1972 United States Senate election in Virginia

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1972 United States Senate election in Virginia
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1966 November 7, 1972 1978  
Turnout44.7% [1]
  William Lloyd Scott.jpg William B Spong.jpg
Nominee William L. Scott William Spong, Jr.
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote718,337643,963
Percentage51.45%46.12%

1972 United States Senate election in Virginia results map by county.svg
County and independent city results
Scott:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Spong:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election

William B. Spong, Jr.
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

William Lloyd Scott
Republican

The 1972 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 1972. Republican U.S. Representative William L. Scott defeated incumbent Democratic Senator William Spong Jr.. Scott was the first Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia to be elected in over a century, as the most recent Republican Senator was John F. Lewis, who had served during the Reconstruction era until 1875.

Contents

He was the first Republican to ever win this seat, and the first non-Democrat since 1889. This is the last time a candidate not named Warner won Virginia's Class 2 Senate seat.

General election

Candidates

Results

United States Senate election in Virginia, 1972 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican William Lloyd Scott 718,337 51.45% +22.05%
Democratic William B. Spong, Jr. (incumbent)643,96346.12%−12.48%
Independent Horace E. Henderson33,9122.43%
Write-ins56<0.01%−0.01%
Majority 74,3745.33%−19.77%
Turnout 1,396,268
Republican gain from Democratic

References

  1. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  2. "Our Campaigns - VA US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1972".

See also