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 County results Holshouser: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% Contents
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| Elections in North Carolina |
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The 1972 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Republican nominee James Holshouser defeated Democratic nominee Skipper Bowles with 51% of the vote. Holshouser thus became the first Republican elected governor of the state since 1896.
This election was also the first time in a century (since the 1872 election) that a Republican candidate won an outright majority of the vote.
Primary elections were held on May 6, 1972. [1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Skipper Bowles | 367,433 | 45.47 | |
| Democratic | Hoyt Patrick Taylor Jr. | 304,910 | 37.73 | |
| Democratic | Reginald A. Hawkins | 65,950 | 8.16 | |
| Democratic | Wilbur Hobby | 58,990 | 7.30 | |
| Democratic | C. Eugene Leggett | 6,352 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | Zeb V.K. Dickson | 4,470 | 0.55 | |
| Total votes | 808,105 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Skipper Bowles | 336,034 | 54.34 | |
| Democratic | Hoyt Patrick Taylor Jr. | 282,345 | 45.66 | |
| Total votes | 618,379 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Gardner | 84,906 | 49.77 | |
| Republican | James Holshouser | 83,637 | 49.03 | |
| Republican | Leroy Gibson | 1,083 | 0.64 | |
| Republican | Thomas E. Chappell | 957 | 0.56 | |
| Total votes | 170,583 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James Holshouser | 69,916 | 50.65 | |
| Republican | Jim Gardner | 68,134 | 49.36 | |
| Total votes | 138,050 | 100.00 | ||
Major party candidates
Other candidates
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James Holshouser | 767,470 | 51.00% | ||
| Democratic | Skipper Bowles | 729,104 | 48.45% | ||
| American | Arlis F. Pettyjohn | 8,211 | 0.55% | ||
| Majority | 38,366 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,504,785 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
James Eubert Holshouser Jr. was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 68th Governor of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977. He was the first Republican candidate to be elected as governor of the state since 1896. Born in Boone, North Carolina, Holshouser initially sought to become a sports journalist before deciding to pursue a law degree. While in law school he developed an interest in politics and in 1962 he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives where he focused on restructuring government and higher education institutions, and drug abuse legislation. Made chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party in March 1966, he established the organization's first permanent staff and gained prominence by opposing a cigarette tax.
Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles Jr. was an American Democratic politician and businessman, based in Greensboro, North Carolina.
James Carson Gardner is an American businessman and politician who served as a U.S. Representative (1967–1969) and as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina (1989–1993).
The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Michael Whatley was the chair from 2019 until his election as national chair in March 2024. It is currently the state's favored party, controlling half of North Carolina's U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, and a 3/5 supermajority control of both chambers of the state legislature, as well as a majority on the state supreme court.
The 2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 United States presidential election, U.S. House election, statewide judicial election, Council of State election and various local elections.
The 2008 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2008, as part of the elections to the Council of State. North Carolina also held a gubernatorial election on the same day, but the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are elected independently.
The 1976 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976. Democratic nominee Jim Hunt defeated Republican nominee David T. Flaherty with 64.99% of the vote.
The 1978 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Although the Tennessee State Constitution had been amended in early 1978 to allow a governor to succeed himself, Incumbent Democratic governor Ray Blanton chose not to seek re-election. Republican Lamar Alexander once again ran for governor. In the general election, Alexander defeated Democratic nominee Jake Butcher with 55.8% of the vote.
The 1978 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Democratic nominee John W. Carlin defeated incumbent Republican Robert Frederick Bennett with 49.4% of the vote.
The 1974 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Republican Governor Winfield Dunn was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Tennessee prohibited governors from serving consecutive terms at the time. Democratic nominee Ray Blanton defeated Republican opponent Lamar Alexander with 55.4% of the vote.
The 1970 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic Governor Buford Ellington was term-limited and was prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking another term. Republican nominee Winfield Dunn, defeated Democratic opponent John Jay Hooker with 52.0% of the vote.
The 1968 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1968. Democratic nominee Robert W. Scott defeated Republican nominee Jim Gardner with 52.70% of the vote.
The 1967 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1967. Republican nominee Louie Nunn defeated Democratic nominee Henry Ward with 51.20% of the vote. Nunn became the first Republican elected since 1943.
The 1972 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Democrat Robert Docking defeated Republican nominee Morris Kay with 62.0% of the vote.
The 1962 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1962, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic Governor Buford Ellington was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Tennessee prohibited governors from serving consecutive terms at the time. Former Democratic Governor Frank G. Clement defeated Independent nominee William Anderson, and Republican nominee Hubert Patty, with 50.9% of the vote.
The 1948 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948. Democratic nominee W. Kerr Scott defeated Republican nominee George M. Pritchard with 73.16% of the vote. This was the first gubernatorial election in North Carolina where a female appeared on the ballot.
The North Carolina Council of State elections of 2020 were held on November 3, 2020, to select the ten officers of the North Carolina Council of State. These elections coincided with the presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the Senate and elections to the North Carolina General Assembly and top state courts. Primary elections were held on March 3, 2020, for offices for which more than one candidate filed per party.
The 1950 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1950. Republican nominee John Davis Lodge defeated Democratic incumbent Chester Bowles with 49.66% of the vote.
The 1900 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on August 2, 1900. Democratic nominee Charles Brantley Aycock defeated Republican nominee Spencer B. Adams with 59.57% of the vote. The election started a string of 18 consecutive elections in which the Democratic nominee won the Governor's office. The state would not elect another Republican as governor until James E. Holshouser, Jr. won in 1972.
David Thomas Flaherty was an American businessman and politician.
