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November 7, 1972 | |||||||||||||||||
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County results Ray: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Iowa |
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The 1972 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Robert D. Ray defeated Democratic nominee Paul Franzenburg with 58.43% of the vote.
This was the last gubernatorial election in Iowa in which either party won every county. It was also the last election for a two-year term, with Iowa (alongside Arkansas, Kansas, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas and, as of date, Vermont and New Hampshire) being one of the last states to maintain two-year, as opposed to four-year gubernatorial terms.
Major party candidates
Other candidates
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert D. Ray (incumbent) | 707,177 | 58.43% | +7.45% | |
| Democratic | Paul Franzenburg | 487,282 | 40.26% | −6.36% | |
| American Independent | Robert Dilley | 15,715 | 1.30% | −1.09% | |
| Write-ins | 48 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 219,895 | 18.17% | |||
| Turnout | 1,210,222 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||