59.99%	11,362	39.02%	7,391	0.99%	188	20.97%	3,971
Warren	59.62%	2,603	38.89%	1,698	1.49%	65	20.73%	905
Jones	58.93%	1,650	39.04%	1,093	2.04%	57	19.89%	557
Jackson	59.11%	4,709	39.78%	3,169	1.12%	89	19.33%	1,540
Tyrrell	59.30%	676	40.26%	459	0.44%	5	19.04%	217
Hertford	58.34%	2,794	40.26%	1,928	1.40%	67	18.08%	866
Yancey	57.10%	3,106	41.88%	2,278	1.03%	56	15.22%	828
Hoke	56.25%	1,927	42.79%	1,466	0.96%	33	13.46%	461
Gates	51.01%	1,264	47.50%	1,177	1.49%	37	3.51%	87
Northampton	47.71%	2,997	51.46%	3,233	0.83%	52	-3.76%	-236
Orange	47.66%	11,632	51.76%	12,634	0.58%	142	-4.11%	-1,002

Notes[]

^ Anson, Halifax, Warren and Edgecombe Counties had supported American Independent candidate George Wallace during the 1968 election
^ These write-in votes were not separated by county but given only as a state-wide total.^[12]

References[]

^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
^ David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; 1984 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina
^ The Political Graveyard; Hoke County, North Carolina
^ The Political Graveyard; Hertford County, North Carolina
^ The Political Graveyard; Bertie County, North Carolina
^ The Political Graveyard; Anson County, North Carolina
^ The Political Graveyard; Halifax County, North Carolina
^ The Political Graveyard; Warren County, North Carolina
^ The Political Graveyard; Edgecombe County, North Carolina
^ ^a ^b "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – North Carolina". David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
^ "1972 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina". David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Our Campaigns; NC US President Race, November 07, 1972

[10] Anson, Halifax, Warren and Edgecombe Counties had supported American Independent candidate George Wallace during the 1968 election

[14] These write-in votes were not separated by county but given only as a state-wide total.^[12]

[1] Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

[2] David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; 1984 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina

[3] The Political Graveyard; Hoke County, North Carolina

[4] The Political Graveyard; Hertford County, North Carolina

[5] The Political Graveyard; Bertie County, North Carolina

[6] The Political Graveyard; Anson County, North Carolina

[7] The Political Graveyard; Halifax County, North Carolina

[8] The Political Graveyard; Warren County, North Carolina

[9] The Political Graveyard; Edgecombe County, North Carolina

[Comparison-11] "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – North Carolina". David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

[12] "1972 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina". David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

[Our-13] Our Campaigns; NC US President Race, November 07, 1972

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[a]

[10]

[11]

[b]

[12]